Category: Books

  • Muji Books

    Well, since I left Japan, looks like Muji has launched dedicated “Muji Books” sections in some of their stores (pictured, a Muji Books in Shanghai). The big Muji stores — like the flagship Yurakucho one — always had small book sections, but now it looks like we have proper bookstores within their stores. Makes me…

  • Coloring Inside the Lines/Coloring Outside the Lines

    My buddy Ian Lynam is simply one of the smartest people I know on this planet, and when he writes something, you should pay attention. His latest zine — which you can order online from his Wordshape webstore — acts as a guide to new graphic design graduates. I also highly recommend his Start Somewhere zine,…

  • Japan by Car

    “Japan by Car” is a series of illustrations — and soon to be a book — by Japan-based illustrator James Gilleard.

  • The Decagon House Murders

    I mentioned that I was reading this book back in December, and although I was quite enjoying it, it got put aside for a while — as often happens when I read books, because of my shitty attention span. I picked it up again this past Sunday, and cruised through the final 100 or so…

  • 99+1 Japan

    99+1 Japan is a beautiful new guide produced by the Japan National Tourism Organization that takes the form of a website and book (which is also available as a downloadable PDF). The focus here is on art, design, and architecture, and from the browsing I did on the website, the choices are, well, quite choice. I…

  • Big Books

    The Big Books series of giant fold-out books for kids by Mao Fujimoto looks fantastic. More details in this Spoon & Tamago post, where they can also be purchased.

  • Don’t Go Outside: Tokyo Street Photos

    This is a Kickstarter for a photography book by Sean Bonner that I came to late, but I’m glad to see it got funded. Looks like a rather nice project, and I imagine it may become available again once it gets published.

  • Operation Olympiad

    Operation Olympiad is a beautiful hand-stitched book by Alessandro Perini that takes a look at how Tokyo and Japan approached the 1940 Olympic Games. It’s part of the “Missing Games Project,” and you’ll find a video flip-through here. Found via Canvas.

  • Where They Create: Japan

    A new book to lust over, Where They Create: Japan is a collection of what looks like fantastic photo shoots of creative spaces by photographer Paul Barbera. You get a peek inside the studios and work spaces of creatives like Anrealage, Kengo Kuma, Wonderwall, Nendo, Tadao Ando, Tokujin Yoshioka, and Toyo Ito. You can order it here —…

  • Beams Beyond Tokyo

    Not only does the new Beams Beyond Tokyo book from Rizzoli look fantastic — a celebration of the brand’s collaborations through the years — I’m also happy to see that my buddy W. David Marx is one of the contributors. These Rizzoli coffee table books tend to be incredibly well made (oh, you know, like…