Child Kimono and the colors of Japan

Editor&Collecter: Yumioka Katsumi

Words: Aoki Ippei

Publisher: PIE BOOKS

Publication Year: 2007

Page: 240

Product Dimension:  16 x 2.2 x 26.4 cm

Language: Japanese and English

“Shidare-yanagi iro is a bright yellowish green, softer and dimmer than yanagi iro (the color of fresh leaves)”

Collection of children’s antique kimono, which belongs to a kimono cordinator, Katsumi Yumioka.

Children’s kimono use many playful, vivid colors and motifs not found on kimono for adults.

For each season, you’ll know various colors, cobination of colors, traditional events and patterns.

You’ll see kimonos used for ceremonies, like visiting a Shinto shrine.

This book presents beautiful photos and words in both Japanese and English.

“Murasaki-shikibu” named after the author of the Tale of Genji.

More information, please contact me. I’m happy to get information for you.

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Hokusai’s Mt. Fuji (in Japanese and English)

 Auther: Kazuko Nishimura

Special Suppervisor: Nobuo Tsuji

Publisher: HAKUGADO Co., Ltd.

Publication Year: 2013

Page: 36

Product Dimension:  32.8 x 26 x 1 cm

Language: Japanese and English

Mt Fuji granted World Heritage status in 2013.

Japanese people have loved and worshipped Mt, Fuji since ancient days and an artist genius, Katsushika Hokusai, also loved it and drew many pictures of it.

You can enjoy Hokusai’s 28 pictures from “Thirty-Six Views of Mt.Fuji” and “One Hundred Views of Mt.Fuji” and stories with them in both Japanese and English.

This book is written for kids and the explanations are easy to understan for kids or even adults who are not familiar with art or Hokusai.

Under the Wave off Kanagawa: Thity-Six Views of Mt. Fuji.

1 Dragon Ascending Mt.Fuji

2 Mt.Fuji in a Bamboo Grove

3 Mt.Fuji on the Face of a paddy

4 Under the Wave off Kanagawa

5 Mt. Fuji ad Dawn

6 Thunderstorm beneath the Summit

7 Mr.Fuji at Sea

8 Groups of Mountain Climber

and more.

More information, please contact me. I’m happy to get information for you.

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Writer: Kazuhiko Tajima

Publisher: PIE BOOKS

Publication Year: 2005

Page: 344

Product Dimension:  3.2 x 15.2 x 22.2 cm

Language: Japanese

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“Araiso” a traditional motif of jumping carp in a stormy sea

 

Chiyogami is a type of highly decorated, colourful craft paper used for origami.

Isetatsu, an old established the Edo period chiyogami store, has beautiful and refuined chiyogami collection.

This book presents about 150 chiyogami designs with illustrations by Hinako Sugiura and Japanese classical short songs, dodoitsu.

“Yatsuhashi”, bridges with Japanese iris, is a popular and traditional Japanese design.

Those designs covering one whole page are very impressive.  Even if you don’t read the writings,   you can enjoy the world of Japanese traditional art.

Some are gorgeous with vivid colors with flower motifs and some are monotone and simple.

MOTIFS or IMAGES:      Flowers (plum, cherry, iris, azalea,  peony)   Months , Trees and leaves,    Water and waves,   Items (umbrellas, tops, fans, books, crests, letters)  Birds and butterflis

 

If you want to know more about this book, please contact me.

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Nagasaki Iwao

200

Tokyo Bijutsu Co., Ltd.

This book introduces kimono designs from Edo period (18th century) to early Showa period(20th century) with color photoes and pictures drawn by ukiyoe artists.

 

Some are simple and chic and the others are gorgeous and colorful.

You can enjoy the coloring and designs a lot.

￥２８００

“Chiyogami” Japanese craft paper with traditional designs

Kazuhiko Tajima (Art direction)

2005

PIE OOKS

I’ve seen various kinds of chiyogami, Japanese craft paper with colorful patterns, in my life,

and their designs are always beautiful, sometimes gorgeous and sometimes chic.

This book has 150 chiyogami designs of a long-established store “Isetatsu“.

Designs are shown using one side of the facing page and on the other side,

there are illustraion by Hinako Sugiuwa and words (classical short poems and explanations

for pictures)

I guess it’s difficult for non-Japanese speakers to understand the words, but still

you can enjoy the designs.

340 ages

￥3800

Book of Japanese original designs

Kazuo Kobayashi

Nihon vogue sya

2001

This book collects Japanese traditional designs which can be used casually even today for letter paper, greeting cards, craft works of cloth, wood, glass and leather.

It has 347 beautiful designs.

Geometry patterns

Plants designs

Animal designs

Other nature things like clouds, waves, snow

Items like fans, lamps and arrows

Letters including Chinese characters and Japanese letters

Pictures of festivals and other Japanese traditional arts

If you want to know about the book more, please feel free to contact me!

kazcut@gmail.com

K

Japanese family crests

Written by Soichiro Honda

Goto Shoin

2004

Today we don’t use “Kamon”, family crests, very often, but each family has their own crests and use them for particular occasion, like costume for wedding and desighn for tombs.

Mostly plants and flowers are used for the designs.

Other motifs are animals, housing materials, swords,  letters and so on.

Some are simple and some have complicated design. You’ll see 5116 different crests in this book.

My family crest is called “Maru ni ken katabami”. “Maru” is a round and “ken” is a sword , actually three swords and “katabami” is  an oxisols flower.

Those designs are very attractive.  If you like one of those, it might be nice to use it your own crest.

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Picture book : “Sleepy animals”

“Nemuindamon” meaning “I’m sleepy!”

Picture: Yukihiro Fukuda

Words : Etsuko Yuki

2014

Soensha

I love picture books.

My sons finished the period of reading picture books together, but when I see nice books, I can’t ignore them.

This picture book is actually for small kids but I think adults also can enjoy it!

Because you’ll see lovely sleepy faces of baby animals.

Horses, panda bears, rabbits, monkeys, wild pigs, seals, owls, penguins, squirrels, hippos, koala bears, sea otters, wombats, goats and orangutans .

Have you ever seen those sleepy faces closely?

Even if you don’t read Japanese letters, you will love this picture book!

If anybody is interested in buying this book from Japan, I’m very happy to help you! So please contact me!