Bathhouse

Shigeo Nishimura's picture book "Ofuroya-san" (The Bathhouse) tells the story of Acchan, who goes to a public bath with his family. The book depicts him taking off his clothes in the changing room, washing his body, soaking in the bathtub, and drinking milk after his bath. The first edition was published by Fukuinkan Shoten in 1983, and the copy for sale here is the 27th printing, issued on April 1, 2020.

Aside from a brief introductory text, this book is composed almost entirely of illustrations. The detailed drawings capture the gestures and the atmosphere of conversations among children, adults, and the elderly gathered in both the men's and women's baths. A mural of Mount Fuji and a pine forest adorns the wall behind the bathtub, and even the advertisements in the changing room and the overall appearance of the building are meticulously depicted.

Another characteristic feature is the ability to follow multiple events unfolding simultaneously within the bathhouse, such as children getting excited in the tub and being reprimanded, or family voices heard from the women's bath. With minimal text, the book's composition allows readers to imagine the relationships between people and even the sounds of the environment by observing every corner of the pages.

Nishimura himself created this work based on his own experience of frequenting public baths because he did not have a bathtub at home at the time. He portrays the public bath not as a special place, but as an everyday scene where people of various generations gather.

[Title] Ofuroya-san
[Publisher] Fukuinkan Shoten
[Publication Date] April 1, 2020 (27th printing)
[Page Count] 32 pages
[Size] Approx. 270×195×7mm / 290g
[Format] Hardcover
[Language] Japanese
[Title Reading] Ofuroya-san
[Author/Editor] Shigeo Nishimura / Author
[Printing/Binding] Seikosha / Printing
[ISBN] 9784834009620
[Condition] Used【7】Excellent
[Accessories] -
[Featured In] -
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Shigeo Nishimura

Picture book author. He has created many works that meticulously depict people, buildings, and cityscapes, layering the lives of the people who live there within a single frame.

His major picture books include "Ofuroya-san," "Yako Ressha" (The Night Train), "Mousugu Oshogatsu" (New Year's Day is Coming Soon), and "E de Miru Nihon no Rekishi" (Japanese History in Pictures). He portrays everyday scenes and people's lives in a way that allows for close examination of every detail within the frame.

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Fukuinkan Shoten
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