Japanese Style

This exhibition catalog, "Japan Style," was published in 1980 to accompany an exhibition that re-examined Japanese culture from an international perspective. It is an English edition published by Kodansha International as a book to complement the exhibition organized by the Japan Foundation and London's Victoria and Albert Museum.

Through chapters such as "Materials," "Elegance," "Simplicity," "Compactness," "Graphism," "Vitality," and "Today," the book introduces Japanese material culture and aesthetics by spanning crafts, architecture, daily goods, and graphics. It presents multiple facets of Japanese culture, such as tradition and modernity, simplicity and decorativeness, and everyday life and artistry, as a single "Japanese Style."

The essays were written by Mitsukuni Yoshida, J. V. Earle, Masaru Katsumi, and Jean-Pierre Lehmann. Ikko Tanaka was responsible for art direction. With its composition combining photographs, illustrations, text, and empty space, it is not merely a collection of work descriptions but a visually edited volume of Japanese culture itself.

[Title] Japan Style
[Publisher] Kodansha International Ltd.
[Publication Date] 1980 (First Edition)
[Pages] 148 pages
[Size] Approx. 258 x 246 x 13mm / 760g
[Format] Hardcover
[Language] English
[Title Reading] -
[Author/Editor, etc.] Mitsukuni Yoshida, J. V. Earle, Masaru Katsumi, Jean-Pierre Lehmann / Essays, Ikko Tanaka / Art Direction
[Printing/Binding] Japan
[ISBN] 9780870119637 / 9784770014634
[Condition] Used [6] Good to Very Good (Cover: spine faded, minor scratches, slight foxing on top edge)
[Accessories] Obi
[Featured In] -
[Related Exhibition] "Japan Style" Victoria and Albert Museum (London, 1980)

Ikko Tanaka (1930–2002)

Graphic designer. After graduating from Kyoto City University of Arts, he worked in a wide range of fields including graphic design, book design, posters, and exhibition organization.

He developed traditional Japanese forms and colors into modern graphic design, earning high acclaim both domestically and internationally. He was involved in exhibitions such as the Government Pavilion at the 1970 Japan World Exposition and the Oceanic Culture Museum at the 1975 Okinawa International Ocean Exposition. In this book, "Japan Style," he served as art director, handling the visual composition to present Japanese culture to an international audience.

< Related Figures >

Ikko Tanaka
Victoria and Albert Museum
Kodansha International