[Fair] "Kamimukae - Playing the beautiful sounds of Japan in the palm of your hand"
Japanese Culture
GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS (Japanese Culture) 2024年11月12日(火) - 12月11日(水)
The Japan Craft Book Project is a project that tells the stories of gods from all over Japan, binding them on traditional washi paper and giving them a soul. The first art book, "Kamimukae," will be on display and for sale from Tuesday, November 12th.
● Illustration: Ryusei Mizuno (artist)
Graduated from the Department of Japanese Painting at Tokyo University of the Arts. Studied oil painting at the Grande Chaumiere and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and ink painting techniques in Shanghai and Beijing. Expressed in ink painting the raging energy that seems to gush forth from the depths of the earth at the Shofu Shrine to the far reaches of space, and the people dancing Kagura. Appearing is the rampage of the gods.
● Washi craftsman: Seikichi Nishida (7th generation of the Nishida Washi Workshop)
Chairman of the Sekishu Washi Technician Association and member of the Traditional Technology Preservation Association. He grows his own paper mulberry and has been making washi paper using groundwater that has been flowing continuously since ancient times. He uses Nishida Washi Kobo's highest quality paper, "Mare," for the paper.
● Design: Saya Tani
He was in charge of all art direction for this project. In producing "Kamimukae," he sought out shapes and designs that would maximize the appeal of handmade washi paper.
● Calligraphy: Shiei Tatsumi
The calligraphy of this work incorporates the idea of "Totonoeru," a word that has been treasured by the Japanese since ancient times.
● Product Direction: Keisuke Shinohara (CEO of Shinohara Shiko Co., Ltd.)
Printing and binding using handmade Japanese paper was extremely difficult, but he was the driving force behind trying every possible method to make it a reality.
● Cooperation: Yasushi Yokoo (mounting artist, Masumi Tokyo representative)
She promotes Japanese traditional culture and spirituality to the world through washi paper, traditional textiles, and hanging scrolls. In this project, she provided advice on how to select and handle washi paper.
● Special Supervision: Matsuura Michihito (21st Chief Priest of Yakihi Shrine)
During the publication of "Kamimukae," we received full cooperation from them in conducting research and guidance on how to express religious ceremonies, kagura, etc. in writing.
Based on the concept of "telling and depicting the stories of Japanese gods on Japanese paper," the completely handmade art book "Kamimukae" was produced by a group of painters, writers, calligraphers, washi craftsmen, mounting artists, and designers. It will be on display and for sale from November 12th (Tue) to December 11th (Wed). The paper used for the book, "Sekishu-banshi (washi paper)" (Hamada City, Shimane Prefecture), a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, will also be on sale at the same time.
What is the Japan Craft Book Project?
The Japan Craft Book Project is a project that brings together artists with a focus on the texture and appearance of books to convey to the world the Japanese spirit of joining hands with nature to the 8 million gods, a feeling of awe. With the motto of "playing the beautiful Japanese music in the palm of your hand," the project is creating books for one shrine with which they have a connection, using handmade washi paper made in the area. The first book in the project, "Kamimukae," is based on the theme of the Oki Dozen Kagura dance dedicated to Yakihi Shrine in the Oki Islands of Shimane Prefecture, and was created using Sekishu washi paper from Shimane, which has a history of 1,300 years.
Japan Craft Book project https://japancraftbook.com/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/japan_craft_book/
About "Kamimukae" -Inviting Gods- Yakihi Shrine x Kagura x Sekishu Washi
Yakohi Shrine has been in existence since the Heian period on Nishinoshima Island in the Oki Islands of Shimane Prefecture. It has a deep connection with Emperor Gotoba, and in the Edo period, it attracted widespread faith from people all the way to the Sanriku coast as the guardian deity of safe voyages. It has also been depicted in ukiyo-e prints by Utagawa Hiroshige and Katsushika Hokusai. The Oki Shimane Kagura, dedicated at the Yakohi Shrine annual festival, is a kagura dance that has been performed since ancient times for the purpose of prayer. The gods are welcomed with rhythmic music and dance, and gods and humans become one and spend time playing together. The special edition book "Kamimukae" expresses the kagura unique to Oki Island, known as the "island of the gods," using Sekishu washi paper, which is also produced in Shimane. It is an art book that focuses on handmade, sun-dried washi paper, and you can feel its beautiful luster and flexibility in your palm as you read.
Yakehi Shrine
Oki Island Kagura
This is a video of when we went to offer "Kamimukae" to Yakihi Shrine.
① "Kamimukae" Special Edition
A sumi-e painting by artist Ryusei Mizuno is printed with the latest technology on handmade, sun-dried Sekishu kozo paper (rare) by Nishida Seikichi, the seventh generation owner of the Nishida Washi Studio. With the cooperation of printing director Ura Yuki, the delicate brush strokes and five-ink, six-color style are reproduced. On the last page, an original painting of a shrine priest and gods dancing Kagura is hand-fastened with madder-dyed washi thread made from Sekishu kozo paper. The cover is made of Sekishu kozo paper wrapped around the cover and pasted by hand on the entire surface. The text is silk-screened. The title and crest on the back are embossed in black foil. Limited to 30 copies, with edition number.
Specifications (special edition, with original illustrations)
Length 350mm x Width 230mm x Height 25mm
Cover: Walnut cover, completely covered with drained Sekishu Kozo paper
Text: 22 pages, accordion-bound
Original painting: Sekishu kozo paper board, mineral pigments, vermilion and ink, madder dyed Sekishu kozo paper thread fasteners 1 piece (with edition number)
Japanese prints: 10 Sekishu kozo paper board dried pieces
Calligraphy and crest: Black foil stamping
Text: Silkscreen
Box: Paulownia wood
Wrapping: Family crest Tango crepe furoshiki wrapping cloth
With English translation
Cover: Walnut cover, completely covered with drained Sekishu Kozo paper
Text: 22 pages, accordion-bound
Original painting: Sekishu kozo paper board, mineral pigments, vermilion and ink, madder dyed Sekishu kozo paper thread fasteners 1 piece (with edition number)
Japanese prints: 10 Sekishu kozo paper board dried pieces
Calligraphy and crest: Black foil stamping
Text: Silkscreen
Box: Paulownia wood
Wrapping: Family crest Tango crepe furoshiki wrapping cloth
With English translation
ISBN-10: 4991214110, ISBN-13: 978-4991214110
Sales price: 300,000 yen + tax
Sales price: 300,000 yen + tax
Purchase Bonus
・One painting printed with a wako-suki (special printing) on Sekishu Kozo paper will be delivered for you to frame as you wish.
- Comes with a booklet summarizing the story of how "Kamimukae" was born, "Playing Beautiful Japan in the Palm of Your Hands, Chapter 1"
・One painting printed with a wako-suki (special printing) on Sekishu Kozo paper will be delivered for you to frame as you wish.
- Comes with a booklet summarizing the story of how "Kamimukae" was born, "Playing Beautiful Japan in the Palm of Your Hands, Chapter 1"
② "Kamimukae" Shorin version
"Shorin" means a place with many books. In other words, it means a bookstore or a bookshop. We named it "Shorin Edition" in the hope that it will be available to everyone. The cover is made of the same Sekishu Kozo paper board as the special edition. It is a precious handmade washi paper that has gone through a daunting process, starting with growing the paper and finally pasting each sheet of drained washi paper onto a drying board and drying it in the sun. It is made to fit in the palm of your hand, and you can experience the warmth of the paper made only by nature and human hands, and its strength that is said to last for 1000 years. In addition, the Shorin Edition is double-sided, with a tranquil painting on the front (Japanese version) and a somewhat coquettish and dynamic painting on the back (English version), and one of its major features is that the style is very different. The title of the English version is "Inviting Gods", and it was created so that people overseas can feel how Japanese people have faced the gods.
Specifications (Shorin version)
Size: Length 180mm x Width 72mm x Height 7mm
Cover: Sekishu kozo paperboard with dry paste
Text: 22 pages, accordion binding
Paper: Shin Torinoko White
Different designs printed on both sides
The same images as the special edition are written in Japanese, and the images exclusive to the Shorin edition are written in English.
Size: Length 180mm x Width 72mm x Height 7mm
Cover: Sekishu kozo paperboard with dry paste
Text: 22 pages, accordion binding
Paper: Shin Torinoko White
Different designs printed on both sides
The same images as the special edition are written in Japanese, and the images exclusive to the Shorin edition are written in English.
ISBN-10: 4991214103, ISBN-13: 978-4991214103
Sales price: 8,000 yen + tax
[Project Member Introduction]
● Project initiator and author: Mayumi Inagaki (writer and editor)
In 2021, inspired by the Museum of Modern Japanese Literature's Famous Reprint Series and the Indian picture book "The Night Tree" (Tara Books), he decided to create a book that touches on the spirituality of the Japanese people using "Japanese paper" = "washi". He hopes that this project will lead to expanding the base of people interested in traditional crafts. In "Kamimukae", he writes about a solemn night at the annual festival, centering on the Kagura song that has been sung for generations. With the second and third projects, he aims to continue making books using washi paper from shrines and regions that he has a connection with.
In 2021, inspired by the Museum of Modern Japanese Literature's Famous Reprint Series and the Indian picture book "The Night Tree" (Tara Books), he decided to create a book that touches on the spirituality of the Japanese people using "Japanese paper" = "washi". He hopes that this project will lead to expanding the base of people interested in traditional crafts. In "Kamimukae", he writes about a solemn night at the annual festival, centering on the Kagura song that has been sung for generations. With the second and third projects, he aims to continue making books using washi paper from shrines and regions that he has a connection with.
● Illustration: Ryusei Mizuno (artist)
Graduated from the Department of Japanese Painting at Tokyo University of the Arts. Studied oil painting at the Grande Chaumiere and the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, and ink painting techniques in Shanghai and Beijing. Expressed in ink painting the raging energy that seems to gush forth from the depths of the earth at the Shofu Shrine to the far reaches of space, and the people dancing Kagura. Appearing is the rampage of the gods.
● Washi craftsman: Seikichi Nishida (7th generation of the Nishida Washi Workshop)
Chairman of the Sekishu Washi Technician Association and member of the Traditional Technology Preservation Association. He grows his own paper mulberry and has been making washi paper using groundwater that has been flowing continuously since ancient times. He uses Nishida Washi Kobo's highest quality paper, "Mare," for the paper.
● Design: Saya Tani
He was in charge of all art direction for this project. In producing "Kamimukae," he sought out shapes and designs that would maximize the appeal of handmade washi paper.
● Calligraphy: Shiei Tatsumi
The calligraphy of this work incorporates the idea of "Totonoeru," a word that has been treasured by the Japanese since ancient times.
● Product Direction: Keisuke Shinohara (CEO of Shinohara Shiko Co., Ltd.)
Printing and binding using handmade Japanese paper was extremely difficult, but he was the driving force behind trying every possible method to make it a reality.
● Cooperation: Yasushi Yokoo (mounting artist, Masumi Tokyo representative)
She promotes Japanese traditional culture and spirituality to the world through washi paper, traditional textiles, and hanging scrolls. In this project, she provided advice on how to select and handle washi paper.
● Special Supervision: Matsuura Michihito (21st Chief Priest of Yakihi Shrine)
During the publication of "Kamimukae," we received full cooperation from them in conducting research and guidance on how to express religious ceremonies, kagura, etc. in writing.
- Dates (Tue), November 12, 2024 - Wednesday, December 11, 2024 *The event may be extended.
- time 10:30〜21:00
- place GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS (Japanese Culture)
- Organizer GINZA TSUTAYA BOOKS
- inquiry 03-3575-7755 (during business hours) /info.ginza@ccc.co.jp
![[Bonus postcard included] Real Running by Mike Supino, translated by Takafumi Kondo](/goods_image/002/466/24667_320.jpg)
