p5
Poster. 浪高記念祭 [Namitaka Kinen Sai]. n.p. (Osaka 1932?) Colour poster 55x38cm. A bit rumpled, a couple of small nibbles; pretty good. With metal strip and loop for hanging at the top. sold
This handsome, if mildly disturbing, indoor poster advertises the June festival at, I think, Naniwa High School. The capped silhouette frolicking in front of that building seems to have been the festival theme: I have seen another - different figure but much the same building - for a nearby year.
Kon Wajiro & Yoshida Kenkichi. 考現学採集 (モデルノロヂオ). [Kogengaku Saishu (Moderunorojio)]. Tokyo, Shun'yudo 1931 (Showa 6). Quarto publisher's cloth blocked in red and white, rather browned but solid illustrated slipcase; [2],323pp, photo illustrations, hundreds of line drawings and diagrams (one with colours added), endpaper map. sold
First edition of the companion to the 'Modernologio' of the previous year - together they are the gospel of Modernology. Kon and Yoshida here collect the data to extend their extraordinary encyclopaedia of the people of modern Tokyo. Their thesis was that those who do the planning, designing and building know nothing of what people actually do, what they own and how they use those things - how they live and who they are.
I can't imagine anything you might ever think about and a lot you would never think about that isn't collected here. How you walk, where you walk, what you carry, how you carry it, where you dance, how you dance, how you sit, where your shelves are and what's on them, in your cupboards ...
Wada Sanzo. 色名総鑑 [Shikimei Sokan]. Tokyo, Shunjusha 1931 (Showa 6). 20x12cm publisher's cloth case with title label with 160 mounted colour samples on 56 accordian folding leaves and wrappered book; 178pp and some tables (two folding). Some browning, and still a very nice copy in the original printed card outer folding case. Colour samples named in Japanese, English and occasionally French or German; two of the tables are multi language lists of colour names. The top edge of both parts are gilded and the apparently plain paper lining of the case has a pattern of transparent glazed shapes printed on it. sold
First edition of Wada's first serious attempt at colour nomenclature. Wada, though at the top of the art ladder in Japan insisted on pursuing new directions and founded the Japan Standard Color Association, now the Japan Color Research Institute, in 1927. In these early years science, art and aesthetics went hand in hand.
Yet another significant book missed by the peurile Osborne 'Books on Colour Since 1500'.
Wada Sanzo. 色名総鑑 (増訂版) [Shikimei Sokan (Zoteiban)]. Tokyo, Hakubisha 1935 (Showa 10). 19x11mm publisher's cloth case with 171 mounted colour samples on 57 accordian folding leaves and card bound book; 182,8pp and a folding table. Colour samples named in Japanese, English and occasionally French or German; table of multi language lists of colour names. Case a bit used with a stain and frayed clasp ribbons, a little browning inside but less than usual. sold
Second edition, enlarged and revised, of Wada's first serious attempt at colour nomenclature published in 1931. I can tell you there are a few more pages and eleven more colour chips in this edition. There seem to be significant changes in the text volume but I don't know what they say. Several colours have changed - that is the hue, tint or shade, not the name - and seem to this untrained eye to accord better with their names, though I would still pick an argument with his 'fawn'.
Wada Sanzo. 配色総鑑 [Haishoku Sokan]. Tokyo, Hakubisha 1933-34 (Showa 8-9). Six volumes (20x13cm) of plates in publisher's cloth titled in gilt, a 40 page booklet in wrappers and four colour sample plates on two folded card leaves; all together in publisher's folding case title label. The plate volumes constitute a total of 348 accordian folding card leaves with mounted colour samples arranged in pairs in the first two volumes, trios in the next two and quartets in the last two. The colour samples are all mounted and captioned in Japanese and English. Outer case missing the clasp; a nice set, extra complete with a card made to be cut up and the prospectus - which I've never seen before. This is a brochure that unfolds to eight pages with two photo illustrations and a mounted pair of colour samples. sold
First edition of this fabulous grammar of colour - there is a recent pallid reprint - a sophisticated synthesis of western and Japanese theory and usage.
Wada's place in Japanese art has been assured since his 1907 prize winning painting Nanpu - which in western terms sits somewhere between Winslow Homer and beefcake pinup, much as Winslow Homer did. But Wada got more interesting as he got older and a return to Japanese painting in the twenties along with his design work and colour research pushed along an increasingly assured generation of artists with a grasp of west and east and an intent of their own. Wada's name might have been unfamilar in the west until recent years but you don't have look far to see his ideas at work, spread by second and third hand borrowings.
Unknown to the unforgivably bad Osborne 'Books on Colour Since 1500'.
Okamoto Ippei. 家庭を明るみへ [Katei wo Akarumi he]. Tokyo, Nisshin Seimei Hoken [c1932]. 13x19cm publisher's colour illustrated wrapper; 16pp with eight colour illustrations by Ippei, some small photo illustrations. A nice copy. Au$200
A fun booklet advertising the benefits of insurance from the company, Nisshin Seimei Hoken (Nissin Life Insurance), illustrated by master illustrator/manga artist and scallywag Okamoto Ippei.
Sugoroku. 愛国婦人双六 [Aikoku Fujin Sugoroku]. Tokyo, Aikoku Fujinkai 1934 (Showa 9). Colour broadsheet 64x92cm. A nice copy with its original printed envelope. sold
A splendid large game from the patriotic women's association offering inspiration and lessons to the women of Japan as the increasingly military driven country dreamt of an expanding empire. From education to air defence, there is a place for every conscientious woman.
There are two near identical games with the same title issued in the same year - this laid out horizontally, the other vertical.
Hitler. Sawada Ken. ヒットラー傳 [Hittora Den]. Tokyo, Dai Nihon Yubenkai Kodansha 1934. Octavo publisher's decorated cloth and illustrated slipcase; photo illustrations. Spine a touch faded, a nice copy. sold
First edition of this substantial and popular biography of Hitler. It was reprinted a few times up until 1942. Then an odd hiatus until a new edition came out in 1983. Sawada's publishing career began with essays on urbanism and imperialism and he soon expanded into lives of men with something to teach modern Japan: Edison, Mussolini ...
Advertising Sugoroku. 商賣繁榮雙六 [Shobai Hanei Sugoroku]. Tokyo, Sankosha 1935 (Showa 10). Colour broadside 80x56cm, folded as issued. Minor signs of use, a pretty good copy. Au$350
Prosperity and glamour is the reward for the perfect modern girl: good husband, handsome family and shopping, shopping shopping.
This shopping game advertises the glamorous range of businesses in Notagawa - now part of Higashiomi, more or less half way between Kyoto and Nagoya.
The same game, relabelled, was used for businesses of Matsumoto City. A very similar - a few panels the same - but not so modern game - more kimonos, fewer cars, furs and bobbed or marcelled heads - with the same title was issued the year before by the newspaper Tokyo Nichinichi Shinbun for readers in the Iwamurata-machi area.
You don't waste a good idea and a decent bit of artwork.
Niizeki Kennosuke (?) 冒険漫画宝島探険双六 [Boken Manga Takarajima Tanken Sugoroku]. Tokyo, Shogakukan 1935 (Showa 10). Colour broadside 54x78cm. A bit used: rumpled with some short tears in folds. Not bad. Au$325
This exciting adventure with the natives, giant apes and tigers of a coral island was the new year gift from the Shogaku magazine for third graders.
An exemplary lesson as to why every eight year old should be issued a service revolver before they leave the house.
Furniture & design. 近代家具装飾資料 : 第一号 [Kindai Kagu Soshoku Shiryo : No.1]. Tokyo, Koyosha, February 1936 (Showa 11). 26x19cm publisher's spiral bound card wrapper and outer wrapper; [4]pp and 20 photo plates printed on one side. Rather good.
Also included is issue no. 4, June 1936 in equally good shape. sold
A smart monthly devoted to the latest in modern furniture design; a brave venture by 1936 in a country increasingly impatient with such self indulgence. And somehow successful: I believe it continued until 1942. The first issue is devoted to the new furniture design exhibition at the Tokyo Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi store and from what I can see each issue after that had a theme. Number four is devoted to living room furniture from Europe and America.
I can't find a record of a complete set in any institution anywhere.
Advertising sugoroku. かたた商賣繁昌双六 [Katata Shobai Hanjo Sugoroku]. Katata Shimbun 1936 (Showa 11) Colour broadside 54x79cm. A somewhat rumpled but decent copy. Au$200
A rare, cheerful advertising game featuring local businesses, issued as the new year gift by the newspaper Katata Shimbun. I'm not sure where the Katata Shimbun originated. I can't find a record of it. Katata is an area now in Otsu, near Kyoto, but that it comes from there is a guess.
City Planning. Xinjing or Shinkyo (Changchun) - Manchukuo. 國都新京建設の全貌 [Kokuto Shinkyo Kensetsu no Zenbo]. Shinkyo, Manshukoku Kokumuin Kokuto Kensetsukyoku 1936. Colour printed sheet 54x78cm with colour bird's eye view and panorama on one side; colour plan, smaller b/w photo illustrations and text on the other. Folded as issue, a small knick in a margin, minor signs of use. Au$750
In many ways the new capital of Manchukuo was - is - a planner's dream. Here was an empire building militaristic government wanting to both experiment with all that had been learned about city planning and show the west that not only could they do it, but do it better.
Changchun, a hybrid Chinese-Russian-Japanese railway town, was appointed the new capital, it was renamed, a five year plan for a new city was drawn up under the guidance of Professor Riki (or Toshikata) Sano in 1932, a quick compromise with a competing plan was made, and building was underway in early 1933.
Local interests (ie the Chinese and Manchu population) and business were allowed notional input but the brief was clear: social theory, technology and architecture that made for an efficient colonial capital could be put into place, local self-interest could not.
Of course it was not so simple. This was to be a pan-Asian showcase, superior to western, especially colonial western, models - not equal. Confucianism, traditional ritual and Asian racial harmony were to be a central part of the city. What more could any urbanist ask for?
Students of the plan might like to start with Yishi Liu's 2011 doctoral thesis, 'Competing Visions of the Modern;' where Griffin's Canberra plan and Griffin's diagrams for road classification are illustrated beside Xinjing's. By 1936 - when our view of the future city was produced - a lot was still dust and open space but, by the gods, whatever else they learnt from Burley Griffin's Canberra - and it was a lot - about planning a city, they certainly learnt how not to build a city.
War is fun until ...
Nakamura Keisuke. 勇ましい兵隊双六 [Isamashi Heitai Sugoroku]. Tokyo, Seugaku Ninen 1937 (Showa 12). Colour broadside 54x79cm. Minor signs of use. sold
This new year gift from the magazine for second grade kids is Merry Melody style cartoon romp through war. Until we get to the bottom left hand corner and there is the hospital tent and a wounded soldier who is no cartoon at all.
This is a baffling and brave anti-war message in an otherwise exemplary bit of now disturbing pro-war fluff. I wonder how Nakamura got it past the boss. Maybe the message is that soldiers do get wounded, not killed, and they each get a lovely nurse.
The name Nakamura Keisuke appears on another manga sugoroku - an African adventure with Tarzan - the next year and in children's magazines and kamishibai over the next few years so this did not end his career.
Mitsukawa Hisashi. 宇宙旅行 [Uchu Ryoku]. Tokyo, Seibundo Shinkosha 1940 (Showa 15). Octavo publisher's printed and embossed boards, printed slipcase; folding colour frontispiece and three colour plates, numerous b/w illustrations. A rather good copy of a book that didn't wear well. The design is by Hatsuyama Shigeru. sold
First edition. The volume on space travel is, I think, by far the best of the mostly mundane kids' series Bokura no Kagaku Bunko - a scientific library - published as the war was about to start in earnest. It's the hardest to find in decent condition, usually a good indication of the best books. Worldcat finds no copies outside Japan.
国民防空図譜 [Kokumin Boku Zufu]. Tokyo, Japan Air Defence Association 1941 (Showa 16) Title or cover leaf, colophon leaf and 35 numbered colour lithograph posters 75x51cm. First two leaves ragged but essentially complete, posters 14 to 25 have a top corner chewed only affecting the numbers and the very corner of the image on four or five. Definitely a used set, with some browning and torn or chipped edges; still a remarkable survival. Each sheet has two punched holes at the top which shows they were cord tied or pinned together and doubtless used for lectures. Au$8,500
Apparently a complete set of air defence posters, there is nothing to suggest there were any more. Not being able to find another set anywhere doesn't help. The National Diet Library has a set of 1944 posters which they illustrate on line. There are 38 posters in that set and a contents leaf. A few are much the same as ours but most have been redrawn and reorganised. By 1944 things weren't going so well and the last few posters in that series detail bandages. I found a passing mention of a 1943 set with 37 posters but no details. I can't find any mention of the existence of this set.
These were published on the 16th of October, nearly two months before Pearl Harbour when Japan was at war with no-one but China and maybe France - but France didn't really exist anymore. As far as I'm aware civil defence literature up until this consisted of a small set of quite pretty posters produced in Kyoto, brochures and pamphlets. Civil defence was a matter for local authorities.
Didn't the appearance of a big set of air defence posters trigger alarm anywhere? But the US expected Japan to attack closer targets, mainly the Philippines, and maybe poster 2 helped convince them they were right.
With what I have managed to glean of the history of air defence in Japan these brave and bright graphics look much darker. I can't decide how much of the misleading futility of these is naive optimism and how much is cynical disregard for the people. When the air defence act was passed in 1937 no-one expected any attack from China. The act was more a matter of population control and preparation.
Perhaps most brutal was that useful residents were forbidden to evacuate the cities in case of air raids; they were needed for production. They were to stay and fight, with brooms, blankets and buckets if they had to. At HQ the whole population was considered cannon fodder. These regulations were strengthened in late 1941 - just about the time these posters appeared - and again in 1943. This was enforced right until the end.
Sasao (?). 四月三十曰 ... 大東亜戦争完逐翼賛選挙 [... Daitoasenso Kansui Yokusan Senkyo]. n.p. [printed by Biseido Insatsu?1942]. Colour poster 77x54cm. Folded and rumpled, a couple of small nicks; with a neat, mysterious diagram drawn in ink on the back. Signed in print Sasao. Au$600
Election poster for the 1942 general election reminding everyone to get out on April 30, vote for their endorsed candidate and ensure victory in the great Asian war. Though the whole business was meant to ensure that only endorsed Yokusan candidates could run I was surprised to find that more unendorsed than endorsed candidates ran for parliament and quite a few of them were elected. Of course that made no real difference to the running of the government and the war but it must have irked the military.
