Japanese Design: Art, Aesthetics & Culture

I have literally hundreds of books on Japanese design, culture, history and philosophy. This book stands out. It's gorgeously illustrated with clear, vivid, photos, and not just the run-of-the-mill usuals - the author has drawn on what are clearly personal connections with scholars, collectors and museums to illustrate this book with a fascinating collection of photos. The book provides an amazing degree of detail without getting bogged down or lost on tangents; quite a feat for a book covering such a broad topic with a lengthy history. Although I've lived in Japan, speak and read Japanese and have been traveling there for over forty years, I still learned all sorts of things from this book! I wish this book had existed when I first started studying Japan - I would recommend this to anyone interested in Japan, from casual observers to serious scholars. A real accomplishment, and a big contribution to the field.

"Japanese Design: Art, Aesthetics, & Culture," is the book I would recommend for anyone seeking an initial one-volume guide to the underlying principles of Japanese art and design. Broad-based in its conception and beautiful in its treatment, Patricia Graham's 2014 publication is not the sole volume an expert will want to rely on. Still, I know of no more appropriate place to start one's exploration of Japan's aesthetic traditions and/or help define an introductory high school or college course on the subject. It is worth noting that Graham's book is not a symbols dictionary, so this is not the place to research the usage and meaning of the moon, sun, lion, or plum blossom, for example. Nor is this the singular book you will want to pick up for the novice enthusiast of "anime" movies or modern Japanese comics. Instead, we have here well-structured examinations of traditional and abstract issues, such as the aesthetics and cultural parameters of Japanese design, as well as historical issues with an emphasis on the introduction of Japanese design to the West between the 1830s and 1950s.

Like this book very much. Would like an even more inclusive book.

Great images and very useful introductory text to Japanese design (all new to me). Especially good for navigating the commonplace historical factual inaccuracies about Japanese design that have arisen over time. Also excellent as a guide for further reading on the subject with great summaries of the contributions of key writers on the subject in the 19th and first half of 20th centuries as well as numerous contemporary refs.

Patricia Graham's book, "Japanese Design: Art, Aesthetics & Culture" is a primer on the subject, and the most informative (and beautifully illustrated) reference book I've ever seen on the market. I use it extensively, and it is most helpful in evaluating the Asian antiques that I am selling and buying. I have had the pleasure of working with Patricia Graham, who is working with myself and a major auction house in evaluating a massive collection of Asian antiques. Her knowledge on Asian antiquities and culture is simply astounding.~ Schani Krug

A lot of good information. Quality of publication is amazing. Hard cover, high quality paper, great pictures, easy to ready and easy to eyes. I recommend this hands down, for anyone who is interested in Japanese Aesthetics and Design.

I bought this book as a present for my dad as he likes to do house projects. I like the concepts covered and how the author complements the text with visual examples of the design principle. My dad lived in Japan for a few years when growing up, so something from the past to inspire him maybe.

A very good primer on Japanese design, but I was disappointed that Ms. Graham, a professor and researcher, and Tuttle did not include the Japanese characters for the design terms nor for the glossary. Many Japanese/English dictionaries do not include all of the terms used to describe Japanese design.

Bought as a present for a friend who loved Japan. A perfect gift.

友達へのプレゼントに買ったのですが、外国人の友人も喜んでくれました。

As described

Interesting for students of Japanese culture