Offering a unique view of Japanese life, this is the first of Ching's books to focus on the pure joy of drawing. The author is one of the world's greatest graphic communicators, as well as a registered architect and a professor at the University of Washington.

JAPAN 365 is the Essential art book of Japan. An excellent hand-drawn retrospective and an amazing feat of sustained creativity. Entirely bilingual in English and Japanese. Artist and English teacher J Muzacz set out on a journey with some sketchbooks and ordinary ball pens. A test of artistic endurance, J drew an A4 (8.5in. x 11in.) piece for everyday of 2011 while living, working and traveling in Japan-A Drawing-A-Day Project for 365 days. Delving into history books for classic traditional imagery and embarking on broken bilingual conversations with locals about hidden shrines, temples and festivals, helping harvest rice, eating strange food, dissecting fashion and more, J has unearthed some real gems that many Japanese people do not even know about. Working from life and with stills captured by some of Japan's finest photographers, depicting Hokkaido in the arctic north to Okinawa in the tropical south and everywhere in between, J has captured history, culture and current events in stark and striking black and white, reminiscent of Japan's archetypal art style-the Hanga woodblock print. Images range from beautiful landscapes to scenes of unsettling tsunami aftermath, women wearing kimono to unfinished old faces-- always evocative and educational, insightful explanations or anecdotes on every page, laid out clearly in both English and Japanese. Muzacz re-establishes artwork as a viable means to record a unique folk history while still communicating universal human tendencies and timeless natural beauty. Let us not forget that visual art is a valuable story-telling medium which transcends language barriers. Japan 365 is a must-have for aspiring artists or architects, Japan-o-philes of any kind, Asian art aficionados, anyone interested in Japanese language, history and culture, or simply someone in need of a little daily creative inspiration. Japan 365 is a useful Art/Reference volume, cultural study, coffee table book and more. You definitely want to add this one-of-a-kind book to your collection.

What is Japanese art? This book supplies an answer that gives a reader both a true picture and a fine understanding of Japanese art. Arranged thematically, the book includes chapters on nature and pleasure, landscape and beauty, all framed by themes of serenity and turmoil, the two poles of Japanese culture ancient and modern.

Recently the West has been inundated by a steady flow of images from manga, anime, and the video games that are a key part of todays Japanese visual culture. At the same time, Japanese contemporary artists are gaining a higher profile overseas: many Westerners are already familiar with Takashi Murakamis brightly colored, cartoonlike characters, or with Junko Mizunos grotes-cute Lolita-style girls. Perhaps less familiar are the absurd fighting machines of Kenji Yanobe, the many disguises of Tomoko Sawada, or the grotesque fairytale landscapes of Tomoko Konoike. Warriors of Art features the work of forty of the latest and most relevant contemporary Japanese artists, from painters and sculptors, to photographers and performance artists, with lavish full-color spreads of their key works. Author Yumi Yamaguchi offers an insightful introduction to the main themes of each artist, and builds up a fascinating portrait of the society that has given birth to them: a Japan that still bears the scars of atomic destruction, a Japan with a penchant for the cute and the childish, a Japan whose manga and anime industries have come to dominate the world. Warriors of Art takes its title from a phrase used to describe Taro Okamoto (1911-1996), perhaps the first truly influential contemporary artist to emerge in postwar Japan, who fought to bring modern art to a wider audience. Following in Okamotos footsteps, the forty artists featured in this book are a new generation of warriors, attacking our senses with a shocking mix of the cute, the grotesque, the sexy, and the violent, forcing us to sit up and take notice of their vision of Japan.

Growing up with the fascination about Japan, the author finally got a chance to come to the land of his curiosity. Every details of this new world continued to enchant his imagination as time went by, so much that he must capture them onto his sketch pads, and canvases. This book is the first volume of a collection of many sketches and drawings of daily life in Japan not from the view of a passer-by, or a tourist, but by an engineer living and working on-site.

*Winner Japan International Manga Award* *Honorable Mention for 2018 Freeman Book Awards for Children's and Young Adult's Literature on East and Southeast Asia* *Short-listed for the 2019 Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids' Comics* Part fantasy, part travelogue--this graphic novel transports readers to the intersection of the natural and supernatural worlds. Onibi: Diary of a Yokai Ghost Hunter follows the adventures of two young foreigners as they travel to a remote and mysterious corner of Japan. Along the way, they purchase an old camera that has the unique ability to capture images of Japan's invisible spirit world. Armed with their magical camera, they explore the countryside and meet people who tell them about the forgotten ghosts, ghouls and demons who lie in wait ready to play tricks on them. These Yokai, or supernatural beings, are sometimes kind, sometimes mischievous, and sometimes downright dangerous! Readers young and old will enjoy following along on this journey of mystery and discovery. The comic book format will appeal to anime and manga fans, while introducing the ancient spirit world that is such an important part of Japanese culture. With the help of Atelier Sento's gorgeous watercolor and colored pencil artwork, you can't help but feel immersed in this fantasy.