
Top 5 Art Bookstores in Tokyo
2013-06-19 08:35:19 未知
Even casual visitors to Tokyo can attest to the ubiquity of bookstores selling all sorts of printed matter that litter this city, from tiny operations selling secondhand manga to lending and rental libraries, and magazine stands overflowing with some of the most painstakingly detailed guides to everything, from seasonal fashions to foreign flea markets. When it comes to art, fashion, and design tomes, Tokyo is no slouch, either.
BLOUIN ARTINFO Japan brings you a list of five of Tokyo's most dedicated smaller, independent art book and magazine vendors.
NADiff
One of Tokyo’s first ever bookstores specializing in contemporary art — its name is short for “new art diffusion” — got its start in Jingumae before moving into a gleaming white building with white sidings and wave-patterned glass panels designed by Jo Nagasaka, hidden at the very end of a tiny Ebisu backstreet. Clearly organized with sections devoted to catalogues from recent exhibitions in Japan, art magazines and critical journals, and individual artist monographs with a focus on photography, NADiff also hosts artist performances, talks, and book signings. An essential stop for those who want to get a finger on the pulse of what’s stirring in Tokyo at the moment. Pop into the galleries in the basement and second floor afterwards for a glimpse of work by younger emerging local artists, and sift through the piles of flyers in the foyer for ideas about which shows to check out.
Now Idea
Started in July 2008 by Hiroshi Eguchi in a converted second-floor unit of an unlikely, retro apartment building on the quieter stretch of Omotesando, this bookstore is a little refuge packed with lovingly hand-bound zines and artist pamphlets, quirky volumes put out by small presses, independent magazines, and both new and secondhand art books. On warmer days, the small rough-and-tumble terrace lined with plywood fixtures and even a homemade birdhouse is a great place to browse the offerings over a coffee or glass of wine. Now Idea also hosts occasional art exhibitions, talks, pop-up cafés run by guest chefs, and even an “English for Artists” workshop on Mondays.
Totodo
Located on a quiet side street in Daikanyama, Totodo deals exclusively in vintage books that are at least 50 years old, with a special focus on photography, art, design, architecture, typography, and children’s books. Yasuhiro Ishimoto’s crisp, tactile shots of Japanese shrines and Shomei Tomatsu’s compelling depictions of postwar Okinawa sit alongside Paolo Soleri’s ruminations on visionary cities and Le Corbusier’s writings on modern architecture. The store also manages a smaller second shop in Nakameguro called Dessin, with a selection slightly more slanted towards art and fashion, as well as a rotating exhibition space for emerging artists.
B&B
Shintaro Uchinuma, director of numabooks and a consultant-cum-producer who used to select and sell books in unconventional locations like fashion boutiques and nightclubs, opened this “neighborhood bookstore of the future” in Shimokitazawa in July 2012. According to Uchinuma, the “many pointless selections” that he chooses to stock here are meant to offer customers the pleasure of serendipitous discovery. Although the eclectic selection of politics, current affairs, art and music titles are sure to engage, the real draw here is the chance to get up close and personal with various personalities at talks and other events that happen here every single night of the week. Recent evenings featured talks by music and film critic Atsushi Sasaki, Brutus editor Zenta Nishida, and graf designer Shigeki Hattori, workshops on letterpress printing, and even rakugo comedy performances.
So Books
Nestled at the end of a shopping street in the genteel Yoyogi Hachiman neighborhood, this compact but impeccably laid out bookstore specializing in photography, contemporary art, and fashion was founded in 2009, and is apparently a favorite pitstop for superstar artist Alfredo Jaar whenever he’s in town. Although you’ll find a wide range of vintage and out-of-print titles by the likes to Juergen Teller and Robert Mapplethorpe, the real highlight here is the carefully selected treasure trove of rare and obscure titles by veteran Japanese photographers including Daido Moriyama, Yutaka Takanashi, Hitoshi Tsukiji, and Hajime Sawatari, plus newer books like Tatsuya Shimohira’s stunning journal of the sacred sites at Mount Asama in Ise.
(责任编辑:张天宇)
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