Eiko By Eiko

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Eiko By Eiko
Eiko Ishioka
Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Eiko on Stage

Coppola and Eiko on Bram Stoker's Dracula

ASIN: 0877017972

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Bonds of Civility: Aesthetic Networks and the Political Origins of Japanese Culture (Structural Analysis in the Social Sciences)
Eiko Ikegami
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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The Taming of the Samurai: Honorific Individualism and the Making of Modern Japan

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Manga from the Floating World: Comicbook Culture and the Kibyoshi of Edo Japan (Harvard East Asian Monographs)

ASIN: 0521601150

Book Description

In this path breaking book, Eiko Ikegami uncovers a complex history of social life in which aesthetic images became central to Japan's cultural identities. The people of premodern Japan built on earlier aesthetic traditions in part for their own sake, but also to find space for self-expression in the increasingly rigid and tightly controlled Tokugawa political system. In so doing, they incorporated the world of the beautiful within their social life which led to new modes of civility. They explored horizontal and voluntary ways of associating while immersing themselves in aesthetic group activities. Combining sociological insights in organizations with prodigious scholarship on cultural history, this book explores such wide-ranging topics as networks of performing arts, tea ceremony and haiku, the politics of kimono aesthetics, the rise of commercial publishing, the popularization of etiquette and manners, the vogue for androgyny in kabuki performance, and the rise of tacit modes of communication.

The Taming of the Samurai: Honorific Individualism and the Making of Modern Japan

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Fascinating historical analysis...
Excellent, but not for the novice
A modern classic, essential to understanding Japan
Sociological Emphasis

The Taming of the Samurai: Honorific Individualism and the Making of Modern Japan
Eiko Ikegami
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0674868099

Book Description

Modern Japan offers us a view of a highly developed society with its own internal logic. Eiko Ikegami makes this logic accessible to us through a sweeping investigation into the roots of Japanese organizational structures. She accomplishes this by focusing on the diverse roles that the samurai have played in Japanese history. From their rise in ancient Japan, through their dominance as warrior lords in the medieval period, and their subsequent transformation to quasi-bureaucrats at the beginning of the Tokugawa era, the samurai held center stage in Japan until their abolishment after the opening up of Japan in the mid-nineteenth century.

This book demonstrates how Japan's so-called harmonious collective culture is paradoxically connected with a history of conflict. Ikegami contends that contemporary Japanese culture is based upon two remarkably complementary ingredients, honorable competition and honorable collaboration. The historical roots of this situation can be found in the process of state formation, along very different lines from that seen in Europe at around the same time. The solution that emerged out of the turbulent beginnings of the Tokugawa state was a transformation of the samurai into a hereditary class of vassal-bureaucrats, a solution that would have many unexpected ramifications for subsequent centuries.

Ikegami's approach, while sociological, draws on anthropological and historical methods to provide an answer to the question of how the Japanese managed to achieve modernity without traveling the route taken by Western countries. The result is a work of enormous depth and sensitivity that will facilitate a better understanding of, and appreciation for, Japanese society.

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating historical analysis..........2007-07-26

...of the origin and ongoing evolution of the Samurai class in Japan.

I'd always thought that, despite congruences with warrior classes in other cultures, the Samurai were unique in a lot of ways. Certainly, no other warrior class ruled their society for 800 years.

Ms. Ikegami's book now informs me that they were unique in different ways, at different times, and frequently subject to unique stressors and sociological conditions. The changes in the samurai, from reputation-and-power-seeking free agents to powerful rulers, lords and warlords, finally to confucianist administrators in the Tokugawa shogunate, demonstrate remarkable adaptivity. The author describes these changes against the background of Japanese state formation. People more qualified than myself seem to think her approach is revelatory.

I had thought there would be more material documenting how the twin motors of bushido, honor-seeking and service-owing have been internalized in modern Japanese culture, but that final section was not in great depth. In any event, it was still an eye-opener, viewing the early stages of the class, and of bushido...anyone who has ever thought the Japanese culture inculcates only conformity, shame-aversion and discipline has gotten things badly wrong. (except for the discipline part)

As to the difficulty factor, Ms. Ikegami's ideas can be followed, and her historical attributions, while not dense, certainly seem sound. That said, parts of the book sounded very much like they were aimed at a dissertation-review committee rather than 'people interested in the samurai'. If you've ever read any dissertations-turned-general-release-books, you'll know how to wade through.

Excellent, but not for the novice.......2005-06-03

This was one of the first studies on the samurai I ever read, and it proved a very tough read, yet rewarding as well. Now that I know much more than I did on the topic back then I've re-read this book, and it's reaffirmed how great it is.

As the other reviewer states, this is a sociological study of the samurai rather than a history book, so this is not the book for you if you are after a rundown on the history of the samurai - for that I'd recommend you pickup the three Sansom 'History of Japan' books. This book instead deals with the warrior class of Japan's evolution sociologically, focussing primarily on the evolution that the class undertook during the Edo period of Japan, after the great civil war was over.

During these final two centuries of samurai rule there were no large scale battles to be fought, and with a ruling class whose right to rule was based on it's warrior status & lineage this created many tensions in society, requiring a series of changes that took place over the years aimed at refocussing what it meant to be a samurai. It is with this topic that Eiko Ikegami excels and what makes this book such an interesting read.

Though it may not be a history book, it does contain many historical case studies and even has chapters devoted to several of the more well known samurai incidents & works, including the case of the 47 ronin & the infamous Hagakure. The Hagakure section in particular is fantastic, being the first text on this topic I've read that doesn't either take it at face value or outright dismiss it as garbage. Instead Eiko interprets it as it should be interpreted - the work of a man who was struggling to envision the meaning of being a samurai during times of peace.

I really can't recommend this book enough if you have an interest in this area of the samurai, though I'd definitely recommend that you are already familiar with the basic history of the samurai beforehand.

A modern classic, essential to understanding Japan.......2004-06-18

Professor Ikegami examines the evolution of the samurai as a social institution from its beginnings nearly 1,000 years ago up to the formal dissolution of the samurai in the late 19th century, as well as the continuing influence of samurai society on modern Japan. She shows that the concept of honor was central to the samurai throughout their history, but also demonstrates that their concepts of honor changed greatly. The samurai are presented not as distant, inscrutable creatures of a mysterious culture but as human beings constructing and living within a society adapted to their needs and circumstances. Their combination of ferocity and refinement are made comprehensible.

Along the way she presents important and insightful analyses of such familiar aspects of samurai life as ritual suicide, bushido, the _Hagakure_, and the story of the revenge of the 47 ronin.

The book begins with a section in which Ikegami sets out her analytical structure and theses. This may seem dry to some, but it is important in introducing concepts that run through the subsequent narrative. The bulk of the book consists of a chronologically arranged history of the development of samurai society, based in a wide range of Japanese and western sources.

The book is well written and has many touches to aid the reader (such as reminders of the meanings of key Japanese terms and avoidance of unexplained jargon). Nevertheless, the density of the argument and facts demand careful and thoughtful reading.

As the title should suggest, this is not a book for the novice, unfamiliar with the broad outlines of Japanese history. Nor is it a military history of the samurai.

Will O'Neil

Sociological Emphasis.......2003-12-24

It was difficult for me to finish this book. I am relatively new to the samurai culture as well as Japan in general. Though the book brings some interesting facts to light that interest the beginner enthusiast, it's depth of sociological theory and comparison proved dry and monotonous at times. My impressions were largely influenced by the fact that I have yet to read, or be instructed about Japanese history as well as ethics and politics in Japanese culture.

In short, before tackling this book pick up a couple of textbook-style history books concerning "feudal" Japan and foster a solid understanding and following of it before reading this book.

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built by hand

beautifullest book of my library !

Photo Collection of Vernacular Buildings

10 Great Books List

Vernacular Buildings Around The World.

Built By Hand
Eiko Komatsu , Athena Steen , and Bill Steen
Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Home Work: Handbuilt Shelter

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ASIN: 158685237X

Book Description

Shelter the Human Family is the most extensive documentation ever published of traditional ("vernacular") buildings throughout the world. With examples from nearly every continent, the book documents the diverse methods people have used to create shelter from locally available natural materials, and shows the impressively handmade finished products through this truly stunning compilation of photographs. Unlike modern buildings that rely on industrially produced materials and highly specialized electric tools and techniques, the shelters featured here represent a rapidly disappearing genre of handcrafted and beautifully composed structures. They are the work of simple and real people who, as builders and homesteaders, have integrated artistic beauty and practical form into their shelter needs. Shelter the Human Family offers insights into the world of vernacular building, along with potential solutions to many of the problems that plague modern architecture. It is a must-have collection that preserves and documents the rich cultural past of each structure and its community, and offers inspiration for those looking to build in a way that is motivated by something larger than speed, efficiency, and economic profit. Bill and Athena Steen are the authors of The Straw Bale House and The Beauty of Straw Bale. They are active in community building programs that teach low-income families how to build their own shelters, and known for their efforts to incorporate artistic techniques based on local and natural materials into the world of modern construction. They live in Elgin, Arizona. Yoshio Komatsu has been photographing buildings and people around the world for 25 years. His photographs were collected in the Japanese book Living on Earth, and his work is regularly published in books, magazines, and calendars throughout Japan. This is his first book in English. He and his wife, Eiko, live in Tokyo.

Customer Reviews:

built by hand.......2007-09-21

I've been looking for a book on private structures, not public buildings or houses by famous architects but living places of everyday people. I couldn't imagine anything this amazing. Dwelling from all over the world. Places you would never see unless you traveled to the far reaches of our earth. I am thrilled to have found this book.

beautifullest book of my library !.......2006-11-06

superlative book; pictures are top; as I've not enough money to travel in so many places and anyway I'dont want anymore take planes and contribute to pollution that will may kill us; I'm happy to travel with this book and the wonderfullest Dwellings from Paul Oivier. together with too HomeWork from Loyd Kahn, You get the best to study dwellings all over the world and maybe going back to more simplicity and built healthy powerful and sacred places as all dwellings should be !

Photo Collection of Vernacular Buildings.......2005-09-30

For a number of years, Yoshio and Eiko Komatsu have been travelling the world taking high quality photographs of traditionally built homes. At first view, many of the photographs while though pleasant are not especially remarkable. However, what makes these many photos special is that they are combined together to tell a story about houses are traditionally built around the world.

The photographs are gathered together in short chapters dealing with building techniques. For example, the first three chapters are entitled, "Hand Coiling or Coursing Wet Earth", "Earthen Blocks", and "Compacted Earth". Along with a cursory explanations of the building technique are numerous color pictures from around the world illustrating the different techniques.

What makes this such a great book is the sheer number of interesting photographs of vernacular architecture. In a sense, this book is a momument to the creativity and artistic talent of the world's people. These photos stimulate the imagination.

Finally, keep in mind this is a photo collection and not an academic text on vernacular architecture. This is not a book on how to build by hand but a creative homage to what people can make with locally available materials and ancient know how. Highly recommended.

10 Great Books List.......2005-08-21

As books go this one makes it to my top ten. People are always using the word venacular out of context, this book puts it right back. The pictures in this book speak a thousand words. Use whats local, works with materials found around you. I live on an Island on the West coast, lots of rain. There are so many people on this Island building 'green houses' with straw bales. There are so many people who are going to have mouldy homes!!! Venacular learn the word. Live in a home made of the materials around you! Buy this book, and learn.

Vernacular Buildings Around The World........2005-03-11

Owning quite a few Vernacular Building type books, I would say that this rates up there with the best of them. I will not say it is the best though, the reason being is that all of these types of books have their own unique photos that you won't find any where else.

This is a very well produced, easy to read book. It is broken up into 18 sections, with lots of full colour photos from around the world. Each photo also comes with a short explanation.

With 469 pages of beautiful photographs not only showing the architecture, but also the people living in these dwellings, this book is a must have for your Vernacular Library.

Hmmm... I'm looking at the book right now and see that the glue has not done it's job and the binding is falling apart!!! Beware!

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Another aspect of Mishima
Long Search Rewarded

Ba-ra-kei: Ordeal by Roses

Manufacturer: Aperture
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0893811696
Release Date: 2005-06-15

Book Description

Ba-ra-kei is the fierce and lyrical testament of the legendary Japanese writer Yukio Mishima, who shocked the world when he committed ritual suicide in 1970. The year marked Japan's new economic confidence, and Mishima accused the country of being "drunk with prosperity." Many in Japan regarded the suicide as a sensational act. However, with the publication of Mishima's final cycle of novels-conceived eight years prior to his death-it was revealed that his suicide was a carefully considered act, a gesture of historical implication in accord with the morbid and esoteric aesthetic that pervades his writing.

Mishima's elaborate and erotic psyche was captured nine years before his death by master photographer Eikoh Hosoe. This collaboration resulted in surreal photographs of Mishima taken in the baroque interior of his home. The props that surround the writer are the antithesis of the Japanese sensibility of understatement, alluding to Mishima's dark, theatrical imagination. The images in Ba-ra-kei grant us entry into the private world of an extraordinary subject.

Customer Reviews:

Another aspect of Mishima.......2001-12-31

A world apart from his words, movies, and actions, this team effort with the famed japanese photographer will surprise. The centerfold image with a sledgehammer starting straight up at the lense is chilling. Black and white photos are offset with unique use of monochormatic coloring to further shock the eye. 10 years after finding this one I am willing to part with it. If you are a interested collector contact me at mmurd@hotmail.com

Long Search Rewarded.......1998-04-15

It took a long time for me to find this book (courtesy of Amazon.com) but it was definetly worth the frustration! This book of photography is a MUST for serious Mishima / Hosoe collectors and fans - it offers not only a set of beautifully taken photos but a deadly and not insignificant insight to both the photographer and his tempramental subject. Buy, beg, steal but whatever you do dont borrow it because you will be a sad man when the day of parting comes........

Eikoh Hosoe (Aperture Masters of Photography)

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A real Master

Eikoh Hosoe (Aperture Masters of Photography)

Manufacturer: Aperture
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0893818240
Release Date: 2005-06-15

Book Description

"To me photography can be simultaneously both a record and a 'mirror' or 'window' of self-expression. The camera is generally assumed to be unable to depict that which is not visible to the eye. And yet the photographer who wields it well can depict what lies unseen in his memory."--Eikoh Hosoe

Eikoh Hosoe is an integral part of the history of the modern Japanese photography. He remains a driving force in photography, not only for his own work, but also as a teacher and as an ambassadorial figure, fostering artistic exchange between Japan and the outside world. His influence has been felt not only in his native country, but throughout the international photographic community.

Aperture's newly expanded Masters of Photography book series presents an introduction to the seminal photographers of our time. Each book in the series presents more than 40 images spanning the artist's career, along with a chronology, exhibition history and selected bibliography.

Customer Reviews:

A real Master.......2001-05-14

It is said that an image is more than a thousand words. Althought I don't think it is exact, it is what I have to say about this excellent book. Not only the quality of the images (those like the "Embrace" series, the ones about Mishima, some of the "Man and Woman" series), but the text indeed, makes this book a must for those who search the spirit behind the photographs, and who think that photography is much more than only a matter of "being in the right place at the right time".

Book Description

One of the most influential designers of this century draws from a wide range of cultural and historical sources to create images that are provocative, emotional, sometimes shocking, and always beautiful. This new book chronicles nine of her most dynamic stage and screen productions from the past fifteen years, including: Bram Stoker's Dracula, directed by Francis Ford Coppola, M. Butterfly, starring Anthony Hopkins, Richard Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung, and The Cell, starring Jennifer Lopez.

In the accompanying text, Eiko takes us into her creative process and the harmonies and discords of her fascinating, explosive collaborations with such artists as Paul Schrader, David Copperfield, and Philip Glass, among many others. In counterpoint, Francis Ford Coppola shares his personal experience of a unique creative collaboration.

Customer Reviews:

One of the most amazing costume resources.......2006-01-06

Covers all the movies she has contributed to and her stage work. A gorgeous presentation, oversized, quality glossy paper, with numerous color photographs and design sketches. If you love Eiko, this is the book for you !

Every page I turned made me gasp in awe. Phew!.......2000-11-03

Let me say at once: this is the most incredible, most beautiful book I own. And I've collected quality illustrated books for years. It stands between Avedon's "Observations" and Damien Hirst's "I want to be with everybody blah blah..." on my (reinforced) bookshelf--and right now it tops either of them in its artistry, design, and sheer beauty.

I'm getting carried away. So... this is a breathtaking journey through 10 of the projects that this artist/ costume designer/ set designer has undertaken in the last fifteen years--in sketches, photographs, and her own narrative--from creating the look of Paul Schrader's Mishima, to dressing Jennifer Lopez in The Cell. Between times, she has lent her incredible vision to theatre, film, opera, and installation art.

I think she's been so successful because she's never compromised her vision. It inspires me (as an artist) to not give in. Eiko Ishioka won an Oscar for her costumes for Dracula. No doubt she'll be nominated again for her work on The Cell. According to the flap text, she has also won a Grammy, and a Cannes Film Festival Award. I expect to see her win an award also for this book--It's as good as any of her big-name, big-budget projects. Good for her!

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Humankind
Yoshio Komastu , and Eiko Komatsu
Manufacturer: Gibbs Smith, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1586858254

Book Description

This stunning collection of photography by renowned photographer and author of Built by Hand, Yoshio Komatsu, documents our undeniable human connectedness-- as we pass each day, alone, with family, with friends, engaged in the simple journey of life. Around the earth, people work, play, marry, eat, celebrate, love, laugh, and engage with one another.

Coppola and Eiko on Bram Stoker's Dracula

Average customer rating:

Correction
This is an excellent book

Coppola and Eiko on Bram Stoker's Dracula
Francis Ford Coppola , and Eiko Ishioka
Manufacturer: Collins Pub San Francisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0006382436

Customer Reviews:

Correction.......2000-03-06

Eiko is a woman, not a man

This is an excellent book.......1999-02-18

It has full page color pictures of all the costumes from the movie and some of the original sketches. It also explains Eiko's inspiration for his Academy-Award winning costumes.

Average customer rating:

Kiki's original deliveries...
Being half a witch has its problems.
recommended for those who are very eager for more of Kiki
misconceptions
Worth the Wait!

Kiki's Delivery Service
Eiko Kadono
Manufacturer: Annick Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1550377884

Book Description

A lovely story that became a classic in Japan and a popular animated home video throughout North America.

Kiki is a resourceful, spunky girl who follows her maternal tradition to be a witch. She possesses only one gift of witchcraft -- the power to fly. Like all young witches, she sets out at age 12 to find a town of her own. With her ever-present companion Jiji -- a cynical and faithful black cat -- Kiki departs on her broomstick and arrives at a big town near the ocean. Though nervous at first, she soon sets up a business delivering packages.

Kiki meets all kinds of people and has many adventures. She befriends the thief who stole her broomstick and saves the town's traditional New Year's marathon with some courageous and timely flying.

Throughout, Kiki's confidence and self-awareness grows as she learns to value her unique talents. And with Kiki's help, the townspeople realize that everyone has some magic that gives them their own special character and vitality.

This is a charming and delightful tale that is reminiscent of children's favorites The Worst Witch by Jill Murphy and Astrid Lindgren's Adventures of Pippi Longstocking. Black and white line drawings sprinkled throughout reveal the humor and warmth in everything Kiki does.

Customer Reviews:

Kiki's original deliveries..........2007-08-22

The whole family enjoys Miyazaki's films, so when we discovered the source material for Kiki we were overjoyed. It's episodic nature made it a good read with our younger children and though it's not exactly the story the film brings you, the kids and I were excited to travel with Kiki and Jiji on some new adventures.

Being half a witch has its problems........2006-10-10

Kiki is turning 13 and it is time for her to leave home and find her own way in the big, wide world for a year. Off she goes with her broom, her black cat and some food to find a new city, a city she can call her own. Once she gets to the city, one by the ocean, she has to find food, a place to live and a job that she can do. In the end, having no other skill but that of flight, she starts a delivery service.
This story, a Japanese novel turned into a Japanese anime, seems somewhat too short. Don't worry, to my knowledge there is already a total number of four novels, so there should be more on their way to America.

recommended for those who are very eager for more of Kiki.......2006-06-21

to reiterate, the movie is based on the book... so, it was nice to find that a translation of the book existed. for those who are very interested to read more about Kiki and glean some more depth, this book is indeed quite worthy of purchase.

however, i do have some criticisms... first, perhaps least significant, the cover is indeed horrendous. the illustrations inside are quite wonderful and you wonder why the ridiculous cover was made. second, i found an obvious typo in the book which makes me wonder if there was an editor... which leads to the third criticism, the translation is quite awkward. it is overly difficult and unnecessarily complicated. i am not looking for a dumbed-down translation, but, reading the text is often a chore. there are moments of elegant prose, but they are far outweighed by the clumsiness of the rest of the book.

so, in my opinion, this book is for the more dedicated. (unless you are truly determined to learn japanese and read the original).

misconceptions.......2005-08-18

I just thought I'd point out that the movie was based on the book, and not the other way around.

Worth the Wait!.......2003-04-01

Given the popularity of the Harry Potter books and the glorious animated film version by Hayao Miyazaki, I'm amazed that it's taken this long for this book to appear in English. Eiko Kadono's "Witch's Delivery Service" (Majo no Takkyubin) also deals with the education of a witch child; in this case, a rite of passage for a witch named Kiki. She has to spend her thirteenth year on her own in a witchless town, making a living by her witch craft. The book is a celebration of the independent spirit of its protagonist and the changes she goes through at this pivotal time of life.

I'd like to give this book the full five stars, but I have a couple of caveats. One is the cover illustration by Irvin Cheung, showing a robust, rosy-cheeked Euro-witch. Somehow, it totally misses the warm and evocative line-drawings by Akiko Hayashi, which fortunately are included in the book.

Translating is one of the world's most thankless job. If the translation is really fine, the reader shouldn't even notice it. The irregularities should be smoothed out, the oddities of one language seamlessly patched with the oddities of another.

Lynne E. Riggs has created a mostly complete, very readable English version of Kadono's book, but there are a few quintessentially Japanese touches that got missed. At one point, just before she leaves home, Kiki tells her mother, "Anata no musume wo, shinjinasaittara, shinjinasai. Mou yooi wa dekitemasu." Riggs's reading of this ("You should trust your own daughter more! Believe me, I'm already ready to go.") is literate and understandable. However, one of my Japanese teachers pointed out that this is an old Japanese song. A Japanese reader would certainly pick up on this, while a Westerner would not. My attempt at translation would cue a Western reader by preserving the rhythm:

"I'm your daugh-ter, o mother dear,
Just trust in me, I say,
Have faith in me.
I've got plans, I'm al-read-y pre-pared..."

Nitpicking? Maybe, but also an illustration of the pitfalls awaiting the translator.

As I said above, though, this is a fine translation of a fine book, long overdue in English.

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