japan

Graphic design magazine - japan 1965

Running with a Japanese theme today. Can’t stop thinking about those flicks I caught this past weekend. Great cover for a Japanese graphic design magazine from the sixties.

Also worth checking out, is this Japanese poster we posted.

Jerry Fujio and Jo Shishido in A Colt is my Passport c1967

I had a chance to check out a few films from the No Borders, No Limits: 1960s Nikkatsu Action Cinema series this weekend. These super stylized films produced by the Nikkatsu film studio were heavily influenced by Hollywood and the French New Wave. The Seijun Suzuki films re-released by Criterion are part of the Nikkatsu catalog. If you’ve seen any of Suzuki’s films, it will give you an idea of the films featured in the No Borders, No Limits series.

The series focused on some of the more obscure films to come out of the Nikkatsu studio. All 3 films I saw were great. I just wish I could of seen the other 3. You can find out more about these films at Outcast Cinema.

1960s Japanese book cover designs

I don’t know much about the company that published the book on the right, but the book on the left was published by Kappa in 1963. Keep your eyes out for Kappa, they have other cool covers.

I wish I could tell you more about this one. I pulled this out of a book I have on 70s + 80s Japanese graphic design. All the text is in Japanese so, I have no clue on who designed this. Anyone recognize this work? I have no idea why theres a gaggle of balloon animals chillin in a tree. If someone could translate the text below the animals, that would be great.

I was flipping through the latest (and last) issue of Business 2.0 and I noticed this add for Mastercard. The illustration of the man in the background holding the box looks very samiliar to the work of Ryohei Yanagihara. If anyone knows who created this ad, please contact us. In the meantime check out a small gallery of Ryohei Yanagihara’s works.

Ryohei is an illustrator and animator who along with Yoji Kuri and Hiroshi Manabe is considered a pioneer of the independent animation scene in Japan.

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Update 11.02.07
Congratulations to Anne from Oakland!
Last night we randomly pulled her name from a bright orange trash can. Thanks to everyone who entered the drawing.
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Update:
You have until 10pm PST on Nov 1st to enter
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Win this book!
On November 1st, 2007 we will be giving away 1 copy of Book Design of Graphic Designers in Japan. This is the second part of a series that compiles hundreds of examples of book design from the biggest designers of the 1950s, 60s and 70s. This is a japanese import book and has yet to be officially released in the United States. If you were able to find a copy of the 1st installation of this series ( they sold out very quickly), you know your in for a treat. These books are excellent resources. It is printed in a limited run, so once their gone.. their gone.

Designers featured:

Paul Rand, Saul Bass, Wim Crouwel, Push Pin Studios, Olle Eksell, Leo Lionni, Herb Lubalin, Alexey brodovitch, William Wondriska, Antonio Frasconi, Ivan Chermayeff, Herbert Bayer, Lou Dorfsman, Enzo Mari, Tomi Ungerer, Eugenio Carmi, Giovanni Pintori, Alan Fletcher, Stig Lindberg, Karl Gerstner and more.

Details:

213 pages - Full Color - Text is in Japanese ( but there is very little text) and descriptions ( titles, publishers, designers) are in English.

Sounds great, but how do I enter to win?
Fill in the Contact form below with your name, email address and the words “Let me win the book” in the subject line and we will add your name to the drawing. On Nov. 1st we will randomly select one name from a hat and the results will be posted on the site. This person could be then on his/her way to internet stardom with their brand new book!

Your email address and our 100% spam free Guarantee:
We promise we will not sell, share, trade or publicize your email address in any shape or form. In addition, we will not “spam” your inbox.

so go for it! enter now!