The Monocle Book of Japan

Japan may be one of the world’s biggest economies, a global leader in everything from architecture to food and a country whose brands have flourished around the world, but it remains a bit of a mystery. Somehow it is simultaneously familiar and hard to fathom – or it has been, until now. This book is the culmination of years of reporting across the country by Monocle and it delivers a unique insight into the people, places and products that define Japan. Whether you’re planning a visit or simply curious, The Monocle Book of Japan will unpack the nation for you. We’ll take you from snowy Hokkaido in the north to the tropical southern islands of Okinawa and, along the way, deep-dive into the worlds of culture, design, retail and more. It’s Japan revealed as never before.

Features: 306 pages, hardcover with gold foil
Published by: Monocle
Printed in: Germany
Book Dimensions: 30cm x 22.5cm x 2.5cm
(11.8in x 8.8in x 1in)

a+u 2020:03
Architecture in Chile – In Search of a New Identity

Located at the “end of the world,” Chile’s idyllic landscapes create a perfect canvas for Chilean architects to express poetry in their architecture. To many, it is the utopian holiday homes that brought Chilean architecture into the international scene, and examples of these houses were previously featured in a+u 06:07 and in this issue, the House for the Poem of the Right Angle (see pp. 24–33) and Loba House (see pp. 44–51). Following 2010, however, we begin to see a different group of architects looking into less individualistic visions. Guided by a moral compass, they engage with the public or take up non-profit projects – Ruca Dwellings (see pp. 120–123) and Gabriela Mistral Cultural Center (see pp. 138–145) – that focus on social and sustainable issues which came to a halt during times of oppression. In an introductory essay, Diego Grass, an architect and tutor at Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, shares with us his insights into Chilean architecture since the 1990s. He describes how having gone through years of persistent domestic unrest, the country seeks to forge a new cultural identity that would bring a divided Chile together. 18 projects are selected in this issue to broaden our perspectives into architecture found in Chile, and the many ways these architects respond to its landscapes and urban territories.

English + Japanese / 168 Pages / 219 x 292 mm / 600 g

a+u 2020:02 
Feature: Toshiko Mori

The February issue of a+u is our first monograph dedicated to the architectural practice of Toshiko Mori. Based in New York, the Japanese native founded Toshiko Mori Architect (TMA) in 1981. The introductory essay by Fred A. Bernstein, an architecture journalist, demonstrates her design approach and her keen eye for detail. Mori’s works are the result of an in-depth study of the site’s topography, vegetation, and landscape, as pointed out by Edward Eigen, a historian and scholar of European and Anglo-American landscapes in the long nineteenth century. Mori’s designs reflect a sensitive integration of design, materials, and technology with the site. In addition, Sean Kelly, one of Mori’s clients and an art gallery owner, speaks about the process of collaboration with Mori. 18 representative works after 2000, of which 9 are residences, are featured in this issue, alongside site photographs and survey maps.

To Mori, teaching is always in parallel with her practice. Her essay illustrates her career in architectural academia and the several initiatives she introduced while being a faculty member at various prestigious architecture institutions, including the Harvard Graduate School of Design (GSD).

a+u 2020:01 
Feature: SuperNormal Architecture in the Netherlands 2010–2020

In this issue, together with guest editor Kirsten Hannema, Chief Editor of the nai010 Yearbook Architecture in the Netherlands, we will take a look at the last 10 years of Dutch architecture discourse. Previously, in our a+u 12:01 issue (Architecture in the Netherlands 2000–2011), which highlighted the country’s architecture scene right after the global financial crisis in 2008, the construction industry faced a slowdown. What we saw then, as “typically” Dutch, has gradually faded. Looking away from the “SuperDutch” stigma, we now see projects combining broader social issues, and taking on new forms of cultural energy. Yet, compared to the superstar generation that preceded them, these architects and their projects often go unnoticed. Therefore, in this issue, 19 projects are selected and placed into 3 themes to introduce a new attitude on today’s architecture in the Netherlands – the “SuperNormal”.

The 3 themes: “Reshaping the Polder” looks into pilot projects that rethink the sustainability of our construction practice. “Tabula Scripta” introduces transformation projects exploring how we rebuild under pre-existing conditions. “After the NAi” presents a body of public projects built during the period after 2012 when the national budget was cut. Each theme is accompanied by an essay written by Bob Witman, Jarrik Ouburg, and Sergio M Figueiredo, respectively. Finally, Floris Alkemade, Chief Government Architect of the Netherlands, shares with us in an interview about his reflections, actions, and predictions on the country’s architectural setting.

Thanks to Eelco Van Welie, Director of nai010 publishers, for his support, and to the authors and the architects who contributed to this issue.

The Khalili Collection of kimonos comprises over 200 garments spanning 300 years of Japanese textile artistry. The form of the T-shaped, straight-seamed, front-wrapping kimono has changed very little over the centuries, yet the collection reveals an astonishing variety of designs. The garments presented here convey the remarkable creativity of designers who produced works of art that would enfold the wearer. The enormous range of patterns were executed in a complex combination of techniques, with some garments requiring the expert skills of a number of different artisans.

Journey to Japan and discover a land of tea and tropics, wabi-sabi and wonder. A place where symbolism abounds and nothing is without purpose. For here you’ll find an ancient and powerful landscape that has shaped history yet still dictates the rhythms of modern life. There are illuminated capitals and pockets of untouched wilderness, both marked by a deep sense of spirituality. Art flourishes, design inspires and others come first. May the light never dim on the Land of the Rising Sun.

This updated reissue contains a host of features from the original issue and a selection of new stories and artworks. 

Kinfolk was founded in Portland, operates out of Copenhagen, and has long had roots in Japan. In fact, since 2013, the magazine-and its ongoing exploration of quality of life – has been translated into Japanese at our sister office in the heart of Shibuya, Tokyo. On our most recent visit in March, local editors Mako Ayabe and Kota Engaku reminded us what life in the Japanese capital is like for those living there with a sense of intention and energy: one of the navigable neighbourhoods, courteous codes and cutting-edge culture. This is in stark contrast to the vision of Tokyo as a city that can feel impenetrable to the outsider.

For our 18-page guide, our photographer Romain Laprade and local writer Selena Hoy took recommendations from our Japan team and visited a dozen locations that, between them, paint a full picture of this varied metropolis: from a new rice specialist revitalizing a shuttered shopping district, to a store inside a house in upmarket, residential Shirokane. For our archive and feature profiles, we’ve chosen two women who made Tokyo their home a hundred years apart: Toko Shinoda, the 106-year-old abstract artist who still lives in the city center, and Yoon Ahn, the Korean designer who moved to the city in the early aughts, riding the peak of the city’s street-style wave.

Perhaps because Tokyo is the world’s most populous metropolis, spending time in the city left us longing for space to stretch out and enjoy the summer. Our issue Thirty-Two fashion shoot takes place on a boat off the coast of Marseille, and our feature profile of Coco O tells the story of how the singer found room to breathe again by moving back to Copenhagen after several years in Los Angeles. And, in interviews with the architects Kengo Kuma and Bijoy Jain, we discover a common reverence for creating building in conversation with the nature and light that surrounds them.

Made in Japan

Awe-inspiring graphics from Japan today

When a product is labelled as “Made in Japan”, it is often a promise of quality, and the consistent clarity, order and precision of Japanese designs definitely ensures that the reputation is not exaggerated. Known for their minimalist, clean lines, the iconic styles of Japanese designs are admired and imitated all over the world. Truly standing forefront in the establishment of a national design identity, it is the prime example of culture-meets-design, mixing history, traditional art and philosophy into contemporary designs.

 With the spotlight on 40 local creatives behind all sorts of different projects in different fields, Made in Japan spans from brand identities to spatial design to illustrations and more, examining how variety is held together by the influence of a common culture.

THE SCENT OF BOYS

Guest Editors
Victor Fan & Earl Jackson

Issue 7 is dedicated to the Scent of Boys. Film does not convey scent directly, though it is embedded in our embodied relationship with the cinematographic image through insinuation, imagination, synesthesia, memory, and physical immersion into the smell of the movie theater. The moment those patches of light and shadow on screen hit our retinas, the cinematographic image is generated as a consciousness: a milieu that we can see, hear, touch, and smell. Moreover, smell stimulates erotic sensations and longing; it gives body to our desire. In this Issue, filmmakers, artists, and scholars ruminate upon scent in Asian cinemas and the way olfactory memories have informed their same-sex desires, creativity, and research. Through words, images, and scents, this Issue seeks to engage the readers in an affective environment, bringing to light this oft-overlooked aspect of our cinematic experience.

Victor Fan is Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, King’s College London, UK. Film Consultant for the Chinese Visual Festival. His articles have appeared in journals including Camera Obscura, Journal of Chinese Cinemas, Screen, and Film History. Author of Cinema Approaching Reality: Locating Chinese Film Theory and Extraterritoriality: Locating Hong Kong Cinema and Media.

Earl Jackson is Prof. Emeritus from UC Santa Cruz, USA. Currently Chair Professor, Asia University, Taiwan. Author of Strategies of Deviance: Studies in Gay Male Representation, and numerous essays on sexuality and Japanese and Korean Cinema. He has worked in the Korean independent film industry as a screenwriter, editor, dramaturg, and actor.

a+u 2019:06 
Diller Scofidio + Renfro

This issue of a+u is our first monograph dedicated to Diller Scofidio + Renfro (DS+R), a New York-based interdisciplinary design studio founded in 1981 by Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio.

Despite their initial interest in remaining independent from the architecture profession, DS+R have managed to enter and challenge it on their own terms. Today, with partners Charles Renfro and Benjamin Gilmartin, DS+R’s critical approach to their work remains the same—prioritizing the designing and “democratization” of space for the public.