Customer Reviews

Elements of Japanese Design

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I had really high hopes for this book, thinking it would truly explain Japanese design, instead it is a collection of superficially explained keywords. The articles are short, but you can convey a lot of information even in two pages if you choose to. The author decided after a translation of the Japanese keyword, to wander of into general statments, that leave the feeling of having been served cotton candy instead of the ordered steak. There are no references for further reading and one source I was able to track down in the article on kimono was an old tourist library pamphlet from 1947, hardly an authorative text on kimono.
I'm giving the book two stars because it is a nice collection of keywords to understand Japanese design, but if you truly want to understand the elements you will have to use these keywords to do your own research. I tried this approach for one of the keywords and found more helpful information on Wikipedia than in the book. I'm simply going to use this book as a springboard to do my own research.
Very disappointing!

Elements of Japanese Design is a wonderful synthesis of what could be a difficult concept for a person who was not raised in Japan to grasp. I came to it through my participation in Ikebana flower arranging and growing bonsai trees. It has helped me to understand some of the bases for the designs in both disciplines and has greatly improved my floral and arboreal endeavors. It is terse and well organized and shows the many ways that wabi and sabi are expressed in Japanese design and dulture.

Elements of Japanese design is a great book. I found that its reflections on Japanese culture made me think about my work and the objects around me in a new way. Highly recommended.