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Kyoichi Tsuzuki
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Tokyo: A Certain Style Paperback – September 1, 1999

by Kyoichi Tsuzuki (Author)
4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 40 ratings
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Ah, think of the serene gardens, tatami mats, Zen-inspired decor, sliding doors, and shoji screens of the typical Japanese home. Think again. Tokyo: A Certain Style, the mini-sized decor book with a difference, shows how, for those living in one of the worlds most expensive and densely packed metropolises, closet-sized apartments stacked to the ceiling with gadgetry and CDs are the norm. Photographer Kyoichi Tsuzuki rode his scooter all over Tokyo snapping shots of how urban Japanese really live. Hundreds of photographs reveal the real Tokyo style: microapartments, mini and modular everything, rooms filled to the rafters with electronics, piles of books and clothes, clans of remote controls, collections of sundry objets all crammed into a space where every inch counts. Tsuzuki introduces each tiny crash pad with a brief text about who lives there, from artists and students to professionals and couples with children. His entertaining captions to the hundreds of photographs capture the spirit and ingenuity required to live in such small quarters. This fascinating, voyeuristic look at modern life comes in a chunky, pocket-sized format-the perfect coffee table book for people with really small apartments.
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  1. Print length
    440 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Chronicle Books
  4. Publication date
    September 1, 1999
  5. Grade level
    8 and up
  6. Reading age
    13 years and up
  7. Dimensions
    4.25 x 0.75 x 5.71 inches
  8. ISBN-10
    0811824233
  9. ISBN-13
    978-0811824231
  10. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's common for Americans to stereotype the Japanese as conformist, rigidly organized, and immaculately tidy, but with Tokyo: A Certain Style Kyoichi Tsuzuki makes remarkable progress toward broadening those impressions. Tsuzuki photographed the very lived-in interiors of numerous Tokyo houses and apartments, and then jammed his piles of pictures into the format of a short-of-stature book. The result is an engrossing look at the many ways people have adapted to Tokyo's notoriously cramped living spaces. There are several common threads--indoor clotheslines are used to supplement or replace closet space in almost every home--but each dwelling brings out its owner's personality. Some are breathtakingly cluttered, with bric-a-brac piled on electronic equipment and papers stacked on every flat surface, while others show so little evidence of the debris of daily living that one feels certain sorcery must be involved. Most charming are the "design" elements that show off the owners' little quirks: ingeniously improvised hooks and shelves, major appliances banished to the outdoors, and the extensive stuffed animal collection of a grown adult. Many photos simply boggle the mind with the sheer amount of stuff that can be crammed into incredibly small spaces, while others highlight the strange beauty that is often achieved in compressed living. Highly recommended for dorm-bound college students or anyone who has ever groused about a lack of space. --Ali Davis

Review

An indispensable resource for quality-conscious visitors who don't want to blow their budgets.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Chronicle Books; First Edition (September 1, 1999)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 440 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0811824233
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0811824231
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 13 years and up
  • Grade level ‏ : ‎ 8 and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.25 x 0.75 x 5.71 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 40 ratings

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Kyoichi Tsuzuki

Kyoichi Tsuzuki

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
40 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book engaging and worth reading. They appreciate the visually appealing pictures that showcase real spaces creatively.

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ReadabilityVisual content
6 customers mention "Readability"6 positive0 negative

Customers find the book engaging and worth reading. They appreciate the unique perspective and mention it makes a good coffee table book. However, some feel the price is too low.

"...This book is interesting in that it shows how a person can literally cram their life into one or two tiny rooms and make it livable...." Read more

"...The content of the book is great though." Read more

"Kyoichi Tsuzuki brings his unique perspective to this engaging little book about the way people in Tokyo really live - not what you see on design..." Read more

"...This book is cheap, but even at that price, it wasn't worth it." Read more

4 customers mention "Visual content"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the visual content of the book. They find the pictures well-taken and creatively showcasing real spaces. The book is described as a visually ethnographic book with old photos.

"...This book showcases real, average apartments and houses. Most of these dwellings are (relatively) tiny and crammed floor to cieling with STUFF...." Read more

"This is a very small but fat book of old photos. The photos are of Japanese homes that are (one hopes) unusually cramped and untidy...." Read more

"...shows how Japanese uses their cramped domestic space differently and creatively. This is not a design book but a visual ethnographic book...." Read more

"I love looking at pictures of spaces and how people use ......" Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • TPrinslow
    5.0 out of 5 stars collector book
    Reviewed in the United States on November 2, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    purchased 1990's photo book of Tokyo small living spaces as a gift for my son who loved it as a kid.
    book in excellent shape; great price & arrived early!
    Helpful
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  • octokyophile
    5.0 out of 5 stars A peek into real Japanese life
    Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2004
    Verified Purchase
    If you are interested in how most Japanese live, in their daily, ordinary lives, then pick this book up. It does not illustrate the "traditional" Japanses houses with Zen gardens and tatami mats everywhere, nor does it illustrate the "Ikea-ized" futuristic apartments of rich folks in Tokyo. Instead it shows how the other half (or make that 85%) of Japanese live: in a word, cramped. This book showcases real, average apartments and houses. Most of these dwellings are (relatively) tiny and crammed floor to cieling with STUFF. This book is interesting in that it shows how a person can literally cram their life into one or two tiny rooms and make it livable. For those interested in REAL Japanese daily culture, this book is a gold mine.
    8 people found this helpful
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  • Matthew
    3.0 out of 5 stars Great book—horrible binding
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    The binding falls off within a few weeks. Not just on my copy; even in library copies I have seen. The content of the book is great though.
    One person found this helpful
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  • B. Spencer
    4.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected
    Reviewed in the United States on July 6, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    I have long been interested in Japanese design and how they manage to be so space-efficient in such innovative ways. This book is really not about design "ideas" but is really just a snapshot into the everyday lives of ordinary Tokyo residents. Most of the rooms are ridiculously cluttered. Many look unclean. I actually like looking at the book, but not for inspiration. It's more a voyeuristic experience. Shatters a stereotype of mine: I always thought Japanese were ridiculously neat. The apartments featured in this book are disastrously messy. And while some of that is due to space issues, it's also related to strange collecting habits (ie. Hello Kitty and stuffed animals).
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Noah
    5.0 out of 5 stars Worth reading
    Reviewed in the United States on January 7, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    Kyoichi Tsuzuki brings his unique perspective to this engaging little book about the way people in Tokyo really live - not what you see on design blogs, but the kind of interiors that are only, if ever, shown to the West through the medium of films and anime. There's something inexplicably appealing about the clutter and smallness of these spaces. Definitely worth a read, and makes a good coffee table book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Laura Rose
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
    Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I was looking for this book for years, thanks!
    Helpful
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  • aferdman
    1.0 out of 5 stars Boring...and more boring.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 29, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    Yes, I buy anything about Tokyo and this was a mis-take. The book is too small in size and crammed with author"s style not Tokyo style. Sure Tokyo apartment are small compared to what? That's all they can afford. The author specifically limited himself to looks-alike similar style for whatever reason and I compare other books I own and internet is full of pictures showing wide variety of styles.
    He also avoid showing the people in these places. Avoid.
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  • MinK
    2.0 out of 5 stars Very Outdated Photos
    Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    This is a very small but fat book of old photos. The photos are of Japanese homes that are (one hopes) unusually cramped and untidy. It appears from the old-style electrical appliances, e.g., TV, in the interiors that the photos were taken many years ago. As someone who also lives in a cramped, untidy apartment, I found this book more depressing than anything else. Note, the cover fell off almost immediately due to the dried-out glue. This book is cheap, but even at that price, it wasn't worth it.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • mari
    5.0 out of 5 stars Urbanes Wohnen auf kleinem Raum
    Reviewed in Germany on September 4, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    "Tokyo: A certain style" ist mit Sicherheit einer meiner liebsten Fotobände. Hier findet man keine sterilen Katalogfotos, schlüsselfertige Designhäuser, die noch nie bewohnt wurden oder minimalistische Zen-Architektur. Stattdessen gibt das Buch einen authentischen Einblick in die Lebensräume der Stadtbewohnerinnen und Stadtbewohner. Das Format ist, so wie die Wohnräume in Tokyo, klein gehalten. Das ist für einen Fotoband ungewöhnlich, passt aber so wie das Layout ausgesprochen gut zum inhaltlichen Konzept. Die Bilder geben zusammen mit den Hintergrundinformationen zu den Leuten, die in den Wohnungen leben, einen authentischen Einblick in das Leben im Tokyo der 90er. Ein äußerst charmantes Werk, in dem man selbst bei genauer Betrachtung immer wieder neue überraschende Details entdeckt.
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  • Rachel Cutts
    5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 10, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Very good condition, great book!
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  • Yoland
    5.0 out of 5 stars Super.
    Reviewed in France on February 24, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Great intimates of japanese house/lifestyle.
    A nice book on how anticipate the REAL day-to-day life as someone living in Japan.
    Report
  • S. Thomas
    4.0 out of 5 stars This is Tokyo
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 20, 2004
    Verified Purchase
    Yeah, this is a good one. I travelled to Tokyo last September 2003 and so I have cravings of all things related to. This book makes me smile.
    We'd all love one of those tv homes that are all co-ordinated and perfect. But the reality and the need for practicality in daily life at home demands a much different approach.
    This is just a great little colourful book that shows us what the home of an average Tokyo-ite is like. A bit dated now though, maybe ten years old ? But just skim through it and it is fantastic. Not a design guide with tips on zen layouts - this is wabi-sabi - showing you the beauty of life as it honestly is in Tokyo.
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  • Sean Inglis
    4.0 out of 5 stars Compact perspective changer
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 21, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    A fascinating little book that I've just finished after around a year of dipping in and out.

    Mostly inspired - but occasionally mortified - by the compact spaces people seem happy with. It certainly hasme questioning how much space I need.

    One star deducted for a poor quality binding that failed within around a week, but Id happily shell out again for a larger / better quality edition.
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