Went out to Ozuma Kaname's Studio Yesterday......

He is such an amazing individual and his studio is insane!! Seriously stacks and stacks of original paintings just piled on shelves. It was quite a day.....

Tattoos in Ukiyo-e - Rare Book for Collectors

This book is epic. A beautiful cloth bound hardback filled with full page color reproductions of ukiyo-e prints that feature tattooed individuals. Heavily prevalent are firemen portraits from the edo period when tattoos served as emblems of protection, strength and heroism. This collection boasts over 80 prints as well 11 double page fold outs. It is the only book available devoted to tattoos in Ukiyoe and is a collectors dream both in presentation and content.

Size: 8.5 " x 12" - Pages: 211 - Published: 1976 - Price: $475 Hardcover w/Silpcase


Click here to order off the website: Rare Book on Tattoos in Ukiyo-e














For this and tons more books on Japanese Tattoo Art and Design click the cat...

Noh Tales - a comprehensive look at Noh Dramas - with English Translations. Aaaaaawesome!!

This book is awesome!! The presentation is beautiful and the photography simply stunning. This book delves into Japanese Noh theater with essays, translated into English, on the significance of Noh Masks, the distinctive qualities of Noh actors, a brief history of Noh and most importantly, plot outlines of 30 of the most popular Noh dramas. It recounts stories, in English, that feature Hannya, that elusive yet popular Japanese tattoo icon that is so often misunderstood, as well as other popular characters like Nue and Demons. I cannot stress enough how impressed I am with this book. It's a brilliant, easy to follow resource and a must have for anyone seeking a fuller understanding of Japanese history and symbolism.

Size: 13cm x 21cm - Pages: 286 - Published: 2010 - Price: $52 - Binding: Softcover

Click here to order off the website: NOH TALES

Showa Era Poster Book - I love these!!

This book is awesome. It is a beautiful hardback filled with Japanese adverts from the 40's and 50's. It boasts 192 pages of imagery with an index in the back in English and an afterward on the development of posters in Japan by Natsuko Tajima. This book is excellent for anyone interested in Showa era (WWII) Japanese imagery. Rife with beautiful demure women, in tune with that period, this book is a good resource for artists and designers alike. It is appx. 7"x 10" and well bound. $65

Click here: 40's & 50's Pin Up Posters Book

Japanese Buddhism x Horiyoshi III - new book from Gomineko Press.

This is the first book of it's kind on an esoteric and difficult to approach subject matter. It includes Over 300 pages of beautiful photography illuminating Japanese Buddhist iconography from the top four Buddhist expanses in Japan, with clear explanations in English and supported with tattoo reference provided by Horiyoshi III. Out this summer....

Divertimento For a Martyr by Takato Yamamoto - Beautifully Grim Imagery

This book is creepy. Really unsettling. Takato Yamamoto has made quite a name for himself here with his perverse and graphic imagery. His pieces often feature young rather androgynous Japanese and are riddled with blood and sinew, flowers and beautiful moons and delicate costumes. He often juxtaposes delicate beauty with grim gristly environments. His pieces are busy and the eye is forced to seek out what exactly is unsettling about each illustration...knowing full well it might not want to really know. Haunting.

Size: 7.5" x 10"- Pages: 80 - Published: 2006 - Price: $60 - Hardcover in slipcase

Click here to order: Divertimento For a Martyr by Takato Yamamoto

New Gomineko Call for Art Submissions for Tokyo Show - Tsuchigumo

Sorry for the delay guys...here you go! Have fun with this one!


Tsuchigumo, the earth spider, appears in several Japanese legends and she is fantastic. She was one of the main adversaries of Minamoto no Yorimitsu, or Raiko as he is often called. Minamoto no Yorimitsu and his four chief retainers were commissioned to rid the captal of an ever growing population of robbers and bandits. Through a series of exploites he was eventually credited with ridding Kyoto of its yokai (monster) denizens as well. There are two famous stories involving Raiko and the Tsuchigumo. In the first story, which is also a well known Noh play, he is a retainer at the palace in Kyoto and is in bed in his chambers, very ill. Delirious he was plagued night after night by dreams of being attacked by demons. His retainers stood by his bedside to keep watch but they eventually fell asleep and Raiko envisioned himself being bound with silken robes. Crazed he struck out with his short sword and the vision evaporated and a creature fled the room leaving a trail of blood. Raiko and his retainers followed the blood to a large mound of earth where they were met by Tsuchigumo, a giant earth spider. Raiko attacks and kills Tsuchigumo and his sword was given the name Kumokirimaru - spider killer.

In another story Raiko and his men are found following a fiery skull, floating in the air above them. Bound by the emperor to rid Kyoto of evil spirits, they raced after the skull chasing it outside the city to a hill where they were met by an army of gruesome yokai. Apparently the yokai did not take kindly to Raiko's quest. The army was led by an enchantingly beautiful woman and while his retainers began to position themselves against the monsters, Raiko sat motionless, staring at her, dumbstruck. He became aware of soft cobwebs enveloping him and with effort, struck out with his sword. With that thrust the phantom woman dissolved into Tsuchigumo, the giant earth spider, and her legions of yokai immediately vanished. Raiko attacks Tsuchigumo, slicing open her belly in the battle. As she died thousands of skulls poured from her belly, a lifetime of human victims, as well as thousands of vicious baby spiders, all the size of small dogs, which Raiko and his retainers in turn set upon and defeated. Grim.


Submissions may be any size/medium and must be received by September 10th. Please send them to:

Crystal Morey
Gomineko Books
IS Heights #1101
3-32-42 Higashi - Shinagawa
Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
140-0002
Japan

Please include your name, address, email and permission for Gomineko Press to print the illustration in future publications. Please let me know as well if you would like your artwork returned. I will return submissions after the book goes to print.

Here are some Tsuchigumo images for reference....


Kuniyoshi


Yoshitoshi


Kuniyoshi