This illuminating book describes the twenty most notable films in anime history, including:
- Momotaro—Released at the end of World War II, this was Japan's first feature-length anime
- My Neighbor Totoro—Miyazaki's iconic work, consciously created as an alternative to formulaic animated films with no conflict or antagonist
- Ghost in the Shell—The influential sci-fi feature that inspired The Matrix
- Spirited Away—The first Oscar-winning anime—and highest-grossing Japanese film of all time!
- A Silent Voice—Adapted from a popular manga, an essential entry from a woman director
- Plus 14 other films.
This architecture book features a wide range of buildings, some exhibiting the ultimate ideal of the white Zen cube, while others exemplify the search for the new wow factor in iconic design. In many, cutting-edge modernity is counterbalanced by a concern for sustainability—an issue that has motivated many architects to rethink and reintroduce concepts drawn from traditional Japanese architecture.
Japan Style offers rare glimpses into twenty exquisite traditional homes in Japan. The lavish photographs in this volume demonstrate how Japanese design achieves a timeless tranquility using a few very simple, natural elements.
Wood is the preferred building material since it is considered a "living" material; the country's Shinto and Zen Buddhist roots have inculcated a deep respect for nature. The houses in this book are a wonderful reminder that there are alternatives to "big is beautiful"—and that neither timelessness nor modernity has to be about using cold steel, glass and concrete.
The book begins with a discussion of early prehistoric dwellings and concludes with a description of works by important modern Japanese architects. Along the way it discusses the iconic buildings and architectural styles for which Japan is so justly famous—from elegant Shinden and Sukiya aristocratic villas like the Kinkakuji "Golden Pavilion" in Kyoto, to imposing Samurai castles like Himeji and Matsumoto, and tranquil Zen Buddhist gardens and tea houses to rural Minka thatched-roof farmhouses and Shinto shrines.
