"Let's build a social network just for two / then you could invite me and I can invite you"

[larryhammer]

Here's a dealer's room find from this weekend: We Japanese: Being Descriptions of Many of the Customs, Manners, Ceremonies, Festivals, Arts and Crafts of the Japanese Besides Numerous Other Subjects, published by the Fujiya Hotel, Kanagawa,* in three parts in 1934, 1937, and 1949 -- this being a combined edition from 1950 printed on fan-folded paper with silk-cord binding, Japanese style -- and sold in the hotel to tourists.

In other words, it's a (largely) pre-War summary of how the Japanese wanted foreigners to perceive them.

I've so far only poked about at random, but it mostly covers Japanese folkways, folklore, and material culture -- in other words, little of daily life and society except where it appears in public. Even just a sampling, though, reveals interesting tensions over the disappearance of "traditional" (or "orthodox" as the book sometimes uses) customs, as the authors sometimes acknowledge is happening. I haven't yet worked out if there's a pattern of changes for the post-War section, but that's on the agenda as I read more systematically.

BTW, for those who were wondering about the subject line of the previous post, it's from "Land of Plenty" by local singer Kevin Pakulis, from his album Yeah Yeah Yeah. You can hear a sample of it on the CDBaby page.

* In a hot-springs resort area near Mt. Fuji.

---L.

Comments

[oracne.livejournal.com]

That sounds way cool.

[larryhammer]

Rice-paper codex FTW.

Not to mention, interesting cultural artifact FTW.

I should post a photo of the title page with its interesting inscription.

---L.