One quick last post before I leave for my trip to China. I’ll be away until the 26th, back just in time for the book launch party. Expect things to be quiet here until then, although I may occasionally update if I’m feeling like it — it looks like we’ll have net access, but I’m not sure how dependable it will be.
The deluge of Arcade Mania news continues, this time to announce that the official book website is now up. Big thanks to Andrew Lee — the book’s art director — for his work on the site. Go on, and don’t forget to try and get one of those crane game prizes!
Before I leave for China (I take off tomorrow), I want to make sure to get the word out about the launch party we’ll be having for Arcade Mania. It takes place Saturday, September 27 (19:00-23:00) at Cafe Pause in Ikebukuro. No free drinks unfortunately, but they will be cheap, and we’ll have lots of nice munchies to go around. Musical selection will be by Jason DeGroot (6955), and it will mark the start of an exhibition of photos taken by Yuki Nakano for the book (the show will run until October 5).
I think it’s going to be blast, and I hope to see a lot of you there. As you can probably tell from my recent postings, the release of this book is something I’m extremely proud of, and I can’t wait to celebrate with Brian, and everyone else who comes. Viva Arcade Mania!
Well look at this, copies of Arcade Mania at Kinokuniya in Umeda, Osaka. The photo was taken by Brian, who spotted. No book sightings for me yet, although admittedly I’ve only checked the Junkudo store in Ikebukuro.
Also, below, Robert from Sweden imported the book from Amazon Japan and displays it proudly!
Just the other day I was posting about a new Tokyo guide from Louis Vuitton, something I haven’t seen for myself, but one guide I have seen is one of the latest releases from Wallpaper‘s “City Guide” series, covering the city of Kyoto.
I picked up the Tokyo edition when the series was first launched, and have to say that I always found it to be a rather nice guide. Sure, it’s far from exhaustive, but it’s not meant to be. This is for someone who is coming into town for a few days or a weekend — pretty much the sort of trip I do when I go to other cities in Asia — and wants to have a primer on what is really worth seeing in terms of design-related spots. Sort of like a city article in Casa Brutus or PEN, but in book form.
So now comes the Kyoto guide, a city I myself am not particularly familiar with — I’ve done the temple tour, and that’s about it. What you get here is the same idea as what was done with the Tokyo guide: a curated look at Kyoto, the cool and stylish — you know, the sort of thing you’d see showcased in an issue of Wallpaper.
Having gone through this, I’m actually very much looking forward to my next trip to Kansai, and intend on spending a day or two in Kyoto, if only to at least check out some of the cafes, like Café Indépendants (pictured). I’ve heard that an Osaka guide is also in the planning stages, which I’ll definitely want as well.
What else do I like? The compact format, the fact that photography comes first — something you get in a lot of Japanese travel guides, which is definitely to my liking — and that they include some pages to take notes.
Pictured, Craig pimping Chin Music Press releases at the Brooklyn Book Festival. Craig and Ashley will be giving a talk about Art Space Tokyo at Kinokuniya (Bryant Park) on the 23rd.
I’m a bit late on this, but wanted to point out ex-Graniph art director Melanie’s new project, “international PR & illustration showcase” Cabaret. The first project is the “100 Post Cards” exhibition at cafe Sunshine Studio in Harajuku. It runs until September 30.
Still on the fence about purchasing Matt Alt’s Yokai Attack? Maybe the new book site will help convince you.