Japan Style

by Gian Carlo Calza

The concept that the Japanese call ki, meaning the spirit of things, can be seen throughout Japanese life and culture. What Gian Carlo Calza calls “Japan style” in his authoritative and stunningly illustrated text is demonstrated through such things as the exquisite mask of a girl used in No theater, the particular quality of meticulously designed architectural spaces, the rituals of the traditional tea ceremony, and the attention that is paid to the manner of creation, as shown in the photographs of a chef preparing sushi.

A leading authority in Japanese art and aesthetics, Calza teaches East Asian Art History at the University of Venice. His book identifies the specific qualities that make up aspects of Japanese culture, examining the elements of its art, architecture, ritual, and objects of daily life. The book itself is exquisitely produced, and offers the pleasure of a journey into the Japanese aesthetic, past and present.

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