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Quaderni giapponesi #1
Berichte aus Japan: Eine Reise ins Reich der Zeichen
Für viele Europäer ist Japan eine große Schatztruhe, gefüllt mit Kostbarkeiten, die es zu entdecken gilt. In den Neunzigerjahren hat Igort als einer der ersten westlichen Comiczeichner die Gelegenheit, aus dieser Schatztruhe zu schöpfen und für einen japanischen Verlag zu arbeiteten. Aus Igorts Aufzeichnungen, Skizzen und Fotos ist ein sehr persönliches Buch über Japan entstanden, in dem er seine Erlebnisse festhält und seiner Faszination für das Land und seine Kultur ein Gesicht gibt.
“Berichte aus Japan” ist eine dokumentarische Reise durch die japanische Kulturgeschichte und eine Liebeserklärung an die Heimat von Bashu und Hokusai, Takeshi Kitano und Hayao Miyazaki.
“Berichte aus Japan” ist eine dokumentarische Reise durch die japanische Kulturgeschichte und eine Liebeserklärung an die Heimat von Bashu und Hokusai, Takeshi Kitano und Hayao Miyazaki.
184 pages, Klappenbroschur
First published September 1, 2015
54 people are currently reading
1093 people want to read
About the author
Igort
70 books171 followersIgort is an Italian illustrator, comic book artist, writer, publisher, film director and musician. He is considered a key figure in the development of European graphic novels.
Igor Tuveri was born in 1958 in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. At age 20 Tuveri moved to Bologne and started publishing comics with the pen name Igort. His early works appeared in 'Linus', a famous Italian comic magazine aimed at an adult readership, of which Igort himself will become editor-in-chief in the 2000's.
In the 80's Igort founded the independent magazines 'Il Pinguino' and 'Dolce Vita' with fellow cartoonists from the so-called 'Valvoline' collective. The collective included artists Daniele Brolli, Roberto Baldazzini, Lorenzo Mattotti, Giorgio Carpinteri, as well as American cartoonist Charles Burns. Igort's works from this period include Goodbye Baobab (1982), a story set in Japan in the 40s and co-created with Daniele Brolli, and Ishiki no kashi - Il letargo dei sentimenti (1984), a comic taking place in a futuristic version of Japan.
Igort is also one of the first Western authors to have worked in the Japanese manga industry, most notably with the series Yuri (1996) for Kōdansha.
In 2000, Igort founded his own publishing house, Coconino Press. The publisher played an important role in the development of the 'graphic novel movement' in Italy, releasing new works by national and international authors, as well as classic works by cartoonist like Jacques Tardi, Daniel Clowes, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, Will Eisner, and so on. In 2017 Igort left Coconino to found a new publishing house, called Oblomov Press.
Between 2008 and 2009, Igort travelled through the Ukraine, Russia and Siberia, carrying out research for the books Quaderni Ucraini (2010, Ukrainian Notebooks) and Quaderni Russi (2011, Russian Notebooks). Together with the two volumes of Quaderni Giapponesi (2015-2017, Japanese Notebooks), these form a trilogy of illustration travel notebooks.
In 2019, Igort directed the live action film adaptation of his most famous graphic novel, 5 is the Perfect Number (2002), starring actors Toni Servillo and Valeria Golino.
Besides drawing, writing, publishing and occasionally working in cinema, Igort has also been a life long musician. Since 2022 he hosts a Youtube Channel on the medium of comics, called 'lezionidifumetto·it'.
Igor Tuveri was born in 1958 in Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy. At age 20 Tuveri moved to Bologne and started publishing comics with the pen name Igort. His early works appeared in 'Linus', a famous Italian comic magazine aimed at an adult readership, of which Igort himself will become editor-in-chief in the 2000's.
In the 80's Igort founded the independent magazines 'Il Pinguino' and 'Dolce Vita' with fellow cartoonists from the so-called 'Valvoline' collective. The collective included artists Daniele Brolli, Roberto Baldazzini, Lorenzo Mattotti, Giorgio Carpinteri, as well as American cartoonist Charles Burns. Igort's works from this period include Goodbye Baobab (1982), a story set in Japan in the 40s and co-created with Daniele Brolli, and Ishiki no kashi - Il letargo dei sentimenti (1984), a comic taking place in a futuristic version of Japan.
Igort is also one of the first Western authors to have worked in the Japanese manga industry, most notably with the series Yuri (1996) for Kōdansha.
In 2000, Igort founded his own publishing house, Coconino Press. The publisher played an important role in the development of the 'graphic novel movement' in Italy, releasing new works by national and international authors, as well as classic works by cartoonist like Jacques Tardi, Daniel Clowes, Adrian Tomine, Chris Ware, Will Eisner, and so on. In 2017 Igort left Coconino to found a new publishing house, called Oblomov Press.
Between 2008 and 2009, Igort travelled through the Ukraine, Russia and Siberia, carrying out research for the books Quaderni Ucraini (2010, Ukrainian Notebooks) and Quaderni Russi (2011, Russian Notebooks). Together with the two volumes of Quaderni Giapponesi (2015-2017, Japanese Notebooks), these form a trilogy of illustration travel notebooks.
In 2019, Igort directed the live action film adaptation of his most famous graphic novel, 5 is the Perfect Number (2002), starring actors Toni Servillo and Valeria Golino.
Besides drawing, writing, publishing and occasionally working in cinema, Igort has also been a life long musician. Since 2022 he hosts a Youtube Channel on the medium of comics, called 'lezionidifumetto·it'.
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November 16, 2017
I’d only thus far read Igort’s 5 is the Perfect Number and I loved it (link to my review below). His style in that crime noir is highly stylized and expressionistic, and made me think of Edward Risso’s work in 100 Bullets and Frank Miller’s Sin City. Japanese Notebooks, a really gorgeous artifact from Chronicle Books, is a memoir and a multi-genre collage of amazing art and reminiscences from Igort’s time in Japan in the nineties when he actually drew for manga publisher Kodansha.
To call it a notebook or artist’s journal is really sorta underselling it, since those genres feel rough and drafty, as useful as it can be to get that glimpse into an artist’s process. All the art here is polished and lovely and still expressive, though not at all like the stylized art in 5 Is the Perfect Number. It is better described as a love letter to Japanese culture, especially manga. As he says, “I had convinced myself and my editors at Kodansha that I was Japanese in a past life.”
The book also shares Igort’s discovery or deeper contact with Japanese novelists (such as Mishima), film (Miyazaki) but most of all manga from manga-ka I have in recent years also been discovering such as Yoshihiro Tatsumi and Jiro Taniguchi. Like me, he discovers WWII-era manga and anime. He dedicates the book to the godfather of manga, Osamu Tezuka, and great artist Hokusai.
I loved his inclusion of actual stories he had written. You never get that with a straight-up memoir, so that’s a huge plus.
I loved the story of how he, as a foreign-born manga artist, is put through the rigors of the true manga-ka lifestyle, including the time-honored ritual of being shut in a hotel room to complete his work on insane deadlines.
Reading from it on vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/143528933
My review of 5 is the Perfect Number:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
To call it a notebook or artist’s journal is really sorta underselling it, since those genres feel rough and drafty, as useful as it can be to get that glimpse into an artist’s process. All the art here is polished and lovely and still expressive, though not at all like the stylized art in 5 Is the Perfect Number. It is better described as a love letter to Japanese culture, especially manga. As he says, “I had convinced myself and my editors at Kodansha that I was Japanese in a past life.”
The book also shares Igort’s discovery or deeper contact with Japanese novelists (such as Mishima), film (Miyazaki) but most of all manga from manga-ka I have in recent years also been discovering such as Yoshihiro Tatsumi and Jiro Taniguchi. Like me, he discovers WWII-era manga and anime. He dedicates the book to the godfather of manga, Osamu Tezuka, and great artist Hokusai.
I loved his inclusion of actual stories he had written. You never get that with a straight-up memoir, so that’s a huge plus.
I loved the story of how he, as a foreign-born manga artist, is put through the rigors of the true manga-ka lifestyle, including the time-honored ritual of being shut in a hotel room to complete his work on insane deadlines.
Reading from it on vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/143528933
My review of 5 is the Perfect Number:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
August 7, 2017
Quant'è diversa la cultura giapponese?
Questi 10 Quaderni giapponesi sono una via di mezzo tra un diario e un documentario sul Giappone e su alcuni dei suoi personaggi. Dieci "episodi" differenti ma dal sapore comune.
L'impaginazione, la carta usata, i colori pastello, i disegni che si alternano a tratti con vignette, cartoline e fotografie storiche ci restituiscono l'atmosfera, la cultura e la magia del mondo giapponese.
Chi è stato in Giappone (io ci ho lasciato il cuore) non può non apprezzare la rappresentazione dei giardini, la delicatezza delle tinte, la descrizione dei luoghi, degli usi e dei costumi assolutamente differenti da quelli occidentali. Le persone da una parte vivono in un'era ipertecnologica ma per certi versi sono ancora legate a valori antichi, quasi medioevali. Parole quali onore, onestà, gentilezza, rispetto, al primo posto nella scala locale dei valori, coesistono con atteggiamenti tipici di civiltà arretrate.
I dieci quaderni rappresentano storie vere, sia positive che negative, alcune delle quali ci stupiscono e colpiscono duramente; come quella dei giochi erotici sfociati in omicidio di Abe Sada o quella dei Burukumin, un gruppo sociale di persone "segregato" dal resto della società solo per avere tra gli antenati persone che facevano lavori ritenuti "impuri" dalla religione corrente. Ancora oggi sembra che le aziende giapponesi non assumano (anche se ciò è considerato ufficialmente illegale) i discendenti dei Burakumin, sancendo di fatto una pesante discriminazione.
In un mondo omologato, la cultura giapponese affascina, forse perché così distante dalla nostra.
Ecco, mi sembra che questi quaderni riescano a rendercela più accessibile e comprensibile.
August 2, 2023
On the plus side, there is much contained in this fat volume: Japanese history and culture, as seen through the memoir of an Italian graphic artist who worked in Japan.
On the minus side, it is scattered and unfocused. At least it is accurately labeled as a "notebook": and therein one page is one thing and the next page is something completely unconnected.
So this is a book to dip into rather than pick up and expect to read straight through. Having read about the hard lives of manga artists in Japan (can't recall where now) Igort was treated relatively well in terms of hours and working conditions.
The low rating is driven from its unfocussed elements. For example, what is "The True Story of Saba Abe" doing here? Some of the pieces in this notebook feel like work which otherwise never found a home.
I feel bad giving this work only two stars, but I didn't get much out of it. "Less is more" is an adage that might have worked wonders with this book.
On the minus side, it is scattered and unfocused. At least it is accurately labeled as a "notebook": and therein one page is one thing and the next page is something completely unconnected.
So this is a book to dip into rather than pick up and expect to read straight through. Having read about the hard lives of manga artists in Japan (can't recall where now) Igort was treated relatively well in terms of hours and working conditions.
The low rating is driven from its unfocussed elements. For example, what is "The True Story of Saba Abe" doing here? Some of the pieces in this notebook feel like work which otherwise never found a home.
I feel bad giving this work only two stars, but I didn't get much out of it. "Less is more" is an adage that might have worked wonders with this book.
December 18, 2017
Igort's Japanese Notebooks is a quirky memoir and
collection of comics (his own work transforming through time) and reflections on Japanese culture and artists and manga industry as well as his time working in Japan. He opens by acknowledging his long fascination with Japan and his subsequent time spent there looking for something he still cannot name. "this book is the story of chasing a dream, and surrendering upon finding that dreams cannot be grasped" (7).
Where are lines to be drawn between reverence of and curiosity about a perceived cultural location and romanticization of it (emotional or intellectual laziness and exploitation)? It is hard to say and I'm not sure which side of these wavering lines Igort's book falls on. Regardless of its flaws, and in some ways, because of them, it is an uneven and beautiful and intriguing book, an artifact with a certain way of wandering aimlessly, exposing its own deep imperfections, offering up something intimate, at least in its willingness to be itinerant and unfinished and unfinishable--like a dream, a collection of fragments.
the book also serves as an introduction to some of Igort's revered manga artists--and a contemplation of certain cultural, social and artistic moments in history that have intrigued him, some more mythologized times and people and places, and some more disturbing and complex situations, like the way the caste system still can function in Japan (and Google's part in that). At times reading the book is like watching someone sleepwalk through history, a diffuse and wandering meditation.
Igort reflects on his time spent in Japan, on his own spiritual connection to Japan and his sense of living history in tokyo. At least one reviewer felt uneasy about his exoticization and/or idealization of Japanese culture and the fact of his saying (to some people he was writing for there) that he was Japanese in a past life. which is, to be fair, pretty squicky, but it's also kind of funny that he paid for it by being hazed like any Japanese manga artist would be (the industry is, after all, or can be, like a kind of fraternity.) He was indignant at his treatment and that story is never really given closure, but it's enjoyable. I wonder if he meant the kind of humor that was in there (European guy says he's basically really, in a way, Japanese, and wants to be let into the 'manga club'--until it means working like other Japanese manga artists, at which point, he cries like a cartoon baby-- "waaaaaah!" Not that I wouldn't...)
the construction of the book is luxurious. the pages are thick, earth-toned, there is a broad range of styles and tones. Some full page illustrations. Some small sketches. Some pages with conventional comic paneling. Some pages representing various kinds of art and some representing places, people, passing of time. Some photographs. Some pages with a lot of text, and quite a few with none, and everything in between (even a few pages of illustrated Basho haiku). A lot of strange and wonderful transitions between different kinds of reflection, different kinds of art, different historical moments and moods.
this is a book that could very easily be picked up from time to time and explored in just as meandering a way as it is written. I think had I not borrowed it from the library I might pick it up often, read it in dreamy fragments.
collection of comics (his own work transforming through time) and reflections on Japanese culture and artists and manga industry as well as his time working in Japan. He opens by acknowledging his long fascination with Japan and his subsequent time spent there looking for something he still cannot name. "this book is the story of chasing a dream, and surrendering upon finding that dreams cannot be grasped" (7).
Where are lines to be drawn between reverence of and curiosity about a perceived cultural location and romanticization of it (emotional or intellectual laziness and exploitation)? It is hard to say and I'm not sure which side of these wavering lines Igort's book falls on. Regardless of its flaws, and in some ways, because of them, it is an uneven and beautiful and intriguing book, an artifact with a certain way of wandering aimlessly, exposing its own deep imperfections, offering up something intimate, at least in its willingness to be itinerant and unfinished and unfinishable--like a dream, a collection of fragments.
the book also serves as an introduction to some of Igort's revered manga artists--and a contemplation of certain cultural, social and artistic moments in history that have intrigued him, some more mythologized times and people and places, and some more disturbing and complex situations, like the way the caste system still can function in Japan (and Google's part in that). At times reading the book is like watching someone sleepwalk through history, a diffuse and wandering meditation.
Igort reflects on his time spent in Japan, on his own spiritual connection to Japan and his sense of living history in tokyo. At least one reviewer felt uneasy about his exoticization and/or idealization of Japanese culture and the fact of his saying (to some people he was writing for there) that he was Japanese in a past life. which is, to be fair, pretty squicky, but it's also kind of funny that he paid for it by being hazed like any Japanese manga artist would be (the industry is, after all, or can be, like a kind of fraternity.) He was indignant at his treatment and that story is never really given closure, but it's enjoyable. I wonder if he meant the kind of humor that was in there (European guy says he's basically really, in a way, Japanese, and wants to be let into the 'manga club'--until it means working like other Japanese manga artists, at which point, he cries like a cartoon baby-- "waaaaaah!" Not that I wouldn't...)
the construction of the book is luxurious. the pages are thick, earth-toned, there is a broad range of styles and tones. Some full page illustrations. Some small sketches. Some pages with conventional comic paneling. Some pages representing various kinds of art and some representing places, people, passing of time. Some photographs. Some pages with a lot of text, and quite a few with none, and everything in between (even a few pages of illustrated Basho haiku). A lot of strange and wonderful transitions between different kinds of reflection, different kinds of art, different historical moments and moods.
this is a book that could very easily be picked up from time to time and explored in just as meandering a way as it is written. I think had I not borrowed it from the library I might pick it up often, read it in dreamy fragments.
March 10, 2020
Este álbum del dibujante italiano Igort es una muy buena introducción a la cultura japonesa. No lo hace de una manera ordenada a modo de enciclopedia, sino como una especie de crónica de su estancia en Japón, donde colaboró como dibujante en una importante editorial de manga.
Con un dibujo elegante y preciso nos relata sus impresiones de la cultura japonesa y a través de él conocemos las calles tranquilas de un barrio de Tokyo, los parques, los templos sintoístas y su minúsculo apartamento.
La ciudad tenía el don de apaciguarme, de asentar la arena de mi existencia en el fondo.
Pero la obra es mucho más, combina las viñetas con reproducciones de cuadros clásicos, máscaras de teatro, cromos, fotos antiguas, mangas y todo tipo de referentes culturales, de manera bastante exhaustiva. Como no soy experta en cultura japonesa ni en manga, creo que hay muchas cosas que no he llegado a captar, pero en conjunto he disfrutado mucho con la obra.
Me ha interesado mucho la parte dedicada a Mishima y, en general al espíritu bélico del Japón, que recoge en numerosas ilustraciones y fotos. Esta dualidad de una cultura que combina el culto a la belleza y el mito del guerrero se recoge en el ensayo de 1946 'El crisantemo y la espada' de la antropóloga Ruth Benedict:
El ensayo describía como a la gracia y al culto de la belleza se sobreponían el de la fuerza y la muerte. Y que no había nada extraño en ello según la tradición nipona.
Igort contempla Japón como un cofre cerrado cuyos secretos se nos van revelando poco a poco. Nos ofrece un panorama de sus tesoros: los ritos sintoístas, los luchadores de sumo, las sutiles formas de prostitución, los haikus, la forma de trabajar a destajo en las empresas...
La parte dedicada a artistas japoneses de manga y del cine me ha resultado más difícil de seguir, pero seguro que interesará a los aficionados.
En conjunto, un placer visual y con información interesante, imprescindible si estás participando en el marzo asiático de Magrat: leer y también ver.
Con un dibujo elegante y preciso nos relata sus impresiones de la cultura japonesa y a través de él conocemos las calles tranquilas de un barrio de Tokyo, los parques, los templos sintoístas y su minúsculo apartamento.
La ciudad tenía el don de apaciguarme, de asentar la arena de mi existencia en el fondo.
Pero la obra es mucho más, combina las viñetas con reproducciones de cuadros clásicos, máscaras de teatro, cromos, fotos antiguas, mangas y todo tipo de referentes culturales, de manera bastante exhaustiva. Como no soy experta en cultura japonesa ni en manga, creo que hay muchas cosas que no he llegado a captar, pero en conjunto he disfrutado mucho con la obra.
Me ha interesado mucho la parte dedicada a Mishima y, en general al espíritu bélico del Japón, que recoge en numerosas ilustraciones y fotos. Esta dualidad de una cultura que combina el culto a la belleza y el mito del guerrero se recoge en el ensayo de 1946 'El crisantemo y la espada' de la antropóloga Ruth Benedict:
El ensayo describía como a la gracia y al culto de la belleza se sobreponían el de la fuerza y la muerte. Y que no había nada extraño en ello según la tradición nipona.
Igort contempla Japón como un cofre cerrado cuyos secretos se nos van revelando poco a poco. Nos ofrece un panorama de sus tesoros: los ritos sintoístas, los luchadores de sumo, las sutiles formas de prostitución, los haikus, la forma de trabajar a destajo en las empresas...
La parte dedicada a artistas japoneses de manga y del cine me ha resultado más difícil de seguir, pero seguro que interesará a los aficionados.
En conjunto, un placer visual y con información interesante, imprescindible si estás participando en el marzo asiático de Magrat: leer y también ver.
September 27, 2021
This book is really something, and -- while I am not sure I have the words to explain why -- it deserves some thoughtful commentary. Perhaps this exercise will help me figure out what feels so special.
I suppose the material is as good an entry point as any? This is, after all, a book by a foreigner about living and working in Japan, and to our foreign minds the Japanese are perhaps known best for prioritizing beauty in the mundane. (How accurate that perception might be is open to debate, but I am too uninformed to engage in such.) This particular book, at least, is not the product of a frugal or careless mind. It begins with the front cover: beneath the dust jacket are texture and printing which offer an inkling of what awaits. Contrast, blend, gradient, tone-on-tone. Muted, matte palette. The paper is heavy, off-white by default I think? There is a variety of neutral background tones, so I'm not exactly certain. Certainly, the hand-feel is reminiscent of high quality notebooks. Pages are sewn in, using that old-fashioned, expensive method which aims to last. Range of color on the pages is also quite remarkable. Take red, for instance. Now imagine opacity on a spectrum. They're all here.
Which brings me to Igort's aesthetic. He uses color carefully, and with some consistency. Daily grind is portrayed with a scheme that elsewhere would be called a simple black/white/grey palette. Here, they aren't black/white/grey, exactly. They are variations on that neutral triad which simultaneously feel less headache-y, less depressing, and more ... colorless? Color, in turn, feels proportionately more meaningful. He eschews brightness, but when the entire palette is muted then the relativity of "bright" becomes quite obvious. Finally, his use of white space: Igort learned something from his years working with Japan. Whitespace is as much a tool in his storytelling arsenal as pen and paint.
And what story is he telling? This is a memoir, about an Italian guy who made comics for Japanese audiences for a while. The structure and contents of the book *feel* a lot like human memory feels: a smattering of vignettes, points of interest, big questions, personal heroes. There's no linear narrative, just event after event, experience after experience, musing after musing all bumping each other -- chafing, bonding, repelling. Gradually, we gain a picture of art history in Japan and of Igort himself. Are these pictures accurate in the fact-checking sense? Who knows. Partly? But the reader senses they are accurate to Igort's impressions and how they influenced him.
This is just a beautiful work of art. I didn't know who Igort was, and I'm not sure I know all that much more now. Even so, I relate to much of what he's included here. For those items to which I don't (his obsession with "Japanese sensuality", for example)... well, I can appreciate the art even there. Each day, I looked forward to falling into a few pages of these Japanese Notebooks.
Highly recommend. To everyone, I think, even if only to see what interesting things this much-maligned format can produce.
(Note: not a children's book. This was written for mature minds and eyes.)
I suppose the material is as good an entry point as any? This is, after all, a book by a foreigner about living and working in Japan, and to our foreign minds the Japanese are perhaps known best for prioritizing beauty in the mundane. (How accurate that perception might be is open to debate, but I am too uninformed to engage in such.) This particular book, at least, is not the product of a frugal or careless mind. It begins with the front cover: beneath the dust jacket are texture and printing which offer an inkling of what awaits. Contrast, blend, gradient, tone-on-tone. Muted, matte palette. The paper is heavy, off-white by default I think? There is a variety of neutral background tones, so I'm not exactly certain. Certainly, the hand-feel is reminiscent of high quality notebooks. Pages are sewn in, using that old-fashioned, expensive method which aims to last. Range of color on the pages is also quite remarkable. Take red, for instance. Now imagine opacity on a spectrum. They're all here.
Which brings me to Igort's aesthetic. He uses color carefully, and with some consistency. Daily grind is portrayed with a scheme that elsewhere would be called a simple black/white/grey palette. Here, they aren't black/white/grey, exactly. They are variations on that neutral triad which simultaneously feel less headache-y, less depressing, and more ... colorless? Color, in turn, feels proportionately more meaningful. He eschews brightness, but when the entire palette is muted then the relativity of "bright" becomes quite obvious. Finally, his use of white space: Igort learned something from his years working with Japan. Whitespace is as much a tool in his storytelling arsenal as pen and paint.
And what story is he telling? This is a memoir, about an Italian guy who made comics for Japanese audiences for a while. The structure and contents of the book *feel* a lot like human memory feels: a smattering of vignettes, points of interest, big questions, personal heroes. There's no linear narrative, just event after event, experience after experience, musing after musing all bumping each other -- chafing, bonding, repelling. Gradually, we gain a picture of art history in Japan and of Igort himself. Are these pictures accurate in the fact-checking sense? Who knows. Partly? But the reader senses they are accurate to Igort's impressions and how they influenced him.
This is just a beautiful work of art. I didn't know who Igort was, and I'm not sure I know all that much more now. Even so, I relate to much of what he's included here. For those items to which I don't (his obsession with "Japanese sensuality", for example)... well, I can appreciate the art even there. Each day, I looked forward to falling into a few pages of these Japanese Notebooks.
Highly recommend. To everyone, I think, even if only to see what interesting things this much-maligned format can produce.
(Note: not a children's book. This was written for mature minds and eyes.)
January 23, 2018
Nel 1991 dopo aver sognato il Giappone per almeno dieci anni, Igort visita per la prima volta la terra del Sol Levante, l’impero dei segni, “il paradiso dei disegnatori”. Da quel momento, 25 anni fa, il celebre fumettista italiano visita il Giappone diverse volte, vivendoci anche per un breve periodo di tempo. Questo ‘Quaderni Giapponesi’ è il risultato di quelle visite, ma non è solo un reportage, è anche un manifesto estetico di un cultura e di un ‘gaijin‘ che ne è stato profondamente influenzato. Tutti abbiamo familiarità con quella specie di nostalgia che riguarda tempi e luoghi che non abbiamo vissuto personalmente. C’è chi ha nostalgia degli anni del boom economico italiano (gli anni felliniani, diciamo) sebbene sia nato decenni dopo, e c’è chi, come Igort, ha nostalgia del Giappone ancor prima di visitarlo. Tutti i lettori di manga sanno di cosa parlo, per esempio. Igort, crede di essere stato giapponese in una vita precedente, e lo ribadisce più volte, anche al personale della casa editrice con la quale stava collaborando mentre si trovava a Tokyo. Ora, tralasciando questioni trascendentali, la nostalgia di Igort per il Giappone ha una probabile causa molto meno spirituale, ma non per questo di minor valore: la passione per la cultura giapponese, in tutti i suoi aspetti.
Da Takeshi Kitano agli Haiku di epoca Tokugawa di Matsuo Basho, Igort mostra di conoscere ciò che di meglio il Giappone ha saputo offrire agli occhi del mondo. Ma non ci sono solo i grandi mangaka e i grandi scrittori e registi, c’è anche tutta l’estetica che contraddistingue l’universo giapponese, il tratto del pennello sulla carta di riso, il semplice gesto trasformato in rituale. Le stesse tavole – che in questo libro rappresentano sì disegni, ma anche foto e lunghi brani di semplice testo – sembrano richiamare quella tradizione visiva che da Hokusai arriva fino ai giorni nostri. Frammenti di esperienze incanalate in un flusso di coscienza, disposti in un ordine armonioso.
Igort vaga per le strade di Tokyo e, anche nei momenti di maggiore stress (chiunque segua anche di striscio l’editoria giapponese sa le condizioni di lavoro dei fumettisti siano a dir poco infernali) riesce a trovare la pace e l’ispirazione e la tranquillità nella contemplazione dei dettagli.
Con questo Quaderni Giapponesi, Igort rende omaggio in qualche modo a quelli che considera i suoi maestri (sensei) ma anche ai suoi pari (Taniguchi, gli autori di Geki-ga) che portano avanti, ognuno a proprio modo, quella cultura che tutto sommato è rimasta invariata da quando mille anni fa una dama di corte di nome Murasaki aveva per la prima volta trovato il senso delle cose nelle nuvole che si formano in cielo e nel colore degli alberi.
Da Takeshi Kitano agli Haiku di epoca Tokugawa di Matsuo Basho, Igort mostra di conoscere ciò che di meglio il Giappone ha saputo offrire agli occhi del mondo. Ma non ci sono solo i grandi mangaka e i grandi scrittori e registi, c’è anche tutta l’estetica che contraddistingue l’universo giapponese, il tratto del pennello sulla carta di riso, il semplice gesto trasformato in rituale. Le stesse tavole – che in questo libro rappresentano sì disegni, ma anche foto e lunghi brani di semplice testo – sembrano richiamare quella tradizione visiva che da Hokusai arriva fino ai giorni nostri. Frammenti di esperienze incanalate in un flusso di coscienza, disposti in un ordine armonioso.
Igort vaga per le strade di Tokyo e, anche nei momenti di maggiore stress (chiunque segua anche di striscio l’editoria giapponese sa le condizioni di lavoro dei fumettisti siano a dir poco infernali) riesce a trovare la pace e l’ispirazione e la tranquillità nella contemplazione dei dettagli.
Con questo Quaderni Giapponesi, Igort rende omaggio in qualche modo a quelli che considera i suoi maestri (sensei) ma anche ai suoi pari (Taniguchi, gli autori di Geki-ga) che portano avanti, ognuno a proprio modo, quella cultura che tutto sommato è rimasta invariata da quando mille anni fa una dama di corte di nome Murasaki aveva per la prima volta trovato il senso delle cose nelle nuvole che si formano in cielo e nel colore degli alberi.
January 19, 2020
Visually pleasing, narratively a bit scattered. Igort is an Italian comic artist who published extensively in Japan, and spent various periods of his life living there while working with the publisher Kodansha. This book is a collection of short comics, memories, movie and book reviews, and anecdotes related to his experience/obsession with Japan and it's history. I can relate to his engagement with Japanese culture, but I'm also vary of reading too much into this male, Western interpretation of the country. Also note that the majority of Igort's time in Japan was in the early 1990s.
December 19, 2015
Sin da quando ero piccolissimo, la passione per il Giappone mi ha sempre divorato. Ne ho studiato approfonditamente la lingua e la cultura, la mia immaginazione ne è stata completamente rapita, ed una volta visitatolo, mi sono sentito quasi come se fossi tornato a casa.
Dopo vent'anni di amore devoto, però, non sono ancora riuscito a definirne l'essenza. La comprendo ad un livello istintivo, induttivo, ma non sono in grado di spiegarla, di metterla in parole - non so se per inadeguatezza mia o del mezzo.
Igort ci è riuscito coi disegni. Gli sono grato del viaggio insieme che "Quaderni Giapponesi" per me ha rappresentato.
Dopo vent'anni di amore devoto, però, non sono ancora riuscito a definirne l'essenza. La comprendo ad un livello istintivo, induttivo, ma non sono in grado di spiegarla, di metterla in parole - non so se per inadeguatezza mia o del mezzo.
Igort ci è riuscito coi disegni. Gli sono grato del viaggio insieme che "Quaderni Giapponesi" per me ha rappresentato.
October 31, 2017
Terzo quaderno di Igort, autore che amo molto, e un deciso cambio di rotta rispetto ai primi due, crudi e dolorosi.
I quaderni giapponesi li ho corteggiati per lungo tempo, senza decidermi ad acquistarli. La prima impressione è tattile: amo la sensazione sotto le dita di questa carta spessa e porosa, il primo piacere sta nella carezza della pagina.
Mi piace anche il modo frammentario di raccontare episodi della propria vita ed inframezzarli con immagini del Giappone, della sua tradizione, delle sue contraddizioni. Il tutto accompagnato da un tratto raffinato, dai colori lievi e da fotografie d'epoca, che conferiscono all'insieme un'aria rarefatta.
I quaderni giapponesi li ho corteggiati per lungo tempo, senza decidermi ad acquistarli. La prima impressione è tattile: amo la sensazione sotto le dita di questa carta spessa e porosa, il primo piacere sta nella carezza della pagina.
Mi piace anche il modo frammentario di raccontare episodi della propria vita ed inframezzarli con immagini del Giappone, della sua tradizione, delle sue contraddizioni. Il tutto accompagnato da un tratto raffinato, dai colori lievi e da fotografie d'epoca, che conferiscono all'insieme un'aria rarefatta.
August 1, 2016
Un engañoso diario de viaje a dos mundos: El que reside en torno al propio autor y aquel que lo lleva a Japón para la gran oportunidad laboral de su vida, travesía que lo pondrá en contacto con un país de brutales sutilezas donde pasa de ser un espectador a un partícipe más. Hermosa introducción a la historia y costumbres del Sol Naciente que disfrutará tanto el aficionado a la historieta como el interesado a la cultura nipona.
March 27, 2023
Not for children,
This is a really good book that provided me with a lot of cultural information I did not know. It is also about the world of Manga. I loved the art. There are some subjects and movies referred to that make this book not for children.
This is a really good book that provided me with a lot of cultural information I did not know. It is also about the world of Manga. I loved the art. There are some subjects and movies referred to that make this book not for children.
October 31, 2021
This book is a memoir about traveling to Japan and working in the Japanese comic publishing field, with a bunch of Japanese history added. It's beautifully done; the author is an established mover and shaker in both Japanese and European comics.
That said, something was missing for me. Transitions from one subject to another seemed a bit choppy. Much of the Japanese history was distressing, like the brief section about child soldiers. (I Googled and didn't find anything about small children like he pictured, but don't doubt it.) I didn't like the story from the early 1900s of a well-known murderer, a woman who was obviously sexually abused from a young age, but whom he treated (as apparently does Japanese pop culture) as a sex-crazed but kind-of-sympathetic character.
A highlight was his visit to Studio Ghibli to meet with Hayao Miyazaki - wow! There's also a historical piece about Hokusai; I would have liked more on him.
For some reason, the coloring is mostly in reds, oranges and browns. Some green but hardly any blues. It works; the artwork is lovely and at times stunning.
That said, something was missing for me. Transitions from one subject to another seemed a bit choppy. Much of the Japanese history was distressing, like the brief section about child soldiers. (I Googled and didn't find anything about small children like he pictured, but don't doubt it.) I didn't like the story from the early 1900s of a well-known murderer, a woman who was obviously sexually abused from a young age, but whom he treated (as apparently does Japanese pop culture) as a sex-crazed but kind-of-sympathetic character.
A highlight was his visit to Studio Ghibli to meet with Hayao Miyazaki - wow! There's also a historical piece about Hokusai; I would have liked more on him.
For some reason, the coloring is mostly in reds, oranges and browns. Some green but hardly any blues. It works; the artwork is lovely and at times stunning.
December 5, 2016
Ci sono libri e libri, esattamente come ci sono persone e persone. Ci sono i racconti di viaggio, i trattati storici, i libri di fotografia e i fumetti. E poi c'è un libro che li contiene tutti, uno per uno e tutti insieme, a creare una poesia splendida dedicata a un sentimento vivo e inspiegabile come l'amore per un paese che non è quello d'origine, a come alle volte una cultura totalmente diversa dalla nostra sappia accoglierci e spiegarci in modo inspiegabilmente perfetto.
Mi sono vista più volte disegnata nella pagina, anche se il mio viso non compare mai.
Mi sono vista più volte disegnata nella pagina, anche se il mio viso non compare mai.
September 7, 2020
Творчі люди мають здатність відчувати нерви культури. Тут можна побачити гарно оформлені нерви Японії: темпоральність, лаконічність простору, Мішіма, війна, Сада Абе, Рьонкаку, буракуміни, Міядзакі, Могила світлячків, Мацуо Башьо, Хокусай.
Це варто переглянути, навіть якщо не можете прочитати однією із мов.
Це варто переглянути, навіть якщо не можете прочитати однією із мов.
August 16, 2017
I may need to buy this book. Borrowed it from the library. It's an amazing, evocative journey of a graphic novelists/artist that never follows a straight path, nor should it. Everything here is lovely.
November 8, 2017
Un cómic que es una carta de amor a Japón, una biografía y un mapa para descubrir su cultura.
Una delicia.
Una delicia.
January 19, 2022
Igort’s offbeat graphic memoir feels haphazard in its arrangement, but as “notebooks” of reminiscences of his early days in Tokyo, and reflections on the artists, aesthetics and customs that stirred him as a mangaka in his early 30s, this works well as a surreal series of digressive flashbacks and associations. I really enjoyed the bits about his life in the Sendagi neighborhood of Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, in the mid-90s, since I was living just south of him in Bunkyo’s Sengoku area where small printing factories used to churn out manga and all kinds of other material. I like the quirkiness of this book too, and it gave me plenty of stuff to ponder.
February 11, 2023
Purtroppo avevo alte aspettative, mal riposte.
Una graphic novel troppo incentrata sul autore, non sulla cultura o sui giapponesi (come quaderni ucraini che era ricco di testimonianze locali).
Una graphic novel troppo incentrata sul autore, non sulla cultura o sui giapponesi (come quaderni ucraini che era ricco di testimonianze locali).
February 23, 2017
Avrei voluto dare 5 stelle, ma non ce l'ho fatta. Quaderni giapponesi è un'opera d'arte imperdibile per chi ama il Giappone, ma anche per chi ama l'arte in generale. Sfogliarlo, concentrarsi su ogni dettaglio delle tavole è un piacere per gli occhi e per la mente. L'ultima stellina, quella non data, è per la storia. Il volume è fatto di 10 episodi che intrecciano il racconto della vita di Igort nei suoi anni passati a Tokyo a leggende popolari. Sulle leggende nulla da dire, anzi. Trovo siano la parte più riuscita, mi hanno fatto rivivere le atmosfere respirate durante il mio viaggio. La parte di storia che riguarda Igort però è manchevole. Ci accenna subito al "trattamento" che subirà al termine del rapporto col suo editore, ma alla fine non ce lo racconta. Butta lì qualche termine giapponese, ma non sempre lo traduce. E poi (ma qui è un problema mio, non suo) mi spiace che il suo personale racconto si focalizzi solo su Tokyo. Non so se questo sia dovuto al duro lavoro che ha svolto in quegli anni e che gli ha impedito di girare o ad altro, ma parlare del Giappone limitandosi solo a Tokyo (diversissima da tutto il resto) non può essere sufficiente.
January 1, 2021
I first saw this book on a news stand in Florence railway station, and was impressed by the beautiful illustrations, but I couldn’t buy it at the time. A few years later, I finally have it in my hands! This graphic memoir is about art and creativity in the context of Japan. Beginning in the early1990s, Igort travels regularly to Japan, and lives there for long stretches in order to work on comic collaborations with major manga artists, and publish his work in manga journals. This beautiful book explores the process behind the creation of various comics, and the difference between how the European and the Japanese comic markets work. Although this sounds esoteric, most of Igort’s descriptions of working on comics can be applied to the creative process more widely. It’s also a series of musings on Japan and Japanese culture – it doesn’t try to act as a travel guide or as a serious cultural study, but picks up on various things that Igort finds interesting. He discusses various B-movies that fascinate him and have never made it to the West, comics written before and after the second world war, dealing with the extreme youth of soldiers, the mistreatment of geishas, the development of Hokusai’s ukiyo-e art, Sumo wrestling – it’s a broad tapestry of incidents, and it’s fascinating to read. Igort’s art is also superlative: he uses a rich but muted palette, capturing a feeling of nostalgia. His inked and watercoloured drawings are exquisitely detailed and polished, elevating the text beyond its original limits. My main quibble is with the translation: no translator is listed, though it was originally published in Igort’s native Italy, and the English text can be confusing and obscure at times.
December 18, 2017
Book blurb: Part graphic memoir, part cultural meditation—Igort vividly recounts his personal experiences in Japan, creating comics amid the activities of everyday life, and finding inspiration everywhere: in nature, history, custom, art, and encounters with creators including animation visionary Hayao Miyazaki.
This graphic memoir is an ode to Japanese culture, movies, and Manga, and explores much of what fascinates the author, and in this book he takes us along on the ride. The book is divided into sections that each explore a different topic of fascination. Some were more interesting to me than others, but it's always fun to see what people are drawn to. The highlight of this book is the art. It is wonderful and evocative, and captures a sense of time and place in a way that a camera never could. Something to note is that the author is Italian, and there is a certain way that outsiders look at a culture not their own that is a tad disturbing. A glossing over, if you will, that is no fault of the author, as he is not part of that world, even though the believes he was Japanese in a previous life.
With the above caveats, I'd highly recommend this one to armchair travelers, journal keepers, visual artists, readers of Manga, and anyone who has been, or is planning a visit, to Japan.
This graphic memoir is an ode to Japanese culture, movies, and Manga, and explores much of what fascinates the author, and in this book he takes us along on the ride. The book is divided into sections that each explore a different topic of fascination. Some were more interesting to me than others, but it's always fun to see what people are drawn to. The highlight of this book is the art. It is wonderful and evocative, and captures a sense of time and place in a way that a camera never could. Something to note is that the author is Italian, and there is a certain way that outsiders look at a culture not their own that is a tad disturbing. A glossing over, if you will, that is no fault of the author, as he is not part of that world, even though the believes he was Japanese in a previous life.
With the above caveats, I'd highly recommend this one to armchair travelers, journal keepers, visual artists, readers of Manga, and anyone who has been, or is planning a visit, to Japan.
August 8, 2020
Un volume MERAVIGLIOSO! Non vedo l'ora di leggere il secondo.
Igort non è solo un fumettista, ma anche musicista, regista, autore, insomma un artista poliedrico che ha il dono di disegnare magnificamente.
Quaderni Giapponesi è il suo diario di viaggio in Giappone, terra da lui sempre amata, tanto da pensare di essere stato giapponese in una vita precedente. Igort lavora per un periodo presso la casa editrice Kodansha, conosciuta per le sue produzioni manga.
Il libro è strutturato come un vero e proprio taccuino di viaggio, pensato a capitoletti apparentemente indipendenti, ma che contribuiscono a renderci un Giappone multisfaccettato, con le sue tradizioni e contraddizioni. Igort disegna non solo esperienze personali, ma anche storie di personaggi più conosciuti (come Yukio Mishima o Abe Sada) e rimandi storici.
Lo stile di Igort è delicato, simmetrico, preciso, pulito... infonde calma e piacere per gli occhi.
Il libro è pieno di suggestioni e suggerimenti, un libro pregno di informazioni e rimandi che non è sufficiente leggere una volta sola per carpirne i segreti. Davvero consigliatissimo a tutti!
Riletto per #ilgirodelmondoin12letture Agosto - Estremo oriente
Igort non è solo un fumettista, ma anche musicista, regista, autore, insomma un artista poliedrico che ha il dono di disegnare magnificamente.
Quaderni Giapponesi è il suo diario di viaggio in Giappone, terra da lui sempre amata, tanto da pensare di essere stato giapponese in una vita precedente. Igort lavora per un periodo presso la casa editrice Kodansha, conosciuta per le sue produzioni manga.
Il libro è strutturato come un vero e proprio taccuino di viaggio, pensato a capitoletti apparentemente indipendenti, ma che contribuiscono a renderci un Giappone multisfaccettato, con le sue tradizioni e contraddizioni. Igort disegna non solo esperienze personali, ma anche storie di personaggi più conosciuti (come Yukio Mishima o Abe Sada) e rimandi storici.
Lo stile di Igort è delicato, simmetrico, preciso, pulito... infonde calma e piacere per gli occhi.
Il libro è pieno di suggestioni e suggerimenti, un libro pregno di informazioni e rimandi che non è sufficiente leggere una volta sola per carpirne i segreti. Davvero consigliatissimo a tutti!
Riletto per #ilgirodelmondoin12letture Agosto - Estremo oriente
February 25, 2017
Stunning visuals. This loose travelogue about working in Japanese manga for a few months has many tangents. Let me talk about sumo! Or B movies! Or meeting Miyazaki! I can't entirely blame the author, because his life experiences are very exciting. I wouldn't have minded a more straightforward narrative with a timeline, and I definitely wanted to know more about how he coped with a more rigorous work ethic in Japan versus what he was used to.
August 2, 2017
It's a really beautifully drawn book which I would recommend for the weeb in your life.
I would also suggest a hard copy because it just feels so nice to the touch, and some images I don't think would be as appreciated on the screen of a tablet.
A beautifully relaxing book about one's outsider's relationship with Japan and Japan with outsiders.
A poetic country but with some dark stories of its own.
If you're interested in Japan I would highly recommend.
I would also suggest a hard copy because it just feels so nice to the touch, and some images I don't think would be as appreciated on the screen of a tablet.
A beautifully relaxing book about one's outsider's relationship with Japan and Japan with outsiders.
A poetic country but with some dark stories of its own.
If you're interested in Japan I would highly recommend.
August 20, 2023
El autor, Igort, hace en esta obra un homenaje a la belleza y a la cultura japonesas, pues fue el primer dibujante occidental e italiano en trabajar directamente con la industria editorial japonesa. De sus múltiples viajes, ha recopilado una gran variedad de apuntes, dibujos, notas, cuadernos, bocetos y fotografías, para adentrarse en Japón y en su cultura, país de origen del manga y del anime.
Aunque curiosa y fácil de leer, esperaba algo distinto de la obra del autor y no ha terminado de convencerme. El texto es entretenido y con información muy interesante que desconocía sobre la cultura japonesa, con distintas historias y hechos históricos relevantes. Sin embargo, la forma en la que el autor nos presenta todos estos hechos me parece algo confusa y caótica, saltando sin orden ni concierto entre hechos históricos, mitología japonesa, y su propia experiencia personal.
Es su propia experiencia como artista trabajando en Japón la parte que me ha parecido más interesante. El mundo del manga es bastante cerrado y desconocido para la cultura occidental, a pesar de que poco a poco vamos conociendo más de cómo funciona este mundo, sigue siendo muy complejo adentrarse en él. La experiencia de Igort refleja un trabajo de jornadas laborales infinitas, en el que el mangaka únicamente puede dedicarle tiempo a su obra, algo que, por desgracia, sabemos que sigue pasando actualmente hasta resentir la salud de los propios autores.
Una obra confusa que no ha terminado de convencerme, pero que aporta algunos datos interesantes para todo el que esté interesado en el mundo del manga y en la cultura nipona.
Irbis.
Aunque curiosa y fácil de leer, esperaba algo distinto de la obra del autor y no ha terminado de convencerme. El texto es entretenido y con información muy interesante que desconocía sobre la cultura japonesa, con distintas historias y hechos históricos relevantes. Sin embargo, la forma en la que el autor nos presenta todos estos hechos me parece algo confusa y caótica, saltando sin orden ni concierto entre hechos históricos, mitología japonesa, y su propia experiencia personal.
Es su propia experiencia como artista trabajando en Japón la parte que me ha parecido más interesante. El mundo del manga es bastante cerrado y desconocido para la cultura occidental, a pesar de que poco a poco vamos conociendo más de cómo funciona este mundo, sigue siendo muy complejo adentrarse en él. La experiencia de Igort refleja un trabajo de jornadas laborales infinitas, en el que el mangaka únicamente puede dedicarle tiempo a su obra, algo que, por desgracia, sabemos que sigue pasando actualmente hasta resentir la salud de los propios autores.
Una obra confusa que no ha terminado de convencerme, pero que aporta algunos datos interesantes para todo el que esté interesado en el mundo del manga y en la cultura nipona.
Irbis.
February 16, 2019
Ein vielfältiger Augenschmaus - gochisoumsa deshita! Neben den retrospektiven Einblicken in Igorts Comicschaffen auch ein Überblick über dessen Japan-Lektüre.
June 5, 2017
This book was great for many reasons. For one, it appealed to me as a lover of Japan & it's culture. I felt pang of envy reading through this book that reminded me how much I want to go there myself someday. It revealed aspects of Japanese history & society I hadn't previously knows and shaded in some corners on the way I see the country. On another level, this appealed to me as a fan of comics & manga, revealing Igort's struggles in the world of Mangaka & showcasing some of his work. Having never heard of him until now, I find myself looking to learn more of his past work.
July 30, 2017
Beautifully illustrated graphic novel combining Japanese history and lore with the artists memoir of time lived in Japan. The storytelling is evocative, to me, of the way Hayao Miyazaki (who is touched upon in this story) directs his animated masterpieces, as it's pacing is casual with a natural feeling. Subtly expressive, yet highly interesting, informative and enjoyable!
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