The Illustrated Guide to The Fantastic Edo Era

by Susumu Zenyoji

The book is based around a reconstruction of the Kojimachi area of Tokyo during the Edo Era and also features chapters on Edo-style kimonos and hairstyles, the Samurai society, Japanese swords, and castles, etc. Colorful illustrations and explanations also cover Ninja and Yokai – hugely popular overseas. Additionally, the book will give you an insight into Japanese ways of thinking. A colorful and comprehensive look at Japan that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Zenyoji Susumu has also devoted pages to trace Japanese attitudes towards religion and Japanese aesthetics that will help travelers enjoy their journey even more.

Genres: Japan

208 pages, Paperback

Published September 13, 2018

Reviews

[Yue · Rating 4 out of 5]

I purchased this beautiful book (seriously, it is stunning! the paper, the illustrations, the cover...) in Edo Tokyo Museum last year. This Museum is amazing, so informative and visual striking, so I was expecting more or less something like that, in book format. It isn't, it is less complete, but it is still a very good book, specially for people who do not know too much about Edo period. A bit of their everyday lives, their clothes and hairdoes, and costumes. They were so advanced, as in, they had a law protecting all living animals! Even now, in my country, there is nothing that protect the animals, even the stray dogs...

Still, I would have loved if it was more descriptive, and honestly, the least interesting chapter was the Yokai one because it is not entirely Edo-ish, but Japanese in general.

Edo period was so rich it deserved more pages and more descriptions tbh.

[Tracy Sherman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun book with a great section on Yokai, and a subsection on, appropriately enough, Yokai and sickness. 

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un livre qui plaira aux fans de culture japonaise. Les illustrations sont très jolies, en particulier les pages reconstituant les rues d'Edo qui permettent vraiment de s'immerger dans la vie de l'époque. Le glossaire des yokai est intéressant (et n'est pas, contrairement au reste du livre, spécifique à l'époque d'Edo). Le seul défaut est qu'il y a très peu d'explications (ce sont surtout les dessins qui priment) donc c'est parfois déroutant (sauf à être fin connaisseur de la période). Il y a de plus quelques passages mal rédigés donc difficiles à comprendre (mais je ne saurais dire si cela vient du texte original ou de la traduction).

[Mish Haddad · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books contents are interesting. The drawings are well made and although not fully coherent and it’s unclear why they shift focus to yokai in the middle, it is well made.
However the author and translator chose to use l for translating Japanese names in a manner that is both uncommon and incorrect. They also do it inconsistently, in some instances use r and in some l- whereas this is never done and should not be done. It’s co fusing for anyone who doesn’t speak the language and distracting to the point of irritation for anyone who does- because you know better.
Wouldn’t recommend it to beginners for this reason only.

[Reza Zin · Rating 3 out of 5]

A moderately interesting introduction to the Japanese way of life during the Edo era. At times I felt like I was reading a Richard Scarry book, with all the detailed illustrations and labels for everything. The amount of information can feel sometimes overwhelming, so you have to take a step back frequently to absorb it. This makes for slow reading and even then you're not sure you would remember most of it. I guess it's more useful as a quick reference when you come across something in Japanese literature or media that triggers your memory of this book.

[JoeMax · Rating 3 out of 5]

Le livre présente des informations intéressantes et surprenantes de cette époque, mais parfois c'est difficile à suivre... La traduction est peut être la cause. Il manque aussi des explications pour certaines coutumes.

[Laetitia H · Rating 3 out of 5]

Des choses passionnantes, comme la liste des métiers pratiqués à l'époque Edo, et ses nombreux vendeurs ambulants... mais aussi des choses un peu décousues dans le début de l'ouvrage, avec quelques passages traduits curieusement.
Un petit tiers de l'ouvrage est consacré aux yokai.