Tokyo Clash

by Rolf BÄhren

Tokyo Clash is an extraordinary encounter with Japanese design culture. Author and photographer Ralf Bähren presents Japan’s megacity in a visually stunning collection of images, vividly colorful and rich in contrast. He transports readers on an exciting trip through Japanese everyday life. Eye-catching signs, glittering games of chance, Manga characters, and countless other items in the spirited tumult of Japanese products compete for the viewer’s attention. They exist, apparently without any contradiction, alongside traditional temples and Buddha statues. This delightful book promises appealing, provocative, and sometimes absurd insights into a foreign universe. “Get ready for the ride of your life!”

Genres: Japan, Nonfiction, Photography, Travel, Art, Pop Culture

192 pages, Hardcover

First published May 10, 2010

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I want to go to Japan even more! I would strongly suggest you read this book if you are going on a trip to Japan; if you read it the year before you go I think that you will find it very helpful in your attempt to 'acclimatize' to Japanese culture. Everything from food to fashion is covered in this book. Great street view of what is happening in Japan.

[Jérémie Moenne Loccoz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Un livre un peu fourre-tout, une compilation d'images insolites, surprenantes sans autres cohérence que géographique. On peut y trouver de l'intérêt si l'on n'a jamais eu l'occasion de voyager au Japon et que l'on souhaite consulter un catalogue de ce qui rend le pays si à part. Mais ne cherchez pas des clichés somptueux ni des textes plein de profondeur. Un rapport d'étonnement sur un pays tellement riche en découvertes, voilà ce que vous trouverez.

[Shawn Buckle · Rating 3 out of 5]

My wife bought me this in Berlin some months back. It's a quick, almost-coffee-table book of some fixtures one might see around Japan and should one be a gaijin, these fixtures would seem different or 'Japanese'. The book is an easy read and brings back a lot of memories of Tokyo, some I miss, some I don't.

[Gustavo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite its intention to depict the coolest city on Earth through pop culture facts, it gets boring somewhere between Akihabara, robots, toilets and subway cards, that is when things start repeating over and over. I guess this type of approach to Tokyo is a tiresome one that must be taken to the highest level of originality to become somewhat cool again.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Die erste Begegnung mit Tokyo hatte ich in den Film "Lost in Translation". Zum ersten Mal verspürte ich eine Faszination von der erschlagenden Buntheit dieser Stadt. Dies finde ich in diesem Buch wieder. "Tokyo Clash" verkörpert für mich das Bunte, das Kitschige und vor allem die Faszination für diese Weltmetropole.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up at Half Price in Cinci a while back. Very nice coffee table book all about Japan's Pop Culture. Lots of things I recognize, and some I didn't, which were cool to learn about. While I have a lot of manga and anime, there's a lot more about Japan in this book (beyond Kawaii toys, etc.). Lots of great pix showing me things I may never get to see if I don't visit there someday.

[Yue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Full of wonderful photographs. I can honestly say that I will be never bored by looking illustrations about Japan. Visually speaking, this book is beautiful. The hardcover is of a great quality, the size of it; the nice pictures... Textually speaking, it was weak.. very weak. Besides, each page is divided in 3 languages: English, German and Japanese, so there is barely any information.

[Tender Looks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me lo regalaron hace tanto que ya no me acuerdo ni cuándo lo leí. Está guay para saber unos cuentos datos pero ya está.