The "Masu Photo" project photographs the bearing that arises from holding or wearing a masu (a square wooden sake cup). This work was shot in Latvia in May 2025.\r\n\r\nThe air of a town near the Baltic Sea and the cobblestone old town. In quiet, shadowed everyday scenes slightly removed from the bustle of tourist areas, we capture the presence of people holding a masu.\r\n\r\nStreets layered with history, and a modest, introspective atmosphere. We frame moments in which unspoken pauses and layers of time can be felt.\r\n\r\nWhen Japanese culture touches a place that holds an aesthetic not loudly proclaimed, how does it quietly meld in? This volume records that sensorial resonance.\r\n\r\nThis photobook is created not only to be read but as a work that is completed by being placed in a space.\r\n\r\nRecommended for cafés, galleries, shops, and accommodations that value stillness and the accumulation of time.

The "Masu Photo" project photographs the pose and presence that arise when a masu is held or worn. This work was photographed in Estonia in October 2024. Surrounded by forests and the sea, Estonia is a country where tranquility and rationality coexist. Against everyday backdrops, it captures the calm gaze of people holding a masu and their poised, spacious presence. In a highly digitalized society, the "quiet time" and the "space to think" that people cherish. When Japanese culture encounters a place that holds those values, how naturally does it meld in? This book is a work that records that sensory resonance. This photobook was created not only to be read but as a piece that is completed when placed within a space. Recommended for cafés, galleries, shops, and accommodations that value room for thought and quiet.

This is a photo art book of people holding the traditional Japanese craft "masu", photographed in Madrid and Barcelona in July 2024. History and modernity, tranquility and passion. Within these two cities, which display contrasting characters, I capture the emotions and the natural demeanor that arise at the moment someone holds a masu. When Japanese culture meets lands with a strong aesthetic sensibility and lifestyle culture, how does it blend in and reveal new expressions? This book is a record of that encounter. This photobook is created not only to be read, but as a work that is completed when placed in a space. Recommended for cafes, galleries, shops, and accommodations that cherish the beauty of art, architecture, and everyday living.

A photo-art collection of people holding the traditional Japanese craft 'masu' (a wooden sake-measuring cup), photographed in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and New York between June and July 2024. Film, entertainment, city, freedom. Within cities that each show different faces, I capture the natural presence that appears the moment a person holds a masu. How is Japanese culture received and reinterpreted when placed in a society of strong self-expression and diversity? This book is a record that captures that intersection. This photobook is made not just to be read, but as a work that is completed when placed in a space. Recommended for spaces where diverse people gather, and for cafes, galleries, shops, and accommodations that value individuality and freedom.

This is a photo-art collection of people holding the traditional Japanese wooden measuring box "masu", photographed in the Philippines (Cebu Island, Manila, Zamboanga) from February to April 2024. Urban, island, everyday scenes. In each different setting, the work captures the simple, straightforward expressions that appear the moment someone holds a masu. How does Japanese culture affect the atmosphere when it enters the daily life of a distant land? This volume is also a work that documents that process. This photobook is produced not only to be read, but as a work that is completed when placed in a space.

This is a photo-art collection, photographed in Malaysia in 2023, depicting people holding the traditional Japanese craft "masu". It captures the mysterious harmony and quiet expressions that emerge the moment a masu is held, set within differing cultures and values. How Japanese culture is received and absorbed across borders. This volume is also a record that captures those moments. This photo book is produced not only to be read, but as a work that is completed when placed in a space. Recommended for spaces where multiple cultures intersect, and for cafes, galleries, shops, and accommodations that cherish stories beyond country or background.

A photobook of photo art featuring people holding the traditional Japanese craft "masu", photographed across Japan. The masu has transformed from a measuring tool into a vessel for celebration. Today it is also captured as a symbol that connects people. Through everyday scenes that feel distinctly Japanese and the presence of people holding a masu, this book evokes quiet moments and narratives. This photobook is created not only to be read but as a work that is completed when placed within a space. Recommended for cafés, galleries, shops, accommodations, and other spaces that value Japanese culture and atmosphere.

I create an art project called 'Masu Photo', photographing people holding the Japanese traditional craft 'masu' in locations around the world. The masu transforms from a 'measuring tool' into a 'symbol that connects people with one another.' The photobooks are not mere collections of works; they are created as presences that add narrative and a space for Japanese culture to environments such as shops, galleries, hotels, and cafés. 'I want to quietly leave this in this space.' I am looking for spaces that would inspire that feeling.

Saibundo | saibundo is a bookstore on Kyoto's Shin-Omiya Shopping Street that carries new and used books 📚\nWe opened the bookstore in December 2025 and the café in March 2026.\nA gallery is planned to open soon.\n

A new bookstore that opened in July 2025 in Minami Ward, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. The owner, who works at an elementary school, selects and displays books mainly for people who are raising or being raised, focusing on education, parenting, essays, and picture books.

I was born in Tokyo and, just before turning 40, moved to Maniwa City in Okayama Prefecture after an unexpected turn of events and connection. I made this zine to introduce more people to the delicious foods of Maniwa that satisfied my appetite. It highlights 26 shops in Maniwa City that I selected with my feet and palate.

A writer based primarily in Maniwa City, Okayama Prefecture. Moved from Tokyo in May 2022. Enjoys drinking, eating, and visiting new facilities. Always curious about new things, they convey the attractions of Okayama Prefecture without being bound to a specific area. Former member of Maniwa City's regional revitalization cooperation team.

We operate a small new-book bookstore, Bookstore Lbio, and a shared bookstore, Bookbridge Lbio, in Kita Ward, Nagoya.

This is a collection of essays written together with AI, something still rare in the world. Rather than turning AI into an "automatic writer," I consider it an "editor" and "another me." I consult with the AI to choose a theme, and I begin to write. The AI critiques and rewrites, and then I receive a reply from "the other me." This book is a record of that back-and-forth. It is the first form of humans and AI writing together.

A privately founded and operated library community facility. The public library inside the Tsurukawa housing complex in Machida City was reorganized, and a citizens' group established and runs it. It is a place with books that make possible things that couldn't be done in a public library. We aim to be a space for encounters, connections, and experimentation. We want to create a place where ZINEs can be read.

Twenty book lovers contributed essays on the theme “The one book I want in my coffin.” We hope you enjoy our stories as you reflect on that special book for you. Authors: Special Guest: Uminekozawa Meron Nuko / Koyu Yuya / Kei Nakamura / Itsuki Morita / Amane Watamaki / Miki Kuno Dante / Akira Shii / Echika Yanagi / Panda Daimyojin / Hakusaku Kitasei Somoto Kizawa / Kotaro Neya / Mahiro / Atarou / Ichitose Numa Souya / Yukari / Yuzuha Hosaka Specs: A5 size / 28 pages Printing & binding: Risograph printing Cover: Risograph printing, 2-color (with a glossy “Tsuyapuri” finish that makes the ink slightly puff) Text: Risograph printing, 1-color ------------------- This is issue No. 3 of the “ZINE of Essays About Books,” sold at Literary Flea Market Osaka 13. Please note when purchasing: Due to the nature of risograph printing, individual copies may have misregistration, color unevenness, or slight fading. We exclude copies with major misregistration, but please understand these inherent characteristics.

The second volume of the mysterious miscellany "I Want to Be on the Lovely Side." This edition includes more topics related to "work," in response to readers' requests. The most popular page is "10 Librarian Relatable Moments." I repeatedly witnessed current librarians who tried a sample read chuckling, but what you think is up to you... Thank you very much. ----------- Specifications: B6 size / 28 pages / print-on-demand Cover: Full color Interior: Black and white Contents: Short essays, diary entries, and records of essays read by a hopeless person who wants to be on the lovely side.

Based in Nagoya. I'm a harmless person who changed careers from a systems engineer (SE) to a university librarian. I enjoy seeing people talk about books, and the online reading group I run almost every week is now in its seventh year. Recently, I've been planning and publishing a zine of essays about books titled "Tonight, Here's a Bookmark."