Each bookstore will act as a concierge, recommending "the book you should read right now" to FASHION HEADLINE readers. Every Thursday, each branch of the art bookstore "NADiff" will introduce a book they recommend. This time, we'll be introducing the Shibuya branch, NADiff modern (Bunkamura, 1F, 2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo).

■ "Cats: Genichiro Inokuma's Cat Art Collection" by Genichiro Inokuma

Genichiro Inokuma is a painter from Kagawa Prefecture. Some of you may not have heard of his name before, but you've surely seen him at least once, on the murals at Ueno Station or on the wrapping paper at Mitsukoshi.

One of Inokuma's favorite motifs, and he left behind a prolific body of work, was cats. This book, titled "Cat Art Collection," contains only works featuring cats.

A staggering 690 cats appear in the book. Both husband and wife are cat lovers, and they lived surrounded by many cats, apparently having kept as many as a dozen at one time. Cats are depicted in a variety of ways, from one sleeping beside a woman to another munching on food. You can sense the deep affection Inokuma poured into cats, and the difficulty of depicting them because of that affection. Inokuma's works, overflowing with love, will surely bring a smile to anyone's face, not just cat lovers. It's a book you'll want to keep close at hand and cherish. An exhibition of the same name is currently running at the Marugame-Inokuma Genichiro Museum of Contemporary Art in Kagawa Prefecture until September 27th.
【Book Information】
"Cats: Inokuma Genichiro Cat Art Collection"
Author: Inokuma Genichiro
Special Contribution: Tanikawa Shuntaro
Editors: Hattori Madoka, Kato Motoi
Publisher: Little More
Language: Japanese, English
128 pages / 182 x 182 mm
Published: April 2015
Price: 1,800 yen
【Exhibition Information】
"Inokuma Genichiro Exhibition: Cats"
Venue: Marugame Inokuma Genichiro Museum of Contemporary Art
Address: 80-1 Hamacho, Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture
Dates: June 13th - September 27th
Dates and Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 (Last admission at 17:30)
※Open until 20:00 on June 13th (Last admission at 19:30)
Closing days: Open every day during the exhibition period
Admission fee: 950 yen (760 yen)
: University students 650 yen (520 yen)
*Free for high school students and younger or those under 18, Marugame city residents 65 years of age or older, and those with disability certificates