Each bookstore will act as a concierge, recommending "the book you should read now" to FASHION HEADLINE readers. Every Thursday, each store of art bookstore "NADiff" will introduce a book they recommend. This time, we will be introducing the Shibuya branch, NADiff modern (Bunkamura B1F, 2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo).

■ "Kuniyoshiism - Utagawa Kuniyoshi and His Lineage: The Collection of Toku Toshihiko, a Western-style Painter from Musashino"

This book also serves as the exhibition catalog for "Kuniyoshiism - Utagawa Kuniyoshi and His Lineage: The Collection of Toku Toshihiko, a Western-style Painter from Musashino," which is being held at the Nerima Art Museum until April 10th, and features all of the works on display. Taku's collection not only includes Kuniyoshi's ukiyo-e, but also works by his disciples and artists outside Kuniyoshi's tradition, such as Kobayashi Eitaku, Ogata Gekko, and Yamamoto Shoun. This collection offers a glimpse into the impact Kuniyoshi had on the ukiyo-e and genre art worlds of the late Edo and Meiji periods. While widely known for his warrior paintings, Kuniyoshi constantly sought new forms of expression, including a wide variety of caricatures, including shadow puppets, inlays, and anthropomorphized animals, plants, and objects, as well as landscapes incorporating Western-style shading techniques. Kuniyoshi's work, which remained sensitive to trends and social trends and pioneered new ideas even amidst the constraints of reform and prohibitions, enabled the development of the next generation of artists. Kuniyoshi's enormous influence extends beyond the artists of his time. Modeled after real-life gangsters, his warrior prints depicting "outlaws" who appear in kabuki plays and other media, as well as his expressive and dynamic group portraits, offer a glimpse into the roots of modern-day Japanese people, such as the Yankee culture that admires gangsters and the "mob scenes" used in animation and other media.

Starting March 19th, Bunkamura The Museum will host a new exhibition, "Our Kuniyoshi, My Kunisada from the Collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston." This exhibition will showcase the works of Utagawa Kunisada, a fellow disciple of Kuniyoshi who, despite his contrasting style, dominated the world alongside Kuniyoshi, allowing visitors to experience the world of ukiyo-e, a form of Edo pop culture. :
【Book information】
"Kuniyoshiism - Utagawa Kuniyoshi and his lineage: The collection of Toshihiko Toku, a Western-style painter from Musashino"
Author: Nerima Art Museum
Supervised by: Toshihiko Toku
Publisher: Seigensha
Softcover / 276 pages / B5 variant
Published: February 2016
Price: 2,700 yen (tax included)
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【Exhibition information】
"Kuniyoshiism - Utagawa Kuniyoshi and his lineage: The collection of Toshihiko Toku, a Western-style painter from Musashino"
Venue: Nerima Art Museum
Address: 1-36-16 Nukui, Nerima-ku, Tokyo
Dates: February 19th - April 10th
*The exhibits will be changed during the exhibition period. (Exhibition change dates: March 14th and March 28th)
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00 (last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Admission: Adults 800 yen, high school/university students and those 65-74 years old 600 yen, junior high school students and younger and those 75 years old and older free, disabled people (adults) 400 yen, disabled people (high school/university students) 300 yen, groups (adults) 600 yen, groups (high school/university students) 500 yen, Grutto Pass holders 300 yen (age-related discounts do not apply)
Closed: Mondays (except March 21st, but closed the following day, March 22nd)
"Our Kuniyoshi, My Kunisada from the Collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts"
Venue: Bunkamura The Museum
Address: B1F 2-24-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Exhibition period: March 19th - June 5th Opening hours: 10:00-19:00 (until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, last admission 30 minutes before closing)
Admission: 1,500 yen for adults (1,300 yen for advance tickets and groups), 1,000 yen for university and high school students (800 yen for advance tickets and groups), 700 yen for junior high and elementary school students (500 yen for advance tickets and groups)
*Discounts available for those with a disability certificate. Please ask at the counter for details.