Designing with Kanji: Japanese Character Motifs for Surface, Skin & Spirit

By Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani

Book Overview

Japanese kanji characters combine meaning with beauty and thus offer a unique medium for artistic expression. But if you don't know the language, how do you find characters that say what you want and are not just a "kanji clich "? You can start here. This attractive book has over one hundred thirty kanji presented in a simple format for easy use. For example:

Post the kanji for kenshin on a mirror to remind you of your "devotion" to your studies.
Embroider bussho on a meditation cushion to help you reflect on "Buddha nature."
Tattoo the name Zatoichi on your upper arm as homage to your favorite blind swordsman hero.
Show your "love" with a card decorated by ai.

Pick from Warrior, Heart, Nature, and Spirit categories to find the characters that express your sentiments best. Each entry includes historical or etymological background, often with unusual "kanji facts." Then trace, photocopy, or even stencil the clear letterforms--displayed in several different kanji "fonts"--to get just the effect you want. Included is an introduction to kanji, writing tips, and a special supplement on Zodiac kanji (great for birthdays ).

"People are always fascinated by different cultures, and we continue to be awed by the wonderful ways in which East and West have mingled in culture, lifestyle, design, art, and aesthetics. We hope this book will enrich your own experience of kanji in art and design and help you bring your creative gifts to bear in fresh, new ways."--from the Authors' Introduction

Shogo Oketani and Leza Lowitz are writers and translators who live in the San Francisco Bay area.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1880656795
• ISBN13: 9781880656792
• Release Date: October 2003
• Publisher: Stone Bridge Press
• Length: 144 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.9" x 0.4" x 6.9"

Customer Reviews

Who would have thought I would enjoy a book like this?

We had recently seen "The Last Samuri" so I was in the frame of mind to learn more about Japanese history and culture. I found this book on the Breakfast table one recent morning. The introduction and explanation of Kanji was clear and concise. This book provided a great beginning to the subject of how a culture influenced a language and how a language influenced a culture. I couldn't put it down for an hour or so. I'll refer to it often.

A Stroke of Genius!

How lucky I was this holiday season to have received Designing with Kanji: Japanese Character Motifs for Surface, Skin and Spirit by Shogo Oketani and Leza Lowitz. From the beautiful cover to the exquisitely illustrated text Stonebridge Press has done it again! Oketani and Lowitz have taken an art form that is little understood in the United States and have made it accessible. I have always been drawn to "Asian things" in my home from artifacts to flower arranging, and the Kanji calligraphy and historical background helped me clarify my fascination with the genre. I had no idea there were other Kanji fonts such as modern and stylish for instance.I particularly appreciated the poetic description of each illustrated Kanji and the little Kanji Facts interspersed throughout the book. I have no tattoos and am not expecting to get any in the near future however, this book is for anyone wishing to understand the Japanese "character".

A must for decorative artists!

Exciting and enlightening book on Japanese Kanji!This book is an invaluable resource for decorative artists, jewelers and crafts people alike.I use this book often as inspiration for my jewelry designs and paintings.Hundreds of illustrations combined with descriptive and historical definitions make this a wonderful resource for anyone interested in the Japanese language.

Useful Book

I found this book to be like all StoneBridge Press books well written and a beautifully made. The text and illustrations are clear and well-presented. I am studying Japanese and my instructor recommended this book to me as fun way to study some kanji. I am not exactly in the market for a tattoo at the moment, but my daughter has found one in this book she would like to get. I have seen other books of this type, but IMHP this is the best. Well-worth the purchase.

An elegantly illustrated guide to common kanji

The collaborative effort of journalist and translator Shogo Oketani and Tokyo-based writer, editor, translator, and yoga instructor Leza Lowitz, Designing With Kanji: Japanese Character Motifs For Surface, Skin & Spirit is a simple and elegantly illustrated guide to common kanji (Japanese written words), that can be used to embellish a variety of art mediums ranging from tattoos to stationery, mugs, T-shirts, or just about anything else that has a surface. A representative selection of kanji are presented on a grid background, in a variety of fonts, to simplify their transferences and incorporation into the art of one's choice. Designing With Kanji is enthusiastically recommended as a fine and useful designer's aid.