japanese craft book day: so many ideas

 
Here are two of the small (about 5"x7") magazine format Japanese craft books I got a few weeks ago. The one on the right "cafe chez moi" (ISBN4-576-05163-6) is filled with all kinds of great little crafts (a lot of them suitable for kids) and photo tours of crafty shops and studios. Here's a sample:
     
I've got to admit, I bought the book on the right based on the cover alone.  "No 5" (which may also be called Amulet - ISBN4-576-05206-3) seems to be a type of catalog and course listing for a cafe/shop that doubles as a craft school! At least that's what I gathered from the pictures (please correct me if you know what it really is)!  It has a lot of paper crafts, and what looks like an interesting feature (pic on right) on a woman named Kazuko Hamachi, whose books are published in German! I googled her name, all of the matches are in German - yipe!

The last book I got in this order is the best of all - nuigurumi style (ISBN 4-05-604179-2). Lyn posted about this a few months back (she also posted about cafe chez moi - I had forgotten - but we used different pics), but here are a few images she left out:

And there are still more...WAY more! Not only is it filled with amazing images, but there are full page patterns and clear directions for everything. This is the hands-down winner of the McGee Award for Best Japanese Craft Book of 2005!

Comments

[Susan]

I wanted to compliment your site here. There's always something new and interesting that I find myself wanting to know more about.:)

Also, if you do search for "Heart Warming Life Series" at amazon(dot)co(dot)jp, you'll hit on another string of good craft shop hightlights books/magazines with how-to sections . Lots of sewing, embroidery, minitures, etc. Got vol.2 as a gift,but I haven't figured out yet how to order them. Can't remember if I came across them at yesasia, though. Maybe you already know about them, but thought you might enjoy anyway.