Zuan moji no kaibõ [Anatomy of Design Letters] by Yajima Shuichi, Tokyo, Japan

Zuan moji no kaibõ [Anatomy of Design Letters/Characters] by Yajima Shūichi, Showa 3 or 1928; this appears to be a later printing from 1937/1939. Osaka, Japan. 7.5 x 10.25, 194 pages. Japanese text. Rare.

With an illustrated essay about the origins and history of letters and characters by Yajima Shūichi and Takeda Goichia. Richly illustrated on full pages throughout with shades of maroon, blue, green and grey; approx. 150 pages are illustrated and 44 are text featuring more than 5,450 individuals letters and characters.

Six total sections with illustrated title pages featuring Latin alphabets and numerals and Japanese katakana, kanji, and hiragana alphabets and/or character sets. All sections follow a similar format of individual letters, numbers and characters with approx. (38) different variations of each. A technical drawing at the center uses a 9 x 9 grid with circles (compass) and straight lines (ruler) to indicate the construction; a sort of manual for hand-drawn letters and characters. “Designed by Shūichi Yajima. Revised by [architect] Takeda Goichi.”

Loosely translated from Yajima’s Preface which points to geometry, mathematics and simplification: ”Everything is done mathematically. The beautiful curves that are drawn freely can be broken down into almost all circular arcs and straight lines.”

“Yajima Shūichi (1895-1982): Lettering and poster designer, born in Gifu Prefecture. Yajima worked at a printing company based in Osaka before founding an independent design studio in the 1920s. In 1928, he helped establish the Osaka Commercial Artists Association, a sister organization of the Commercial Artists Association. Yajima is best known for two books on lettering design, Typographic Handbook (Zuan moji taikan) and Anatomy of Design Letters (Zuan moji no kaibõ), published in 1926 and 1928, respectively. Issued in multiple editions and still available today, these books offered systemic presentations of a vast range of lettering styles and explored geometric and modular methods of character construction.” — from the exceptional The Complete Commercial Artist: Making Modern Design in Japan, 1928–1930, by Gennifer Weisenfeld.

This copy lacks the original binding ... the front and back covers and spine. The rear text page 39/40 is detached and includes the book’s imprint label with copyright ownership. Fragile text pages are starting to pull from binding. All interior pages are well preserved with only light foxing and one tear. A rare, remarkable treatise on Japanese and Latin lettering and character design.