Place books you want to see, pick up, and touch
I want to try this kind of printing and processing. When I pick up the magazine "Design no Hikidashi" published by Graphic-sha, dreams begin to grow in my head. The gorgeous pages clearly present the latest information on a wide variety of papers, dazzling printing processes, and bookbinding, along with actual samples. Despite being a specialized magazine for printing design, it is a huge success, with every issue selling out in an era when paper books are not selling well.
Editor-in-chief Junko Tsuda, who has been editing the magazine since its launch and is said to know more about printing than anyone in the publishing industry, says, "I just thoroughly research and publish things that interest me, so Design no Hikidashi is practically a doujinshi."
Tsuda's desk is neatly organized. At the back of his desk are rows of back issues that he has produced in the past, and the supplements that came with each issue, such as paper samples from various companies and a paper thickness comparison chart, are placed in an easy-to-reach location as he often uses them when producing his own books. The two shelves behind his desk are his main bookshelf. At a glance, there seem to be around 100 books there. Surprisingly few.
"Most of my books are kept at home, so at the office I keep books that I use when thinking up ideas, or books that might be useful for bookbinding and printing."
On the bookshelf behind his desk, among the specialist books on paper, printing, pasting boxes, and typefaces, is "Any Grass Can Become Paper" (Dainippon Tosho), a book he likes so much that he even gives it to his friends' children. 
The "Design Drawer" lined up in the back is the most frequently used practical book.
I buy books with unusual printing processes even if I'm not interested in the content. This is because you can't really appreciate the texture of the paper, the interesting processing, or the ingenuity of the binding unless you hold the actual book in your hands. The one I look at most when planning a book is the "Comprehensive View of Printing Art."
"At the time, there was no television or internet, so printing was the latest technology for transmitting information. The fact that the books contain the Emperor's signature and portraits shows that it was an important industry. The table of contents says things like '11th degree offset printing' and '4th degree letterpress printing', and as I look at them through a magnifying glass, I imagine how they were printed and think about how they could be reproduced today. It's a happy time."
Behind the scenes of this magazine, which is trusted by designers who love paper books, you can find her, magnifying glass in hand, thoroughly investigating the mechanisms of printed matter.
Three books that will make you reaffirm your love for paper books
"Comprehensive View of Printing Arts" Edited by Shimaya Masakazu
"Many of the inks and printing techniques have now disappeared, and just looking at them makes me sigh." I purchased the 1932 edition at a used bookstore. This is a sample book from printing companies all over Japan. It allows me to appreciate the techniques of the time and consider how they can be used in the modern world. Osaka Publishing / Out of stock.
"Poetry Collection for Avoiding Evil" by Masuji Ibuse
This book contains 17 poems with excellent translations such as "Life is all about 'goodbye'." It is a book of free and open translations of Chinese poetry with unique interpretations and rhythms of words. "I liked it and had the paperback version, but the first edition conveys the author's thoughts through the typesetting and colors." Mokubasha / Out of stock.
"Shozo Saito and the Book Obsessive and the Book Outlook Society" by Fukujiro Yagi
A record of the work of Shozo Saito, who published unusual books in the 1920s and 1930s, using covers made from bagworm chisels and birch bark, and his friendships with book enthusiasts. "I sympathize with the fact that he produced books that would circulate in the thousands, rather than expensive rare books." Heibonsha / Out of stock.
Books by Tsuda
