New Book (E+J)

[Li Hoo Cheong]

Thanks to Mark for bringing this new book to our attention.
I used to visit Inagaki Shoten when I visited Tokyo to buy
rare film books and journal issues.  I have one query on Mr. Nakayama's
name.  In Inagaki Shoten's advertisement, his personal name, Nobuyuki,
or Shinko, appears in a slightly differnet form.  The second kanji is ko,
as in kojin (pedestrian) or koi (act, conduct).  The two kanji as given by
Mark are also read "Nobuyuki".  What I want to know is the correct name form
in the published book.  Mr. Nakayama may choose to use a slightly form
in his new book.  I need this information because I have to write down the
author's name in kanji when I order the book from Hong Kong.

Can Mark please confirm the kanji name as given in the book itself?  I
suppose the reading of "Shinyo" also appears in the book.  One think of
Stephen's query on the reading of "Fuji Junko" the other day ...

H. C. Li

Abe' Mark Nornes wrote:

> A very interesting---even unique---book has hit the shelves in Japan. Anyone
> interested in Japanese film history will probably want to pick it up.
>
> The author is Nakayama Shinyo$B!!(B($BCf;3?.G!(B), who some in KineJapan might be
> acquainted with. He's runs Inagaki Shoten, the used bookstore devoted to
> film (for directions and address, check out the "search" section of Kinema
> Club). The book is entitled "Furuhonya 'Shinebukku' Manpo" ($B!X8EK\20!V%7%M%V(B
> $B%C%/!WL!Jb!Y(B), Waizu Shuppan 1999 (ISBN: 4-89830-017-0 c0074). The book is
> culled from six years of rensai in Hosho Gekkan.
>
> The book is a thick set of historiographies by various themes, for example:
> chapters on directors like Ozu, Mizoguchi, Kawashima, Itami & Itami....also
> by actors like Hara Setsuko, Ryu Chishu, Takamine Hideko, Irie Takako, and
> so on.....or by theme like Chambara, Manei, Tokyo films, best ten books,
> etc. etc.
>
> Each chapter (or multiple chapters in many cases) cover the major books that
> cover that subject, from contemporaneous publications to the present day. He
> includes special issues of magazines, retrospective catalogues and the like.
> More importantly, he covers all the very unusual and hard to find short-run,
> vanity press-style books. This is particularly useful information because so
> few Japanese books include bibliographies.  It's easy to overlook these
> books that have tiny runs, and don't exist in most libraries.
>
> The book is more than a list of titles, tho. There's serious historiography
> here. Nakayama gives some fascinating accounts of the background behind
> certain publications, the personalities behind the pens, and how these
> publications fit into larger critical currents in the history of Japanese
> film publications. Some of the most valuable chapters cover the work of
> bibliographers like Tsuji Kyohei, and point to the rare bibliographies that
> were usually self-published.
>
> It's also written in an entertaining, light style that's fun to read. The
> book deals with upwards of 800 books, and they're all included in the most
> unique index I've ever seen. In a publication culture that often skips the
> index, he's recorded not only the date, publisher, author, title, and
> size...but also the PRICE! Sasuga Furuhonya-san! Most of the books here are
> out of print, but still circulating in the used book market. So what's the
> most expensive one in the list? I didn't look real closely, but it might be
> the premiere issue of Katsudo Shashinkai for 80,000 yen (around
> US$800)...which makes Makino Mamoru's reprint of the entire run sound cheap
> at the same price!
>
> Markus