Review
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"His drawings are so wonderfully idiosyncratic and so
beautifully detailed that what must have been a labor of love for
him is no less a labor of delightful artistic genius."
--Publishers Weekly starred review
"This stunning book records the city that [Florent Chavouet] got
to know during his adventures, a gritty, vibrant place, full of
ordinary people going about their daily lives. Realistically
rendered city views or s of pop stars contrast with cartoon
sketches of iconic objects or droll vignettes...With wit, a
playful sense of humor, and the colored pencils of his kit,
Chavouet sets aside the question of urban ugliness or beauty and
captures the Japanese essence of a great city." --Japan Today
"[Tokyo on Foot] will make readers with wanderlust wish to drop
their everyday responsibilities and trek through a foreign city.
It will appeal to the armchair traveler who yearns for a bit of
the exotic, the wanderer who wants to someday visit the Land of
the Rising Sun, and, indeed, anyone who appreciates the marriage
of grit and beauty, self-deprecating wit, and losing oneself in
good pictures for a while." --ForeWord Reviews
"The book captures the feel and spirit of the Japanese metropolis
in comical sketches, sparse writings and whimsical, hand-drawn
city s. The book is a diary of Chavouet's six months in Tokyo.
And, it's worth the money, at least for people who can appreciate
Chavouet's observations on life in Japan and who can enjoy his
artwork, which is intriguing, if somewhat reminiscent of classic
Mad Magazine drawings. Chavouet depicts the everyday s of
Tokyo--much of which are universal s in geneous
Japan--in a way that's so detailed that you feel as if you can
walk into the pages. It's almost like the feeling you get when
you see one of those picture-perfect towns made of Legos.
"--About.com
"This is the first book by Mr. Chavouet in which he chronicled
his adventures in Japan with his gorgeous hand-drawn pictures and
in writing. [...] This book can be enjoyed by anyone who is
interested in Japan, especially Tokyo. As well as those who like
quality drawings of people in their daily lives." --Tokyo Five
blog
"From what Chavouet saw, did, ate--bugs, festivals, storefronts,
a fake French mansion, random drinks and snacks--his
illustrations catch perfect little details you'll never find in
any guidebook. His myriad of people caught in the midst of their
everyday lives are undoubtedly the book's highlight. [...] By the
time he's back in his native France, he's got an award-winning,
fascinating book that surely makes for ideal reading for both
armchair tourists and peripatetic travelers alike." --Book Dragon
(Smithsonian Institute)
"...whimsical and intriguing -- a way for readers themselves to
get lost in the charming and mysterious enormity of Tokyo."
--Asian Fortune News
"...as for Chavouet--colorful, farcical, artistically superior
Chavouet--his way of seeing Japan is inful and entertaining
for over two hundred pages. The execution is confident--a
positive side-effect of it having no agenda but to represent his
individual experience." --Axiom Magazine
Book Description
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This photographic Tokyo travel guide explores the
dynamic Japanese culture, art and architecture that make Tokyo a
world-class city.
It has been said that "every city has its high points, but Tokyo
is all exclamation points." The largest and most populous city in
the world, Tokyo must be experienced in person to truly be
understood. The next best thing? Tokyo Megacity—a visual and
descriptive exploration of a city that combines old with new and
traditional with trendy, like no other city in the world.
This extraordinary book explores Tokyo through 250 revealing
photographs by well-known photographer Ben Simmons and over 30
essays by famed author Donald Richie. Their love of the city,
their sense of its history, and the deep respect and pure joy
felt in being here, shine through on every page. Simmons and
Richie show us how modern Tokyo evolved from a patchwork of
villages that still exist today as distinct neighborhoods and
districts, to the modern, trendsetting metropolis renowned the
world over—that combine to make Tokyo a unique and special place.
Tokyo Megacity presents the districts of the city in the order
that they originally developed, starting with the Imperial
Palace, sliding down to the "Low City" along the Sumida River,
soaring back up to the "Mid-City," and finally, climbing the
hills to the newer districts of the "High City." The combination
of Ben Simmons' photographs and Donald Richie's text capture, as
never before, the tremendous diversity, vitality and sheer
livability of the megacity that is Tokyo.