Recent Works

Nakagawa Mamoru: Design and the Lustrous Beauty of Metal (2023)

Bilingual exhibition catalogue presenting the oeuvre of renowned metalsmith Nakagawa Mamoru (Living National Treasure). Panasonic Shiodome Museum of Art Twentieth-Anniversary Exhibition.

168p
Edited by the Panasonic Museum of Art
Text by Nakagawa Mamoru, Nagae Shusaku, Monika Bincsik, Kawahara Yoko, Shimogama Kazuya, Kawakita Yuko
English translation by Zackary Kaplan

Go for Kogei 2021–2022

Official two-year retrospective catalogue for the Go for Kogei Hokuriku Crafts Festival, featuring essays, commentaries, and plates for exhibited works.

255p
Text by Akimoto Yuji, Ura Jun, Takayama Kentaro, Yamamoto Hiroki
Edited by Noetica, Inc.
English translation by Zackary Kaplan
Creative direction by Mizuguchi Katsuo
Catalog design by Ozaki Tomonori

The Carpenters’ Line: Woodworking Heritage in Hida Takayama (2022)

Text translation for the exhibition curated by Japan House London in collaboration with the city of Takayama, Gifu Prefecture.

48p
Curation: Simon Wright (Japan House London)
Creative direction and project management by Yamada Yu and Sakai Sayaka (Method Inc.)
Art direction by Yamada Haruna and Kobayashi Hirokazu (Spread)
Photography and videography by Igarashi Junya, Kuwahara Goshi
Text by Goaheadworks Inc., Asai Hazuki
English translation by Zackary Kaplan

Exhibition photos courtesy of Japan House London.

Masterpieces from the Nezu Collection, New Edition: Calligraphy (2022)

This catalogue, one volume from Masterpieces from the Nezu Collection, New Edition, presents the one hundred and thirty works of calligraphy in the collection.

198p
Edited by the Editorial Committee, Curatorial Division, Nezu Museum
Translation by Lynne E. Riggs and Takechi Manabu, with Imoto Chikako, Martie Jelinek, Zackary Kaplan, and Ruth South McCreery

Miho Museum Spring/Summer Special Exhibition (2022)
The Vessels of Kaiseki

This catalogue presents photographs, essays, and explanatory notes for the items shown in the Spring and Summer Special Exhibition, The Vessels of Kaiseki held at the Miho Museum from March 19 to June 5 and July 9 to August 14, 2022.

379p
Texts by Azuma Yoko, Kumakura Isao, Kuwabara Yasuo, Hatanaka Akiyoshi, and Oku Yasumasa
Translations by Lynne E. Riggs and Takechi Manabu, with Imoto Chikako, Jeanette Fukao, Martie Jelinek, and Zackary Kaplan
English text edited by Takahashi Yumie

5th Triennale of Kogei in Kanazawa (2022)

Catalogue and exhibition plates for Craft Visions and the 2022 Kogei World Competition in Kanazawa at the 5th Triennale of Kogei in Kanazawa.

96p
Edited by the Executive Committee of the Triennale of Kogei in Kanazawa, Nakagawa, Inc., Saito Masahiro, Miyakoshi Ayami, and Kanaya Ayumi
English translation by Zackary Kaplan
Catalogue design by Harashima Ryosuke

Go for Kogei 2021 Official Book

Official catalogue for the Go for Kogei 2021 Hokuriku Crafts Festival and accompanying text for two special exhibitions.

103p
Edited by Syuto Kanazawa, Saito Masahiro, and Sawai Misato
English translation by Zackary Kaplan
Catalogue design by Ozaki Tomonori

Miho Museum 2021 Summer Special Exhibition Catalogue
The Age of Maki-e: The Kodaiji Style and the Birth of the Master Artisans

200p
Text by Kuwabara Yasuo (chief curator, Miho Museum)
Translation by Lynne E. Riggs and Takechi Manabu, with Jeanette Fukao, Zackary Kaplan, and Nakaishi Satoshi
English text edited by Takahashi Yumie (chief curator, Miho Museum)

Spread by Spread (2021, Seigensha)

Catalogue featuring the work of Tokyo-based design unit, Spread.

167p
Published by Seigensha Art Publishing, Inc.
Edited by Yamada Yoshinao, Spread
Chapter articles, headings, and titles translated by Zackary Kaplan
Work descriptions translated by Penguin Translation

Kanazawa Craft Arts Translation Handbook: Kaga Metal Inlay (2021)

This handbook, jointly published by the City of Kanazawa and the Kanazawa Craftwork Business Creation Agency, offers a detailed look at the background, production process, tools, and key technical terms surrounding the art and craft of Kaga metal inlay (zogan), with numerous accompanying pictures. Section articles provide additional discussion of the difference between Japanese and English terminology. The text is meant to be a practical starting reference for translators in need of a reliable guide to metal inlay, and for Japanese curators who may be in a position to hire out such translations.

Available for download here or from the Kanazawa Craftwork Business Creation Agency.

64p
Client: City of Kanazawa, Kanazawa Craftwork Business Creation Agency
Organizer: The Creation of Japan
Written and edited by Zackary Kaplan
This publication was produced with generous advice and assistance from Joe Earle, Monika Bincsik, and numerous specialists. The deficiencies and oddities that remain are entirely the fault of the editor.

Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival Official Website

Website translation for the Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival, which celebrates the history of metalworking in Tsubame-Sanjo, Niigata. The website features an extensive historical tree detailing the evolution of the region’s metalworking techniques, an archive of past special exhibits (including the Biology of Metal special exhibition at Japan House London), and close-ups on local companies, products, and tools.

Client: Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival Committee
Event Direction: Method, Inc.
Art Direction/Design: SPREAD
Photography: Ooki Jingu, Kazuhiro Kodaira
Editing: Yoshinao Yamada
Translation: Zackary Kaplan

Issetsu Brand Website

Craft bamboo products from Agano with a modern twist.

Art Direction/Design: Suikaka
Code: Daisuke Ogushi
Translation: Zackary Kaplan

Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival Official Book

360p
Client: Tsubame-Sanjo Factory Festival Committee
Art Direction/Design: SPREAD
Photography: Ooki Jingu, Kazuhiro Kodaira
Editing: Yoshinao Yamada
Translation: Zackary Kaplan