Table of Contents

Foreword-Rob Sidner 7 Introduction 9 The Neon Scramble Kanban: Signs of the Times 1 Fingerprints of the Artisan 19 Visual Records Scenes in and around the Capital Woodblock Prints 2 The Kanban of Nihonbashi 37 3 The Way of the Merchant 47 4 Kanban and Kabuki: Product Placement and the Edo Stage 55 5 Collectors and Collections 61 The Sugiura Collection The Peabody Essex Museum Collection The Showa Neon Takamura Kanban Museum Collection 6 Categorizing Kanban: The Catalogue 69 Medicine Tobacco Shops Mokei Kanban: Shop Signs as Sculpture Yoki Kanban: Container Shop Signs Consumer Goods: Kanban and Daily Necessities Kanban and Specialty Trades Kanban and Pastimes Notes 161 Glossary 165 Bibliography 168 Index 174

About the Author

Alan Scott Pate is an independent scholar who has curated exhibits and written for many journals on Japanese handcrafts and antiques. He is the author of Ningy?: The Art of the Japanese Doll and Japanese Dolls: The Fascinating World of Ningy?.

Reviews

"Provides insight into [Japan's] artistic and commercial roots by illustrating the history of these street signs, how they were created, and some of the business and trades that used them.--Metropolis