Japanese Book Covers (Favourite Books)

This will be my 500th post, and I thought I would do something different. I have recently been exploring world literature translated to Japanese, and have stumbled upon some beautiful book covers I want to share. The general tendency of Japanese book covers seems to be either intricate, detailed artworks or minimalist designs, with few covers falling somewhere in between. The book covers below appear to fall into the former category. You can see that many Japanese book covers favour the long distance/panoramic perspective, rather than one focusing on the individual being the centre as western book covers usually do. This is an echo of Asian philosophy that we are all part of the whole, a community, being interconnected.

The stunning Japanese edition of Umberto Eco’s historical novel The Name of the Rose (on the left) depicts artworks from Beatus of Liébana’s The Commentary on the Apocalypse (commentary on the biblical Book of Revelation) written around 776. There is a number of copied versions of this manuscript, and, in particular, the first book cover above is the Vision of the Lamb, the Four Cherubim and the Twenty-Four Elders from the 1047 version painted by Facundus. As book covers, these are excellent choices because they capture the mystery, monastic life and the religious folklore of the novel.

The Japanese edition of Orhan Pamuk’s historical mystery My Name is Red (on the right) is also absolutely beautiful. This cover artwork is a prime example of Ottoman miniature painting, and was completed by Nakkaş Osman, a chief miniaturist of the Ottoman Empire during the later half of the sixteenth century. The painting forms part of the Surname-i Hümayun or Imperial Circumcision Festival Books, albums commemorating the celebration of the circumcision festival of Prince Mehmed, son of Sultan Murad III. It tells a pictorial story in 250 double-page miniatures, was completed in 1588, and presented to the sultan the same year. The festival itself lasted 52 days and 52 nights in 1582. The miniature painting on Pamuk novel’s cover demonstrates the preparation of food and drink for the distribution to the public, and part of the banquet.

I love that the artwork on the covers of the two volumes “join” to make one painting, and the cover choice could not have been more fitting since My Name is Red partly re-imagines the story of Nakkaş Osman and his workshop. Both The Name of the Rose and My Name is Red (Japanese editions) are from Hayakawa Publishing, and, as it is common in Japanese publishing, they are divided into two – hence we view two covers of each book.

The artworks of the Japanese editions of Kazuo Ishiguro’s books The Remains of the Day and A Pale View of Hills are rather evocative. The former situates us on the grounds of Darlington Hall, Lord Darlington’s estate and workplace of butler Stevens, while the latter reflects the novel’s themes of seeing truth only intermittently, and being blind if taking into account only one, potentially unreliable, perspective. To the right are the Japanese editions of two books by Lyudmila Ulitskaya – Girls and The Big Green Tent.

I think it is fitting to make the covers of Philip K. Dick‘s books black and minimalistic in design. The artist of those above is Hiroaki Doi (土井宏明) aka Positron. Philip K. Dick created one-of-a-kind dystopian worlds where advanced technologies compete with humanity, and where space-travel is widespread. The bold and uniform design of the books reflects Dick’s idiosyncratic vision (each book sports a different, vibrant colour), as well as underlines the idea that his books are often set in the same universe (hence, the uniform layout). I somehow like the macabre aspect of The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch cover.

These art covers follow my idea above that book covers of Japanese editions are more likely to emphasise nature, and the environment that characters find themselves in than their European or American counterparts that tend to focus on main characters on their covers. The first cover is that of Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and The Sea. It is not the fisherman who becomes the focus of the cover here but something that is part of nature – the spearfish. This is a cover that underlines the wondrous nature and adventurous spirit of the book, reminding me of this superb adaptation I watched some years previously. The next cover is Jules Verne’s Two Years’ Vacation, and next to it are H. G. Wells’ The Time Machine and The Island of Dr. Moreau. Interestingly, the character of Dr. Moreau (probably) is less prominent here that our detailed view of the vegetation of the island, and the monkey hidden in the bushes, together with other animals that are less visible in the foreground.

Kazuki Sakakibara (榊原一樹) is the artist behind these gorgeous artworks of the Japanese editions (2010-) of John Dickson Carr’s classic mysteries. I like how these editions convey the atmosphere of the books without giving much away. Hats play such an important role in John Dickson Carr’s The Mad Hatter Mystery [1933] that one is on the cover, but, otherwise, with the exception of The Crooked Hinge [1938], the covers seem to be intentionally vague and ambiguous, inviting the readers to explore the story for themselves. Artworks of locations are also pretty popular as mystery covers in Japan (many covers of mysteries simply depict a chair in an empty room).

Sayzansha Publications was celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Japanese publication of Harry Potter, and introduced these eye-catching new editions with artwork by artist Miho Satake. Books four to seven are split into two, but I am showing just one of each (with the exception of The Deathly Hallows). I love the detailed artwork, and the fact that the same colours are seen throughout the series, tying these separate books to the same theme.

What do you think of the covers above, and their difference from the originals? Have you ever checked out your favourite books in international editions? Do you prefer minimalist cover designs or covers with more intricate art? Do you have a favourite book cover?