『Modern Japanese Movable Type (Motogi Shojo and His Entourage)』
From the typography used in East Asia during the modern era to the fundamental structure of today's written media, the foundation lies in the typography that originated in Europe. Chinese character type, carrying ideology and scripture, was transmitted to China, and through Japanese technology, the technology spread throughout East Asia. While titled "Modern Japanese Type," this book comprehensively documents the typography that bridged the West and East Asia. It also provides a comprehensive introduction to East Asian typography, including a reproduction of the "Jeontaejamo method," a process suitable for producing East Asian characters.
In addition to its content, the book stands out for its excellent design, winning the grand prize at the 2005 international contest “The World’s Most Beautiful Book.”
It was already out of print and unavailable, but a friend I was studying with gave it to me as a gift, saying that it would be good for me, who was more interested in letters than myself, to have the book... Every time I look at this book, I think of Kondo, who gave it to me.