Masaaki Hatsumi: Dojo Art
Masaaki Hatsumi: Dojo Art will be a professionally designed book of paintings and calligraphy by Bujinkan Soke, Masaaki Hatsumi.
THE PROJECT
Masaaki Hatsumi: Dojo Art is expected to be 20 x 30 cm, hardcover, about 200 pages, and include never before seen action photos!
COLLECTOR'S SLIPCASE EDITION
The Collector's Slipcase Edition will be limited to 800 numbered copies and, as a special thank you to supporters, it will only be available through Kickstarter.
This book will never be sold in any store anywere. Ever. When these 800 are gone, this book will never be made again. A true collectable. Order yours now!
What's special about the Collector’s Slipcase Edition?
- A slip case (a custom-made box to protect your book)
- Heavy, handmade Japanese washi (perfect for artist signature or paintings) for the flyleaf.
- Each Collector’s Edition will be stamped by hand on the flyleaf with Sensei’s hanko. (This is different from the hanko Sensei typically uses in the dojo. Sensei is allowing us to use this hanko to authenticate these 800 numbered limited edition books. This hanko is 4.2cm x 4.2cm and each book will be stamped with Japanese shuniku.)
- Each Collector’s Edition will be numbered by hand. Edition number 800 will be the last and we’ll never make them again.
Get yours today!
SAMPLE SPREADS
BACKGROUND
During break in his martial arts classes at the Bujinkan Hombu Dojo in Noda City, Japan, Hatsumi-Sensei paints for his students. He paints calligraphy and pictures. His art contains advice to his students and historical influence from the nine Japanese martial traditions he is the head instructor of:
Togakure Ryu 34th Head
Gyokko Ryu 28th Head
Koto Ryu 18th Head
Shindenfudo Ryu 26th Head
Kukishin Ryu 28th Head
Takagiyoshin Ryu 17th Head
Kumogakure Ryu 14th Head
Gyokushin Ryu 21st Head
Gikan Ryu 15th Head
In February of 2009 I started photographing Hatsumi-Sensei’s art. The idea was simply to make a record of the art but the purpose of the record was undecided, until now…
Recently Sensei asked me to put the art together into a book. It will be a resource for Bujinkan students who want to learn more about the messages in Sensei’s art. It will also be a reference for artists who find his art inspirational. And it will also simply be a beautiful book!
BOOK DESIGN
Our designer, Dan Saal, is a real pro. He's an award-winning art book designer and he knows how to design beautiful books that bring the essence of topics to life. Dan’s sample layouts already look great and I look forward to working with him to finish the project.
For an idea of the quality you can expect, take a look at some of Dan's work here:
EXCEEDING OUR GOALS
If demand is high and we exceed our goals, we can print more books and lower our per-book printing costs. This will allow us to do things like:
- Upgrade to even higher quality paper
- Possibly fund promotional book signing events in Japan for Sensei
- Etc! (Please check back here for updates.)
- Please tell your friends and help us exceed our goals!
Risks and challengesLearn about accountability on Kickstarter
Four years of photography are done but a lot of hard work remains. Going forward, project challenges include collaboration, design and production. Fortunately, Sensei wants this book done and he is supportive. Also, our designer, Dan Saal, knows the practical aspects of book making and he will be a great help to me in production.
Your support will help fund professional design, printing, shipping... As always with Kickstarter, without your funding, this project will die. I can only accept your money if the project is fully funded. If we fail to fully fund the project, all money will be returned. But if we succeed and are fully funded by the deadline, we will produce a beautiful book. Your support is a way we can thank Sensei for all he has done for us.
Comments