Title: Katchū men mononofu no kasō Author: Kazuo Iida Publisher: Tōken shunjū shinbunsha, 1991 ISBN: 4-88583-011-7 Language: Japanese, some English Illustrations: Few color pictures, many black and white pictures Other: 320 + 9 pages, 30 cm by 21.5 cm, hardcover Topics:Menpō, Sōmen ID: B0014
This is as far as I know the only serious book on menpō . Several of the examples in the book have become famous and have ended up in big collections. En reprint in softcover was published a few years ago (see B0203). The pictures in this big hard cover edition are slightly better in my eyes.
Title: Nihon katchū dai zukan Author: Yoshihiko Sasama Publisher: Kashiwa Shobō, 2007 ISBN: 978-4-7601-3171-6 Language: Japanese Illustrations: Some color illustrations, many black and white illustrations Other: 474 pages, 30 cm by 21.5 cm, hardcover Topics:Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō, Sōmen ID: B0013
This is a reprint from the famous (and very expensive) encyclopedia. Almost no pictures but many illustrations from Sasama. Off course, many illustrations come back in other publications, but the big advantage here is, that the book is big, so much more detail can be seen in the illustrations. Still in print so easy to find.
Title: Nihon katchū zukan (3 volumes) Author: Yoshihiko Sasama Publisher: Yūzankaku, 1964 ISBN: None Language: Japanese Illustrations: Numerous illustrations, very few color illustrations Other: 256, 271, 261 pages, 26.5 cm by 19 cm, hardcover, limited to 800 Topics:Kabuto, Katchū, Menpō, Sōmen ID: B0005
These three volumes (limited to 800) contain an unbelievable amount of Sasama’s famous line drawings, many of which re-appear in his later works. They are also known as the “green books”.
The fifth of the official Japanese Armour Society (Nihon Katchū Bugu Kenkyū Hozon Kai – NKBKHK) books with pictures and descriptions of the next 107 jūyō graded armours and samurai related items (#526-#632). Overall, very nice and big color pictures. Again many items also from the Momoyama and Muromachi periods. Most items are tucked away in private collections, so this book is for many of these probably the only way to get some documentation.
In total 5 books exist (as of 2014) in this series. All of them were quite expensive when published as they were printed in very small quantities. Every item has a picture (on the left side of the book) and an objective description of the item on the right site, with also the time period for which the item got the jūyō (top) grade. Grades are given in a yearly Shinsa session, with a jury of senior society members.
The first of the official Japanese Armour Society (Nihon Katchū Bugu Kenkyū Hozon Kai – NKBKHK) books with pictures and descriptions of the first 130 jūyō graded armours and samurai related items (#1-#130). The black and white pictures in the first volumes of this series are not always of a good quality. A large amount of the items however are Muromachi period or earlier and are tucked away in private collections, so this book is for many of these probably the only way to get some documentation.
In total 5 books exist (as of 2014) in this series. All of them were quite expensive when published as they were printed in very small quantities. Every item has a picture (on the left side of the book) and an objective description of the item on the right site, with also the time period for which the item got the jūyō (top) grade. Grades are given in a yearly Shinsa session, with a jury of senior society members.
Title: Katchū men mononofu no kasō
Title: Nihon katchū dai zukan
Title: Nihon katchū zukan (3 volumes)
Title: Katchū bugu jūyō bunka shiryō zuryoku (vol. 5)
Title: Katchū bugu jūyō bunka shiryō zuryoku (vol. 1)