I told you recently about a wonderful Japanese illustrator using her gifts to bring New York to life; here’s another book. New York Owners. is written and illustrated by Yooco Tanimoto. The book profiles a number of interesting shops in Manhattan, and gives a biographical sketch of the people who run each business. One store, for example, sells handmade shoes to dancers, and is run by an ex-dancer who decided that performers needed a wider range of danceable and attractive shoes than whas was on the market at the time.

Tanimoto celebrates this kind of individual spirit by providing a gorgeous illustration for each shop. The end result is that you get a really sense of what she sees in each business, which is a far more personal vision than if she had simply taken photographs.

I was starting to get the point where I thought these kinds of travel illustrations were only a trend for Japanese looking at New York, but then this past week while in Barnes and Noble with a writer friend, I stumbled on Kate T. Williamson’s gorgeously illustrated book Year in Japan. Once again, here is a talented illustrator and writer with a keen eye, sensitively observing and portraying the world around her. I love this book and the illustrations of things like natto, the difference between a maiko and geiko and how the Japanese celebrate the new year, or oshoogatsu.

For those of you looking for seasonal references to Japan, the latter is a good book to add to your collection. I’m happy I have a digital camera to take pictures to record images of fleeting moments, but I really wish I could draw as well as ladies can to express something even more personal.