Modern Japanese Design in Zuanshū Publishing
Dr. Naoko Adachi presents a lecture on *zuanshū* (図案集), a genre of woodblock-printed design books that gained popularity during Japan’s Meiji era (1868–1912). The presentation will explore the bold compositions, vivid colors, patterns, and motifs these publications offered as inspiration for textile production, while examining their broader role in Japanese publishing history.
The lecture will draw on examples from the Pulverer collection of Japanese illustrated books at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art. Adachi will also discuss her research interests in nineteenth-century Japanese prints, photographs, crafts, and the ways Japanese identity has been presented to international audiences.
When: Thursday, November 19, 2026
Showtime: 6:30 p.m. EST
Format: Lecture
Presenter: Dr. Naoko Adachi, Japan Foundation Assistant Curator of Japanese Art at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art
Presenter background: Adachi joined the National Museum of Asian Art in 2025. She earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from the University of Pennsylvania and has held positions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and the Tokyo National Museum. Her work includes research on Meiji-era export objects and cataloging the Arthur Tress Collection of Japanese Illustrated Books, which spans the seventeenth through twentieth centuries.
Venue: Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan
Tickets: Price not available
Inquiries: jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp
Photo and video policy: The Japan Information & Culture Center, Embassy of Japan, may use photographs and video recorded at the event in its publications and other media, including websites and social media. Attendees who do not want their images recorded for distribution should inform the photographer, videographer, or event organizers. Images of individuals and children will not be identified with full names or personal information without written permission from the photographed person, parent, or legal guardian.