Posted:Aug 13, 2020

Zine’s Mate Opening

Tokyo’s first art book fair got off to a fun and bustling start.

Photo: Cameron McKean

The crowds outside one of the venues, Eye of Gyre.
The crowds outside one of the venues, Eye of Gyre.
Photo: CM

Tomoo Gokita: illustrator, painter, possessed.
Tomoo Gokita: illustrator, painter, possessed.
Photo: CM

100 Pages Zine by Utrecht and Paperback Magazine. Made up specially for the fair with five separate publications by Tomoo Gokita, Kazunari Hattori, Takashi Homma, Daifu Motoyuki, Ai Tsuchikawa & Ryohei Kobayashi.
100 Pages Zine by Utrecht and Paperback Magazine. Made up specially for the fair with five separate publications by Tomoo Gokita, Kazunari Hattori, Takashi Homma, Daifu Motoyuki, Ai Tsuchikawa & Ryohei Kobayashi.
Photo: CM

Chrome balloon and Yoshi Tsujimura from OK Fred Magazine.
Chrome balloon and Yoshi Tsujimura from OK Fred Magazine.
Photo: CM
Narutoshi Sekine, owner of galeria de muerte, the only vendor to sell black metal zines from the Philippines. He also had a wide range of exceptional death metal, thrash metal and grindcore zines.
Narutoshi Sekine, owner of galeria de muerte, the only vendor to sell black metal zines from the Philippines. He also had a wide range of exceptional death metal, thrash metal and grindcore zines.
Photo: CM

Two of Tokyo's best illustrators: Noritake (left) and Himaa (right and blurry). Both have publications released through Nieves and Utrecht.
Two of Tokyo's best illustrators: Noritake (left) and Himaa (right and blurry). Both have publications released through Nieves and Utrecht.
Photo: CM

Part of the 100+ Nieves Zines exhibit. Zines were hung on little wooden poles.
Part of the 100+ Nieves Zines exhibit. Zines were hung on little wooden poles.
Photo: CM

Aya Takada, who runs a gallery in Sendai called birdo flugas, which means something in Esperanto.  She was stocking publications by Canadian and Japanese artists she has shown in her space.
Aya Takada, who runs a gallery in Sendai called birdo flugas, which means something in Esperanto. She was stocking publications by Canadian and Japanese artists she has shown in her space.
Photo: CM

OK Fred Editions: one booklet on Eye Yamataka's artwork (from Japanese experimental music group Boredoms); another containing collected writings by music journalist and pioneering '80s dub and hip-hop DJ Ega Hiroshi.
OK Fred Editions: one booklet on Eye Yamataka's artwork (from Japanese experimental music group Boredoms); another containing collected writings by music journalist and pioneering '80s dub and hip-hop DJ Ega Hiroshi.
Photo: CM

Ega Hiroshi.
Ega Hiroshi.
Photo: CM

Ichiro Endo's very loud, very enthusiastic performance. He had 'Go For Future' hand-painted in enormous blue letters on his back.
Ichiro Endo's very loud, very enthusiastic performance. He had 'Go For Future' hand-painted in enormous blue letters on his back.
Photo: CM
The TOKYO CULTuART by BEAMS table in front of the entrance.
The TOKYO CULTuART by BEAMS table in front of the entrance.
Photo: CM

SPROUT book selection on wooden wall.
SPROUT book selection on wooden wall.
Photo: CM

SPROUT staff, possibly overwhelmed by the opening night crowds.
SPROUT staff, possibly overwhelmed by the opening night crowds.
Photo: CM
Hiroshi Eguchi (in blue), co-director of Zine's Mate and owner of Now Idea Gallery/Utrecht publishing house.
Hiroshi Eguchi (in blue), co-director of Zine's Mate and owner of Now Idea Gallery/Utrecht publishing house.
Photo: CM

A publication called Lovely Daze, produced by Charwei Tsai from Paris (via Taiwan).
A publication called Lovely Daze, produced by Charwei Tsai from Paris (via Taiwan).
Photo: CM

Gallery 360's wall of books and zines. Pioneers of the 'hat as book' movement.
Gallery 360's wall of books and zines. Pioneers of the 'hat as book' movement.
Photo: CM

Cameron McKean

Cameron McKean

Cameron is an Australasian writer based in Tokyo. Born in Australia in 1982, he later moved to New Zealand to study Cognitive Psychology and Sociology at the University of Auckland, completing research on the formation of mental categories and the rituals surrounding local graffiti production. He has been working in Japan since 2008, contributing to a range of English publications, and co-editing <em>Too Much: Magazine of Romantic Geography</em>. He is interested in lived experience, space, craft and contemporary culture, with a focus on Japan.