Junichi Nakahara - Year 111

Junichi Nakahara - Year 111

In pursuit of true beauty and richness in life: a celebration of a man whose thought and aesthetics remain surpassingly fresh even now, across the decades.

On August 15, 1946, a year to the day World War II ended in defeat for Japan, Junichi Nakahara (1913–1983) founded Soreiyu (Soleil), the first of several women’s and girls’ magazines for which he served as editor-in-chief. His work for these publications would cut across the domains of editing, illustration, and fashion and interior design, marking him as creative force of truly versatile talent.

In an age when many Japanese were still struggling simply to make ends meet, Nakahara sought to offer reading that would encourage people to once again live beautifully with hopes and dreams in their hearts. Women of the time eagerly embraced his output, and indeed, his pursuit of the essence of beauty—as well as the body of work born of that quest—continues to be fresh and to profoundly influence creative minds even today.

This catalogue-cum-companion-volume to an exhibition commemorating the 111th anniversary of Nakahara’s birth brings together roughly 480 images, including of the work Nakahara did for the magazines Soreiyu, Himawari (Sunflower), Junior Soreiyu, and Onna no heya (Women’s Room); the illustrations, dresses, yukata, kimono, and dolls that he created; and the personal effects that he left behind upon his death. See what makes Junichi Nakahara shine so brightly even now, 111 years after he first came into this world.