Being close by,
"Paper work" made from unnecessary items,
Such an ordinary thing
What resonates strongly in my heart is
I wonder why this is.
...Kazumi Sakata

Hiromu Kozaki, a master carpenter,
A paper envelope made from everyday unused items.

He called these his "paper work," and without publishing them or selling them to anyone, he continued to create an enormous number of envelopes every day, from morning to night, until the day he passed away at the age of 95.

This book includes 104 items from the envelope collection that barely survived, discovered by her granddaughter, Sakiko Fujii. All of them are nameless pieces that Fujii treasured.

Materials for making envelopes include newspapers, flyer inserts,Wrapping paper and tissue boxesIn the cycle of life,Unwanted items that have outlived their usefulness. Bills addressed to me, health certificates, hospitalMedicine bags and other items were also included.

He doesn't buy paper just to make envelopes. The ephemeral and inconsequential paper waste that passes before his eyes and disappears as he goes about his daily life is the fuel that allows Grandpa to continue making envelopes.

The "Note" added to the new edition reads as follows:

One day, a family member who was writing a manuscript next to Grandpa left his desk and when he returned, the manuscript paper he was writing on had turned into an envelope. Looking at the letters, school reports, and blueprints of drawings that had been transformed into Grandpa's envelopes, life at that time comes back to life.

Similarly, Sakiko FujiiIn the section "Days of Working with Paper" at the end of the book, he also writes:

My grandfather was very dexterous and started making envelopes every day from ready-made paper, but then he ran out of paper. So he added the task of peeling off the thick layers of paper one by one to add an extra step to the envelope-making process. It seems that for my grandfather, keeping his hands moving was more important than the envelopes themselves.

To commemorate the re-release, FRAGILE BOOKS will be publishingThe special edition isAs a homage to Grandpa's envelope, the people involved in the project decided to use the cardboard that they had peeled off by hand for the cover. Nobuhiro Yamaguchi and Midori Yamaguchi, who came up with the idea, worked hard on their fingertips, while Sakiko Fujii and the others used cloth tape and crochet hooks to create an unprecedented book-making experience in which each person involved peeled off the cover themselves.

The special edition, each with a different look,At the suggestion of Toshiko Sakata,We decided to hand it over wrapped in a "book jacket" made from leftover fabric from mon sakata.Please look forward to it.


For the reprint, March 17th to March 18th, 2023
An event will be held to display and sell the special edition, limited to 100 copies.
A republication commemorative exhibition will be held at museum as it is from April 29th.
Please see below for details.



Text by Osamu Kushida


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«Special Edition»

The special edition, limited to 100 copies, uses hand-peeled cardboard to emulate Grandpa's envelopes, so each copy has a different cover.Please see below for details.

For inquiries,info@fragile-books.com to.

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[Exhibition Information]
<Special Edition/Limited Edition of 100 Books Exhibition>
This exhibition will be held at the former location of the antique Sakata store, and will feature 100 limited edition special edition books on display and for sale. With the cooperation of Toshiko Sakata, each book will be wrapped in a "book jacket" made from leftover fabric from Mon Sakata. Sales will end once all stock is depleted. Please note that reservations cannot be made.

Date and time: Friday, March 17th - Saturday, March 18th, 2023 11:00-18:00
Location: Sakata House, next to mon Sakata studio
Address: 3-18-9 Shimo-Ochiai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 161-0033
Note: Advance reservations and holds are not available. There is a limit of two books per person.

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<Grandpa's Envelopes Reprint Commemorative Exhibition>
We will be exhibiting precious original items from Sakiko Fujii's "Grandpa's Envelopes" collection that were featured in the book. In addition to the Grandpa's envelopes, a part of Kazumi Sakata's antique collection will also be exhibited during the exhibition.

Date and time: Saturday, April 29, 2023 - Sunday, November 26, 2023 10:30-16:00 *Open only on Saturdays and Sundays
Location: museum as it is
Address: 41 Iwanade, Chonan-machi, Chosei-gun, Chiba Prefecture, 297-0154

For inquiries regarding the exhibition, please contact:info@fragile-books.com to.