Please choose a sleeve case design from three options. All photos were taken by Koo Bohnchang specifically for this book.

A   Delft plate
B   Chili-shaped container
C   Tin Cocoon Plate

A book like an incident—
Collected by Kazumi Sakata,
played with by Nobuhiro Yamaguchi,
photographed by Koo Bohnchang.

This collection book features some 200 objects collected over 38 years by graphic designer, haiku poet, and collector of old things Nobuhiro Yamaguchi, all purchased from Kazumi Sakata’s renowned shop, Furudogu Sakata (Sakata Antiques) . The discerning eyes of Sakata and Yamaguchi resonate with one another in this remarkable volume, photographed especially for the book by Koo Bohnchang, one of Korea’s leading photographers. 

Of the 600 copies published, 100 come in this limited-edition Red Chili Pepper Sleeve Case. This special edition is exclusive to FRAGILE BOOKS and available only through our online store.

The chili pepper-shaped object is said to be a traditional Korean container. Made by twisting discarded papers, including sheets bearing old poems, into shape and then hardening them with red lacquer, it was particularly beloved by Mr. Sakata himself. In Korea, a red chili pepper is traditionally hung at the entrance to a home to announce the birth of a boy.

And so, this book may be more than a book. Keep it close, and it might become a treasured family heirloom, carrying a little good fortune with it. Set it upright in a corner of your room, and who knows—it might even keep the evil spirits away.

-

Message from the Author

The title, Nothing but Something, comes from a passage in Kazumi Sakata’s book Hitoriyogari no Monosashi, in which he reflects on my work:

“At first glance, they seem to be nothing much, unassuming and unremarkable. Yet, if you take the time to look closely, you discover that there is something there.”

These simple words also resonate with the Zen term shimo (只麼), meaning “just as it is,” which, through the English phrase as it is, gave its name to his private museum, museum as it is. The phrase reveals not only Sakata-san’s understanding of my work but also his own philosophy and aesthetic sensibility. It quietly expresses the essence of collecting: things reveal themselves not through knowledge alone, but when we take the time to look closely.

Furudogu Sakata was an antique shop dealing primarily in Western objects, very few of which were still usable as everyday tools. Over many years, I developed an interactive relationship with Sakata-san, at once a shopkeeper and someone from whom I continued to buy objects as a customer.

At the same time, Sakata-san had another side: he ran the private museum museum as it is. This book intersperses, throughout its pages, graphic design works I created in support of the museum. In this sense, the book is also a collection of my own design work.

Perhaps most noteworthy, however, is that the photographs of the collection were taken especially for this book by Koo Bohnchang. This privately published edition was born out of my gratitude to Sakata-san for his kindness and generosity over so many years.

Nobuhiro Yamaguchi

Shipping Information

Shipping is scheduled to begin on November 20. Please note that the actual shipping date may vary slightly.

Profile

Nobuhiro Yamaguchi
Graphic Designer

Born in 1948. After leaving Kuwasawa Design School, he worked at Cosmo PR before becoming independent in 1979. In 2001, he established Yamaguchi Design Office, Inc., and founded the Origata Design Institute in the same year. His major projects include book design for the entire 100-volume Sumai Gaku Taikei series published by Sumai no Toshokan Publishing, and art direction for SD, published by Kajima Institute Publishing. In 2018, he received the Mainichi Design Award for The Design of Folding. His books include Shiro no Shōsoku (Rattles, 2006), Tsutsumi no Kotowari (privately published, 2013), the haiku collection Kanakana no Shichishichi Shijūkunichi Kana (privately published, 2017), Ehon: Hōganshi Kushū (co-authored with Michiaki Mochizuki, FRAGILE BOOKS, 2023), My Ending Note (BON BOOK, 2024), and The Codes and Modes of Origata (BON BOOK, 2025), among others.

Kazumi Sakata
1945-2022

Kazumi Sakata opened Furudogu Sakata (Sakata Antiques) in 1973. Focusing on items used in everyday life, the shop’s collection has cultivated a unique aesthetic that has won it many admirers. Not limited to antiques, the store also sells magazines, fashion items, and interior goods that are not necessarily from well-known or expensive brands, but are given a unique charm by their anonymity.