“Moonstruck Cultivation,” a new project initiated by Subsequence editor-in-chief Kosuke Ide, is a series of live events that creates small spaces for learning through the idea of “touching and thinking, knowing and feeling.” Its second event, “Into the Forest of ZUAN: Wandering Through the Archives of Modern Japanese Visual Culture,” will be held at the Noguchi Haruchika Memorial Listening theatre in Komae, Tokyo.

Our guest for this edition is Shinya Yamada, curator and caretaker of the Zuan Museum, a private museum located in Naniwa-ku, Osaka. As its name suggests, the museum collects and exhibits materials related to zuan—a field of visual culture in Japan spanning the Edo period through the early Showa era. At its core is an extensive archive that Yamada has assembled over many years, with a particular focus on woodblock-printed design albums that embody the revolution in zuan that emerged during the Meiji period.

The word zuan was coined in the early Meiji period as a Japanese translation of the English word “design.” From around the middle of the Meiji era, a movement to reinvent zuan began to flourish in tandem with industries seeking new forms of design. Over time, it developed into a distinctive visual culture of remarkable artistic sophistication.

These invaluable and extensive materials can be seen as a missing link in the history of Japanese visual culture, leading toward the development of postwar graphic design. Alongside Yamada’s talk about this remarkable archive, a special selection of beautiful Meiji-period zuan albums relating to wagashi (Japanese confectionery) will be brought from the museum and exhibited at the venue.

Into the Forest of ZUAN: Wandering Through the Archives of Modern Japanese Visual Culture

Guest: Shinya Yamada (Curator, Zuan Museum)
Hosts: Shinya Noguchi (Zensei Shinsha), Kosuke Ide (Editor)
Date & Time: Saturday, October 3, 2026, 17:00–19:30
Doors open at 16:00
An informal “After-Hours Tea Gathering” will follow the event. All are welcome to join.
Venue: Noguchi Haruchika Memorial Listening theatre
2-14-2 Motoizumi, Komae, Tokyo
Admission: ¥3,500 + one drink order (includes sweets)
Capacity: 30
Reservations: Please send a DM to @moonstruck_cultivation.