hillcountrymagic
$80.00
Preowned: Condition is Very Good
New Magic of Japan (1988) is a highly regarded hardcover compilation co-written and adapted by Phil Goldstein (Max Maven) and Richard Kaufman, based on an original Japanese text compiled by Hiroyuki Sakai (titled New Generation Plus Alpha).
Rather than a straight translation, Goldstein and Kaufman completely rewrote the material to make it accessible for English-speaking readers, even adding a premier contribution from legendary Japanese creator Dr. Hiroshi Sawa that wasn't in the original layout.
Core Overview
The book serves as a curated anthology designed to introduce Western magicians to the innovative, visually poetic, and technically precise style of modern Japanese magic. It spans 123 pages and includes beautifully detailed illustrations by the renowned Ton Onosaka.
The Scope: Features 25 distinct routines from 25 individual Japanese magicians.
The Style: The magic in this book relies heavily on clever construction, smooth sleight of hand, and aesthetic transformations. It leans toward an elegant, minimal style where objects naturally alter, multiply, or vanish.
The Variety: It features a remarkably balanced mix of material, ranging from intimate close-up routines to visual parlor or stage magic.
Breakdown of Material & Standout Routines
While there is a strong contingent of card and coin mechanics, the book stands out for its clever use of everyday objects, stage props, and unexpected visual climaxes.
1. Close-Up & Everyday Objects
Glass Load (Tomohiro Maeda): One of the most famous and commercial routines in the book. A silk is draped over an empty hand, and a moment later, a fully long-stemmed wine glass is cleanly produced underneath it.
Spoony Ring (Hiroyuki Sakai): An organic routine utilizing a spoon and a finger ring, showcasing unique utility sleights.
Dice Assembly (Toyohisa Saikawa): A classic matrix-style matrix/chink-a-chink layout, but ingeniously adapted using dice instead of coins or cards.
2. Cards & Coins
Card Ping Chien (Shigeo Takagi): A beautiful routine from a legendary master blending coins and cards into an elegant visual routine.
Coin Fugue (Masao Atsukawa): A highly technical, artistic coin assembly routine requiring precise, syncopated rhythm and sleight of hand.
Quadruplicate Spellbound (Yoshihiko Mutobe): An advanced coin routine where a single coin repeatedly morphs through four distinct, vivid changes right at the fingertips.
3. Stage & Visual Parlor Magic
Cane From Fireball (Asako Suda): A hyper-visual opening effect where a burst of fire instantly morphs into a solid walking cane.
Metamorph-Rose (Kazuyuki Hase): A beautiful piece where a rose alters form, exemplifying the artistic, organic motifs often favored by Japanese magicians.
Smoke Rings (Dr. Hiroshi Sawa): The exclusive addition to this edition, demonstrating Dr. Sawa's trademark whimsicality and deep lateral thinking using smoke and close-up conditions.
The Takeaway: New Magic of Japan is treated by historians and performers as a landmark text. It bridged a massive cultural gap in the magic community, showing the West that Japanese magic was moving past traditional rope or silk tricks into cutting-edge, avant-garde sleight of hand and psychological framing.
$19.98