Japanese society underwent a whirlwind of change during the early 20th century, a period marked by rapid modernisation. Perhaps more than any other objects from the period, sheet music covers graphically embodied this vortex of sights, sounds, events and ideas. Publishers of music churned out sheets bound in designed covers as diverse as the music within, illustrated in both Japanese and European styles, including Art Nouveau, Modernism, Constructivism, collage and Art Deco. Most commonly arranged for harmonica, piano, guitar and violin, music scores encompassed songs ranging from traditional Japanese folk tunes to movie scores, Western jazz, opera and patriotic marches. Featuring vibrant reproductions alongside essays by leading scholars, Songs for Modern Japan provides a window for the specialist and nonspecialist alike into Japanese society and culture during this time of immense change. Sheet music covers from a glittering array of artists are showcased: Takehisa Yumeji (1884–1934), who was often called the “modern Utamaro” and the “Japanese Toulouse-Lautrec and Edvard Munch”; Saitō Kazō (1887–1955), contributor of erotically tinged Art Deco designs; Onchi Kōshirō (1891–1955), the first to produce Japan’s first purely abstract work; and Suzuki Shigeyoshi (1900–76), whose oeuvre was infused with radical leftist imagery. Art historians provide contextualizing information on the artists’ works, delineating the genres and themes present in each as well as their impact on fashion and media at large.

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