Cape of the North / 北の岬

The publisher, Yukawa Shobo, was established by Seiichi Yukawa in Osaka City in 1969, specializing in limited edition books in which one person handles all processes from work selection to bookbinding and binding. Yukawa was a securities company employee, but he became aware of the beauty of books as a craft and entered the world of bookbinding as a self-taught bookbinder, hoping to "give literature a fitting binding. He first published this book and Kunio Tsuji's "Kita no cape" in 1969, the year he established Yukawa Shobo. Each of these books was created by selecting the cover design, paper for printing, font, and other factors that were appropriate for the work. The number of copies was about 100 to 150, and they were sold to a limited number of people. The "72 Club" was also established by book collectors who supported Yukawa Shobo. In 2008, Yukawa's death marked the end of the bookstore's activities.

刊行元の湯川書房は、湯川成一が1969年に大阪市で設立した出版社で、作品選定から装丁、造本に至る全ての工程を1人で手がける限定本を専門にしていた。湯川氏は証券会社の会社員だったが、工芸としての本の美しさに目覚め、「文学にふさわしい装いをさせたい」と、独学で製本の世界に入った。湯川書房を設立した69年に、本書、辻邦生氏の「北の岬」を刊行したのが最初。いずれも表紙のデザイン、印刷する紙、文字のフォントなど作品に合ったものを選び抜いて作り上げた本ばかり。部数は100～150部程度で限られた人に販売するという手法を取っていた。湯川書房を支援する書籍収集家らによって「72倶楽部」も発足。京都市に移転後も、事務所にはいつも文学者や美術家が集って芸術談議に花を咲かせ、さながらサロンのようだったという。2008年、湯川氏の死去で書店の活動を終えた。