Days in Japan: Sketch by Sketch by Arnaud De Meyer (book review)

Arnaud De Meyer is an artist, architect and urban sketcher based in Luxembourg.

Days in Japan: Sketch by Sketch is the second sketchbook from Arnaud De Meyer if I'm not wrong. The earlier or first sketchbook I featured was LUXEMBOURG sketch by sketch. Price of this sketchbook is 25€.

This is a lovely 120-page hardcover sketchbook with sketches made during his trip to Kyoto and Osaka. The cover has a circular hole cutout that shows the Osaka Castle, and you can turn over to see the full sketch.

The sketches are from selected from those that he has made over a period of 12 years, including the more recent sketches during his architectural assignment for the Luxembourg Pavilion at Expo 2025 in Osaka Kansai.

I love travelogue sketchbooks and I love this sketchbook. I enjoy the beautiful sketches very much as they remind me of my own trip to Japan a few years ago. In this book you'll see many sketches of temples, Japan suburbs, architecture, greenery, inside cafes and restaurants, the giant Gundam and some aspects of Japanese culture and history.

Some sketches are just line art. Some are coloured with watercolour or gray ink washes. I like the looseness and liveliness.

This is a sketchbook I can recommend to people who love Japan, sketchbooks, travelogues and urban sketching.

You can see more of his sketches on his blog too.

Online store
https://www.sketchbysketch.lu