New Magic of Japan, 1988

A quick and easy introduction to this book is to say that New Magic of Japan is a collection of 25 magic routines from 25 different Japanese magicians. And, well, that's a true statement.

However, there's a lot more to it than that. Coming in at 123 pages, the 25 routines that are written throughout this book cover so many areas in magic. There are a couple of card tricks, there are coin tricks, a trick with dice, a glass production, a wand vanish, a cane appearing from a fireball, and even more! While yes, there are stage effects included within, there are also plenty of close-up magic routines too.

While, personally, I thought I would be immersed more in the Japanese magic culture in this book, it's more akin to dipping a toe in the water of what is Japanese magic. Since there is so much disparity between each individual trick and magician, finding a unified source of inspiration is difficult. Fortunately, each and every routine is both stunning and beautiful in its own way. That, in my opinion, is the heart of Japanese magic and what this book is meant to show us.

I've read through the book once already and have several effects I'll be using -- including non-card-magic routines! If you're new to magic or are looking to mix things up a little, I recommend New Magic of Japan!