TABF 2022 comprised four areas. In the ENTRANCE area, located near the museum’s entrance on the first floor, visitors encountered publishers, galleries, bookstores, and artists, including those who had recently embarked on their ventures or operated on a smaller scale. In the PRINTER area just behind them, one could find booths of printing, bookbinding, and paper-making companies. The EXHIBITION SPACE on the second basement floor  featured galleries, bookstores, and actively publishing artists. Meanwhile, the ZINE’S MATE in the atrium brought together independent artists and publishers.

TABF features a Guest Country program that highlights a single country or region, introducing its publishing culture. For the sixth edition, France was the focal point. Within the EXHIBITION SPACE on the second basement floor, there were the “Bouquinistes” area, reminiscent of the stalls along the Seine River; “60 Years of Yvon Lambert,” an exhibition space dedicated to Yvon Lambert, a prominent figure in the French contemporary art scene; and the “agnès b. loves art!” section, which allowed visitors to look back on the free art papers distributed at agnès b. shops and other locations.

While experiencing firsthand French publishing culture, we immediately went shopping.

The first stop at the EXHIBITION SPACE, where overseas bookstores and publishers also exhibited, was torch press, known for publishing Rinko Kawauchi’s photo books and Ho Tzu-Nien’s exhibition catalog. What caught Mr. Saito’s eye was “Eugene Studio After the rainbow” which happened to be the catalog for an exhibition held at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo from November 2021 to February 2022. Despite some surface scratches, it was priced at 3,000 yen (list price: 3,800 yen). TABF offers a unique opportunity to discover books not commonly found in general bookstores, often at attractive prices.

Next, we went to the ZINE’S MATE in the atrium. This area, filled with numerous zines—booklets produced independently by individuals—also served as a place for discovering new talents. Amidst a selection of zines, books, stickers, tote bags, and other items, Mr. Saito’s attention was drawn to the SI RUIDA booth, showcasing a panel titled Visual Philosophy. “Visual Philosophy Thoughts on I and We” by illustrator and designer SI RUIDA is a graphic design book about life and the universe. It consists of illustrations and text created with a free, expressive style.

We then proceeded to the ENTRANCE on the first floor, where booths of publishers and other exhibitors lined the area. Among the publishers, such as Seigensha and HeHe, publishing exhibition catalogs and art-related books, as well as Nanarokusha, known for poetry collections and comics, there were also individual artists and JAXA, responsible for research and development in the field of aerospace. In the middle of the area, the 85th-anniversary issue of Hanatsubaki, a cultural magazine by Shiseido, which was celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2022, was distributed. In addition to books, T-shirts and other merchandise were also on sale, creating a vibrant atmosphere.

In such an area, a poster portraying a field of sunflowers in bloom caught Saito’s attention. This poster was from shushulina publishing, a label run by photographer Suilen Higashino. Mr. Saito found himself torn between choosing “Pendant 1957-2018,” and the photo book “Flower, Sound, Light,” which included a poster. “Pendant 1957-2018” contains photographs taken by Higashino’s Israeli grandfather some 60 years ago, as well as Higashino’s own photographs of capturing events around her from the past six years, up until 2018.

Another booth that grabbed Mr. Saito’s attention at the ENTRANCE was YOU ARE HERE, with an eye-catching cover featuring a photograph of stones. Bohus Malmön is a collection of photographs capturing the island of Bohus Malmön in Sweden. It documented the summer of 2022 when Chikako Oguma, Kimiaki Tanigawa, and others visited the island. It also serves as a personal record of their time with friends and family who had invited them to the island.

The area behind the ENTRANCE was the PRINTER. Exhibitors included Takeo, known for its wide variety of paper, Sun-M Color, specializing in exhibition catalogs and art books, and Tokyo Inshokan. Among them was ALBATRO DESIGN, a Tokyo-based design studio with its own printing facility, PRINT + PLANT, which offers letterpress printing, lithography, and other special processes. Mr. Saito decided to try the gacha vending machine, which offered cards with graphical motifs printed in letterpress.

After visiting all areas in about an hour, his shopping expedition came to an end. When we asked Mr. Saito for his thought on TABF 2022, he replied, “If I were given the opportunity, I would love to spend a whole day here. There were so many books and items related to a wide variety of art,” he said. From private zines created by individuals to books from publishers typically found in bookstores, TABF showcased a truly extensive range of genres, all  centered around art, including music, philosophy, natural science and more. Mr. Saito, who also presents his own music, seemed to be intrigued particularly by the music-related items. As he reflected on the items he purchased, Mr. Saito recalls, “I suppose I was in the mood to select something with a touch of warmth rather than something inorganic.”

Shopping naturally reflects the emotions and personality of the buyer. TABF, where a diverse range of art books come together, can be described as a place where one can connect with their own sensibilities and experience serendipitous encounters with previously unknown things.

In addition to the above mentioned exhibitions and sales booths, TABF featured a special “Risopioneers” exhibition showcasing colorful risographs, and a “Kids’ Reading Room” offering French and Japanese picture books for children for the first time. During the fair period, talk sessions and workshops were also held on-site. TABF is basically held once a year, providing an opportunity to explore and acquire art books from various perspectives, continuously evolving with each edition. It’s a must-attend event for art and book enthusiasts, offering direct interaction with creators and the chance to discover favorite books.