The other day, I came across a photograph by Takeoshi Tanuma of Ito Sei in his shosai. Per Momus:
A shosai is a room for books, a study, a workspace, a den for reading and writing. For me, this photo is the archetypal Japanese literary den. Ito sits on the floor in a tiny space, seen from a staircase. A naked bulb hangs above, and from floor to ceiling books line the space, less than one tatami mat across.It looks like what I imagine sitting in your own brain would be like - overwhelming information, close to hand, idiosyncratically organized.
The photo is from this book ... I am thinking of ordering it.
