Purple Magazine
— Purple #43 S/S 2025
The Tokyo Diary Issue

empire of signs

essay by ROLAND BARTHES   French philosopher and semiotician Roland Barthes (1915–1980) visited Japan in 1966, where he wrote his famous essay Empire of Signs. The book shaped France’s intellectual and artistic fascination with Japan, serving as a key introduction to the country for decades. While sometimes critiqued as a form of Orientalism, it remains […]

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[Table of contents]

Purple #43 S/S 2025 The Tokyo Diary Issue

Table of contents

© Purple Institute

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