J A PA N E S E B O A R D O N B O O K S F O R Y O U N G P E O P L E

2018
Japanese
Children's Books

Japanese Children's Books

Cover illustration by

Maki Arai
Born in Tokyo in 1965, Maki Araiis a painter of meticulously detailed saimitsuga artwork. She
was awarded the Golden Apple BIB for Tanpopo (Dandelion;

About JBBY and This Catalog

Kinnohoshi-sha) in 2017. The
cover illustration comes from her
picture book Asagao (Morning
Glory; Kinnohoshi-sha).

The Japanese Board on Books for Young People (JBBY) was founded in 1974
as the Japanese Section of the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY).
JBBY is dedicated to enhancing international understanding, and to providing information on children’s books to people around the world. We promote IBBY’s mission in a broad range of ways. Our international network
allows us to take advantage of the prolific information generated by IBBY
and to encourage mutual understanding. Our mission is to create a peaceful
future for children through books.

Japanese Children's Books

2018
JBBY hosts international book exhibitions in Japan that provide information
about global titles to Japanese readers. In addition, we provide information

Contents● About JBBY and This Catalog ................................................................................................3

on Japanese children’s books to people around the world. We nominate
titles for international recognition, as a means to deepen global understanding towards Japan.

● Recent Japanese Children's Books Recommended by JBBY
Picture books (29 titles since 2016) .......................................................................................4

In this catalog, we describe recent Japanese books recommended by a

Chapter books and novels (23 titles since 2016) .............................................................9JBBY book selection team in several categories: picture books, chapter

Nonfiction (29 titles since 2016) .......................................................................................... 13

books and novels, and nonfiction. In addition we introduce Japanese

Subject index................................................................................................................................ 18

winners of and nominees for the Hans Christian Andersen Awards, and● The Hans Christian Andersen Award Since 2000

the selected books for the IBBY Honour List since 1990.

4 winners and 12 nominees .................................................................................................. 20● The IBBY Honour List Since 1990

We list these books by category and in order of target age, including cover

14 titles for Writing, 15 titles for Illustration, and 15 titles for Translation.......... 24

images and synopses along with bibliographic information. We hope you● Book Selection Team............................................................................................................... 26

will enjoy reading about these books. For further information, please contact● Special Essay by Yumiko Sakuma

us: info@jbby.org

Growth in Japanese Children's Book Publishing Since World War II ....................... 27
Yumiko SAKUMA, JBBY President

Cover illustration Ⓒ Maki Arai

Recent Picture Books for Ages 0 and Up
1

RecentPicture
Books

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6

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ひよこさん
Hiyoko-san（Little Chick）

カレーライスKareraisu（Curry Rice）

ぐる ぐる ぐるGuru-guru-guru（Round and Round and Round）

けもののにおいがしてきたぞKemono no nioi ga shitekita zo

よるのおとYoru no oto（Night Sounds）

Tex t: Soya, Kiyoshi | Illus. Hayashi, Akiko | Tok yo:

Text/Illus. Konishi, Eiko | Tokyo: Fukuinkan Shoten | 2017

Tex t: Uchida, Rintaro | Illus. Nagano, Hideko | To-

Fukuinkan Shoten | 2017 | 20 pp. | 20×19 cm | ISBN| 24 pp. | 22×21 cm | ISBN 9784834082807 | Ages 2+ |kyo: Kinnohoshi-sha | 2016 | 24 pp. | 21×28 cm | ISBN

Text/Illus. mirocomachiko | Tokyo: Iwasaki Shoten | 2016

pp. | 30×22 cm | ISBN 9784032324808 | Ages 3+ | Night,

9784834083149 | Ages 0+ | Babies, Getting lost, Mothers

Cooking, Eating, Making

9784323032238 | Ages 3+ | Rolling, Girl, Nonsense| 32 pp. | 27×32 cm | ISBN 9784265081486 | Ages 3+ |Sound, Nature（Beasts Smelling）

Text/Illus. Tamura, Shigeru | Tokyo: Kaiseisha | 2017 | 32

Beasts, Animal trails, Monsters, Birds, Smells

Before sunset, a chick goes outside. “Where are

Curry rice, made by pouring curry roux on rice, is a

When little girl Non-chan moves her finger in a cir-

you going?” “It’ll be dark soon.” In sync with the

popular dish on Japanese tables. This book showscle—guru-guru-guru—everyone looks all around.

The author mirocomachiko won a Plaque at the

walk along the bank of a pond to his grandfather’s

text, silhouettes of plants in the background seemin detail how to prepare it after gathering onions,

When she does this to the dragonfly Yanma, she

Biennial of Illustrations Bratislava (BIB) in 2017 forhouse one summer’s night. Nothing in particular

to worry about the chick and call out to it. Youngreaders will grow nervous along with them. Yet

carrots, potatoes, and beef. “Curry rice, here wecome!” The ton-ton-ton of cutting, the juu-juu

catches him. When a fierce boar charges and ascary ghost threatens to eat her, she does it tothis book. On animal trails thick with weeds andflowers and hidden by trees and bushes, the dark

happens, but there is abundant life: insects chirrup at his feet; the whistle of a train is heard inwhen the sky grows dark, the chick pulls a leaf overitself and sleeps. The chick who is all alone, yetpeacefully sleeping, shows trust in the world. The
night sky, the ground, the plants, and the mother
who will surely appear, are looking after the chick.

of frying, and the koto-koto-koto of boiling add
enjoyable sounds to the warm illustrations. The
fun of cooking and a love for curry rice overflow
from this book. You will want to eat curry rice rightaway. (Shirota)them too, and prevails. Then Non-chan thinks of a
grand prank, and does guru-guru-guru to a huge
tower. What will happen? The veteran author andillustrator achieve breath-like rhythm and pacing in this nonsense book that frees the heart. A

shapes of unknown creatures move, their eyes
flashing. Boulders roll, the trail groans, strange
birds take flight, and the trees and grasses quake.
The dynamic brushwork, the repetition of thephrase “It’s starting to smell like beasts,” and thethe distance; as the frog jumps in, ripples on thewater spread like a galaxy. The inspiration for thiswork was the shock the author felt aged nine upon
reading Matsuo Basho’s famous haiku, “The oldpond/A frog jumps in/The sound of the water.” Themessage from the creators on the jacket is alsofun. (Hiromatsu)

dense scenes, conjure up the scents of unknown
creatures. This is a powerful picture book filled

muted blue tone of the pictures has been painstakingly created by hand using calculated color
separation. The pages breathe life stimulating all

The collage illustrations do not over-describe, but
color conveys time’s passing, and the overall feel
imparts a warm sense of life. (Hiromatsu)

A drama about the brief time it takes a boy towith the life force of wild things. (Nogami)

five senses. (Hiromatsu)

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9

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くまさん
Kuma-san（Bear）

ぱーおーぽのうた
Pa o po no uta（Pa-o-po Song）

ゆっくりおでかけ
Yukkuri odekake（A Slow Outing）

うおいちば
Uo-ichiba（Fish Market）

おとうさんは、 いま
Otousan wa, ima（Where Is Dad Now?）

ばけ バケツBake baketsu（The Ghost Bucket）

Tex t: Mado, Michio | Illus. Mashima, Setsuko | To-

Text/Illus. Kikuchi, Chiki | Tokyo: Kosei Shuppansha |Text/Illus. Gomi, Taro | Tokyo: Doshinsha | 2016 | 24 pp.

Text: Yasue, Rie | Illus. Tanaka, Kiyo | Tokyo: Fukuinkan

Text: Yumoto, Kazumi | Illus. Sasameya, Yuki | Tokyo:

Text/Illus. Karube, Takehiro | Tokyo: Komine Shoten |k yo: Kogumasha | 2017 | 24 pp. | 20×21 cm | ISBN2016 | 32 pp. | 31×24 cm | ISBN 9784333027439 | Ages

| 20×20 cm | ISBN 9784494014576 | Ages 2+ | Outings,

Shoten | 2016 | 28 pp. | 26×24 cm | ISBN 9784834082845

Fukuinkan Shoten | 2016 | 32 pp. | 20×27 cm | ISBN2017 | 32 pp. | 31×24 cm | ISBN 9784338261289 | Ages

9784772102353 | Ages 2+ | Bears, Poetry, Identity, Spring

2+ | Elephants, Rhythm, Animals

Penguins, Character| Ages 3+ | Family, Fish, Work, Science

9784834083095 | Ages 3+ | Fathers, Daydreaming, Night

3+ | Night, Moon, Buckets, Animals, Fish, Strange hap-This is a picture book version of the poem “Kuma-

A small red elephant walks along singing. Mar-For small children going out alone is an adven-

Kiyo wakes up at four in the morning and accom-

A little girl’s father has promised to read her asan” by the well-known Japanese poet Mado Michio. Spring has come and a bear cub wakes fromhibernation. While gazing at the dandelions, hewonders, “Who am I?” Coming to a river, he sees

shalling his trunk like the adult elephants, he eats
grass, drinks water, and splashes mud on his dry
skin. Soon other herbivores such as the giraffeand gazelle join in (hyenas and other predators

ture. A baby penguin goes out slowly onto an icecovered path, walking and sliding ever so gingerly,
doing his best not to fall along the way, and carefully negotiating bumps in the path and steep

panies her mother, father and grandfather to thefish market where she watches them work and explores the surroundings. There she sees many varieties of fish laid out for auction, the unloading ofbook at bedtime but phones to say he will be late.
The girl wonders where he might be now. First, she
imagines him finishing his work, then getting onto
the train, walking through the shopping arcade

A bucket is walking along on a moonlit night whenit trips, making a giant puddle. A wildcat scratches
the surface and the puddle shrieks. An owl hoots
and the puddle hoots back. A boy comes to fish in

his reflection in the water and remembers that heis a bear. The illustrations give a soft and humorous portrayal of the drowsy bear waking from hibernation, the way he enjoys nature with his entire
body, his uncertainty when he cannot remember
who he is, and his joy and satisfaction at rediscov-are shooed off), and soon many friends stomp theearth and call out in a grand parade. The creatorof this book has earned international acclaim for
inviting watercolors and ink drawings, but here
offers a hymn to a strongly lived, fervently desired
life by rough artwork. Rhythm, joie de vivre, andslopes…but just when he thinks he’s arrived safely
at his aunt’s house, what should happen? This is
the first in Gomi Taro’s “The Outing” series of threebooks. The others are An Energetic Outing abouta child who bumps into everything, and A HurriedOuting taking his own childhood as a model. Eachfish from the boats and her mother buying fish at
the auction. At the same time, Kiyo is on a mission.
Her grandfather has entrusted her with the task offinding a kinmedai or red bream, which she locates
successfully. At the end of the day, the red bream
becomes a treat for her grandmother’s birthday

and along the river. There, she pictures him running into a kappa or water sprite who chases him.
Her father opens his umbrella and floats away,
landing on a slide in the park. Then he runs home.
The girl’s daydreams are deftly rendered throughthe dynamic composition and warm touch of theit and elephants bathe in it. Fish pour down withthe rain and a wolf comes to take a drink. With ashout of “Oshimai!” (The End!), the water is suckedback into the bucket. In this funny picture book of
a crazy moonlit night, the identity of the bucket isonly revealed at the very end. (Nogami)

ering that he is a bear. (Doi)excited energy will pass right into toddlers. (Hiromatsu)

book has its own amusing character. (Hiromatsu)

with the whole family gathered around the tableto celebrate. The etchings vividly depict the bustleof the workers at the fish market. (Doi)illustrations. (Doi)penings, Puddles

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Recent Picture Books for Ages 3 and Up
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13

へろへろおじさん
Herohero ojisan（Uncle Trouble）

かわをむきかけたサトモちゃん
Kawa o mukikaketa Satomo-chan

14

19とのさまと海Tono-sama to umi（The Lord and the Sea）

夢金
Yumekin（Dream Money）

Text/Illus. Tashima, Seizo | Tokyo: Froebel-kan | 2017 | 32

Text: Sanyutei, Hakucho | Illus. Ohara, Hidekazu | Edit.

Text: Tatekawa, Danshun | Illus. Terakado, Takayuki |福島の伝説 猫魔ヶ岳の妖怪
Fukushima no densetsu: Nekomagadake no yokai（Legends from Fukushima: The Monster of Nekomagadake）| 32 pp. | 27×20 cm | ISBN 9784834083248 | Ages 3+ |Text: Eguchi, Yoshiko | Illus. Orimo, Kyoko | Tokyo: Alice-

pp. | 25×23 cm | ISBN 9784577045190 | Ages 5+ | Rain;

Baba, Kenichi | Tokyo: Akane Shobo | 2016 | 32 pp. |Edit. Baba, Kenichi | Tokyo: Akane Shobo | 2017 | 32 pp. |Uncles, Trouble, Ice cream, Nonsensekan | 2017 | 32 pp. | 23×22 cm | ISBN 9784752007920 |Staying home alone; Reality and fantasy

30×22 cm | ISBN 9784251095077 | Ages 6+ | Sea, Mys-

30×22 cm | ISBN 9784251095107 | Ages 6+ | Night, Snow,

Retold: Yaoit a, Yoko | Illus. Saito, Takao | Tok yo:

tery, Adventure, Experts, Fishing, Skeletons

Rivers, Boats, Samurai, Money, Dreams

Fukuinkan Shoten | 2017 | 56 pp. | 26×26 cm | ISBN

Ages 4+ | Vegetables, Fruit, Identity

This picture book follows the escapades of a man

Neno and his younger sister Kifu are home alone

9784834083279 | Ages 6+ | Legends, Fukushima, Na-

who encounters one catastrophe after another but

One day, a mysterious letter is delivered to a taro

on a rainy day. As they gaze out the window, theyThis humorous picture book is based on a tradi-

Rakugo is a traditional form of humorous story-

is rescued by a little girl. He sets off to mail a let-called Satomo, informing her, “Actually, you’re aslip into a fantasy world. One by one strange

tional form of Japanese storytelling, and the illus-

telling in Japan, and this is a classic rakugo taleter only to step on a ball that is lying on the stairs
and go sailing down the steps. A mat falls on his

kiwi.” To begin with she thinks it is just a joke, butthen she starts getting worried. She asks otherthings come into view: a frog with a butterbur
leaf umbrella, a horde of tadpoles, snails spin-

trations are strongly reminiscent of the woodblock
prints of the famous ukiyo-e artist, Toshusai Shar-

retold. One snowy night, a samurai appears at aferry station and asks to be ferried across the riverThis book contains four legends from Fukushimathat have been passed down for generations: The

head from a window, his hat is run over by a car,and when he finally manages to mail the letter,
his ice cream falls off the cone. Finally, he bursts
into tears. At that moment, a little girl appears andgives him another ice cream cone. The repeatedpeople and checks herself in the mirror, and goesto meet a sweet-smelling kiwi who merely laughs
at her. Finally, in order to check the color of her
insides, she tries to peel off her own skin, but…it
hurts! Seeing the taro going through an identity

ning round and round, huge trees and vegetables.
Dancing joyfully, Neno and Kifu weave boats fromblades of bamboo grass to help little animals get
through the rain. When their mother comes home,they return to reality. The playful wording andaku. It is a large-scale nonsense tale, a seeming
parody on Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea.
The servants of a lord who loves fishing borrow amysterious fishing rod from a master fisherman’s
tool shed. The lord, who only goes after the bigwith a young woman, offering to pay very well forthis service. The ferryman eagerly accepts the job.
The samurai tells him privately that he convinced
the girl to leave her home bearing lots of money
and that he will pay him well if he will kill the girl

Monster of Nekomagadake, The Youth Who Roseto the Heavens, The Great Cedar and the Young
Maiden, and The Foxes’ Rice Paddy. Before thenuclear accident that occurred during the 2011
tsunami, Fukushima was a beautiful land, rich incatastrophes are depicted with a humorous, cartoon-like touch. (Doi)crisis is funny, but also touching and we sympathize with her. The highly expressive collage bya veteran illustrator brings this debut author’s

strong illustrations capture the children’s delightin the strange world they encounter. (Sakuma)

fish, catches a huge tuna but is pulled into the sea.
What follows is a hilarious account of the lord’s
rescue by the fishing rod, which houses the soulas well. The ferryman saves the girl, receiving a
reward from her parents. The illustrations aresuperb, switching suddenly from dark scenes tonature and home to many organic farmers. Fromthese legends, we can imagine that land, feel humankind’s relationship with living creatures andof the master fisherman expressed by bones and askeleton. (Nogami)

bright, and the reader cannot help but laugh when
it is revealed that it was all a dream. (Nogami)

nature, and sense nature’s immeasurable power.
(Sakuma)work to life. (Hiromatsu)

15

手おけのふくろう
Teoke no fukuro（Owl Chicks in a Pail）

16

こうさぎとほしのどうくつ
Kousagi to hoshi no dokutsu（The Little Bunnies and the Star Cave）

Tex t: Hirano, Nobuaki | Illus. Abe, Hiroshi | Tok yo:

17

22

21

ture’s power

23

あからん ことばさがし絵本
Akaran（Akaran: Word Search Picture Book）

お ・ は・よ・ うO-ha-yo-u（Good Morning）

ばあばは、 だいじょうぶ
Baaba wa, daijobu（Grandma Is All Right）

このあと どうしちゃおう
Kono ato do shichao（What Happens Next?）

Text/Illus. Nishimura, Shigeo | Tokyo: Fukuinkan Shoten

Text: Imamura, Ashiko | Illus. Hirasawa, Tomoko | To-

Tex t: Kusunoki, Atsuko | Illus. Ishii, Tsutomu | To-

Text/Illus. Yoshitake, Shinsuke | Tokyo: Bronze Publish-

Fukuinkan Shoten | 2017 | 48 pp. | 25×24 cm | ISBN

Text: Watari, Mutsuko | Illus. Dekune, Iku | Tokyo: Nora

| 2017 | 64 pp. | 27×19 cm | ISBN 9784834083231 | Ages

kyo: Asunaro Shobo | 2016 | 32 pp. | 22×20 cm | ISBNk yo: Doshinsha | 2016 | 37 pp. | 21×23 cm | ISBN

ing | 2016 | 32 pp. | 26×21 cm | ISBN 9784893096173 |978483408 | Ages 5+ | Owls, Nests, Coexistence

Shoten | 2016 | 40 pp. | 26×21 cm | ISBN 9784905015277

5+ | Words, Picture puzzles, Nonsense

9784751528181 | Ages 6+ | Words, Family, Reading

9784494005970 | Ages 6+ | Grandmothers, Dementia,

Ages 7+ | Death, Grandfathers, Philosophy| Ages 5+ | Rabbits, Caves, Exploring, Friends

A pair of owls is startled to find that the cherry tree

6

20

あめがふるふるAme ga furufuru（It Rains and It Pours）（Satomo, the Taro who Tried to Peel Herself）

Text/Illus. Sasaki, Maki | Tokyo: Fukuinkan Shoten | 201718

in which they build their nest each year has fallen.
They look all over for a good place to nest but
cannot find any. In the end, they choose a wooden
bucket hanging from the eaves of a house. When

Four little bunnies run into a cave to escape astorm. There they meet their bunny neighbors
and begin exploring the cave together. But one ofthem drops the lantern and in the darkness, theyit rains or snows, the father owl spreads his wings
to protect the nest, and when the chicks hatch, hebrings them food and fights off a civet. The daycomes when the three chicks safely leave the nest
and the family returns to the woods. Throughout,the elderly man who lives in the house keeps anslide into a big cavern within the cave. The ceilingtwinkles as though with stars. By this light, thebunnies find their way out of the cave and returnhome safely. The emotions they experience, suchas surprise, anxiety, relief and happiness, are beautifully conveyed through their facial expressions

eye on them. The author uses his knowledge ofbirds to realistically convey the way owls raise their
young while the artist’s striking illustrations convey the natural setting. (Sakuma)

as well as the richly varied background colors. (Sakuma)

Illness, Caregiving, Family life

This is the equivalent of a Japanese alphabet (Ato Z) book. The title Akaran refers to the Japanese phonetic alphabet. It is composed of one
scene for each phonetic sound, fifty in all, witha few lines of amusing alliterative poetry. Words

Yoshio is soon to start elementary school. On a
Sunday morning, he goes around his family asking
each of them in turn how to read the four characters that make up the word “ お は よ う /o-ha-yo-u,”which means “Good morning.“ Each phonetic

Tsubasa loves his grandmother. She always encourages him, saying, “It’s all right!” and is verykind. But when she gets “the sickness that makes
her forget,” she changes. She asks the same ques-

titled “What happens next?” In the notebook,
Grandpa has written his hopes and imaginar yideas for what will happen after he dies, such as
what to wear and take with him when he goes tobeginning with each sound are embedded in the
picture to provide a surreal spectacle inviting thereader to laugh. (For example, a whale and walnut are caught in a spider’s web.) Words that arecharacter conjures up a different image, such as
the sun, a spring breeze, Yoshio’s name, and so on.
Through the conversation with his beloved family,
Yoshio is able to remember the characters. The illustrator has enveloped the family environment ina warm glow to create an engaging picture booktion many times, cannot knit well like she used to,
and gets lost. As her dementia progresses, Tsubasa
begins to avoid her. One day, however, he discovers numerous notes she wrote to try and remember things, and he realizes that she has struggled
to fight her illness. The symptoms of dementia andheaven, what he would like to be reborn as, thetype of god he likes, etc. With a unique concept
and comical pictures, this internationally popular
author breaks through the taboos surrounding
death, portraying it as something that should becasually discussed within families. This book is notdescribing the joy of reading for the first time. It
will also encourage readers to feel hopeful about
starting school. (Hiromatsu)

the feelings of sufferers and their families are portrayed in warm illustrations, from the viewpoint of
the grandson, in this story. (Shirota)

just humorous and accessible, but also graduallyencourages the reader to think deeply. (Hiromatsu)

familiar to little children as well as more difficult
words stimulating a desire to learn are included,
so children and adults can enjoy the word search
together. (Hiromatsu)

After Grandpa died, the family finds his notebook

7

Recent Picture Books for Ages 7 and Up/Recent Chapter Books and Novels for Ages 5 and Up
24

25

さらじいさんSara-jiisan（Old Dish Man）

とらねことらたとなつのうみ
Toraneko Torata to natsu no umi

26

えとえとがっせん
Eto eto gassen（Zodiac Showdown）（Striped Cat Torata and the Summer Sea）

Text/Illus. Hasegawa, Hacchi | Tokyo: Bronze Publishing

Text/Illus. Ishiguro, Ayako | Tokyo: WAVE Shuppan || 2017 | 32 pp. | 27×22 cm | ISBN 9784893096272 | Ages

Text: Aman, Kimiko | Illus. Hirose, Gen | Tokyo: PHP In-

2016 | 32 pp. | 22×30 cm | ISBN 9784872909586 | Ages

7+ | Antique, Flatware, Elderly people, Adventure

stitute | 2016 | 32 pp. | 23×23 cm | ISBN 9784569785585 |7+ | Zodiac, Picture scrolls, Action comedy

RecentChapterBooks
andNovelsAges 7+ | Ocean, Cats, Grandmothers, Drawing

This fantasy picture book unfolds within the blue

Once upon a time, twelve animals were chosen

ピクルスとふたごのいもうと
Pikurusu to futago no imoto（Pickles and His Little Twin Sisters）

31

キダマッチ先生！ 1 先生かんじゃにのまれる
Kidamacchi-sensei! 1（Dr. Kidamatchi Vol. 1: Swallowed by his Patient）

Text: Kokaze, Sachi | Illus. Natsume, Chisa | Tok yo:

Text: Imai, Kyoko | Illus. Okamoto, Jun | Hyogo: BL Shup-

Fukuinkan Shoten | 2016 | 120 pp. | 22×19 cm | ISBNpan | 2017 | 32 pp. | 21×19 cm | ISBN 9784776408147 |9784834082883 | Ages 5+ | Pigs, Siblings, Sisters, Morn-

Ages 7+ | Frogs, Fantasy, Doctors

ing glories, Seeds

design on an antique Ko-Imari plate. A girl receives

Torata is a striped cat full of curiosity. In this sec-

for the zodiac, the divine servant Eto. In this book,the plate from her grandfather. It is for decora-ond story picture book about him and Grandma

twelve animals not chosen insist, “All creatures areThis is the second book in the Pickles the Piglet

who is a noted doctor for insects and animals. Dr.

tion, he tells her, not to be used. The girl notices aclose-shaven man in the plate’s design, and names

Chii, who loves drawing, mysterious happenings
occur. One summer day, at the urging of Torata—

equal!” and call for a face-off. In contrast to thetwelve zodiac animals, portrayed as strong andseries of stories for young children. This volume’s four stories include “Pickles Becomes a Big

Kidamatchi has been bandaging Grandpa Ant’s
broken leg and teaching Mrs. Lizard to cope withhim Old Dish Man. One day, she secretly puts a donut on the plate to eat, and Old Dish Man reaches
out, pulling the donut and her into the dish. There,
as the girl tries to get her donut back, mysteryawaits. (Shirota)

who has never been to the sea—Grandma Chii
draws the ocean on a large piece of paper. The
wide ocean, the sea breeze, a boat that speeds
along, abundant fish…as delighted Torata enjoys
the drawing, suddenly he is inside it! Grandma

serious, the team of challengers (even a raccoon)
are drawn comically, as not quite all there. The
fifteenth-century, Muromachi-period picture scroll
Junirui emaki about the zodiac is inventively rearranged. With a beginning like gag manga, a rap

Brother” and “Pickles’ Tears.” Pickles’ mother ispregnant; his father brings out Pickles’ old baby
carriage. Pickles wonders, “How did I fit in such asmall space? When did I grow?” Soon twin girls areborn, and Pickles’ mother is busy. Warm prose andher breathlessness, when news comes of a calfthat has fallen ill at the farm. When Dr. Kidamatchi
looks into the calf’s mouth, he sees a ball has got
stuck and tries to dislodge it but ends up going
into the calf’s stomach along with the ball. Fortu-

Chii comes next. Torata’s wish to see the ocean
has brought about magic. Illustrations convey
the wonder of Torata and Grandma Chii as theyskirmish, and a battle anime sequence completewith fighter moves and shape-shifting, Japanesetraditions and subcultures fuse in this entertaining

illustrations portray curious, observant Pickles’
daily life. (Shirota)

nately, he is hauled to safety by the rope tied to his
leg. The illustrations brings the animal world richly
to life with realistic yet personable depictions of

explore the ocean in the drawing to their hearts’content. (Shirota)

picture book. (Hiromatsu)

27

ぼくはかわです
Boku wa kawa desu（I Am a River）

28

わくせいキャベジ動物図鑑
Wakusei kyabetsu dobutsu zukan（Planet Cabbage Animal Encyclopedia）

Text/Illus. Ueda, Makoto | Tokyo: WAVE Shuppan | 201629

ドームがたりDomugatari（Dome Story）

This book is about a frog called Dr. Kidamatchi,

frogs, insects and animals. (Doi)32

指きりは魔法のはじまり
Yubikiri wa maho no hajimari（The Magic Starts with a Pinky Promise）

Text: Binard, Arthur | Illus. Suzuki, Koji | Tokyo: Tamaga-

33

34

靴屋のタスケさん
Kutsuya no Tasuke-san（Tasuke the Cobbler）

春くんのいる家
Haru-kun no iru ie（The House Where Haru Lives）

Text: Kadono, Eiko | Illus. Mori, Tamaki | Tokyo: Kaiseisha

Text: Iwase, Joko | Illus. Tsuboya, Reiko | Tokyo: Bunkeido| 32 pp. | 22×30 cm | ISBN 9784872909445 | Ages 3+ |Text/Illus. tupera tupera | Tokyo: Alice-kan | 2016 | 40

wa University Press | 2017 | 34 pp. | 31×26 cm | ISBN

Text: Tomiyasu, Yoko | Illus. Oba, Kenya | Tokyo: Kaisei-| 2017 | 72 pp. | 22×16 cm | ISBN 9784035285205 | Ages

| 2017 | 104 pp. | 22×16 cm | ISBN 9784799901625 | Ages

River, Landscapes, Timepp. | 31×23 cm | ISBN 9784752007692 | Ages 7+ | Imagi-

9784472059919 | Ages 8+ | War, Nuclear weapons, Lifesha | 2016 | 266 pp. | 20×14 cm | ISBN 9784036441006 |9+ | Shoes, Artisans, War

9+ | Adoption, Family, Divorce, Remarriage

This story is about a little girl who is drawn to

A story about a new type of family. After Hinata’s
parents divorce, she goes with her mother to livewith her grandparents, but then her cousin Haru
also comes to live with them. Haru’s father had

nation, Encyclopedia, Vegetables

A picture book in which a river speaks in first

830

Ages 8+ | Fantasy, Family, Transformation

On August 6, 1945, the American air force dropped

person. Rivers are often depicted as flowing andchanging, but in this picture book the viewpoint isfixed. The landscape along the river is presented
one portion at a time. The water’s surface runs

Far off in the Milky Way, a small planet glows
greenish yellow: Planet Cabbage. On this planet
live some 28 mysterious creatures, which thisencyclopedia introduces. The creatures all havean atom bomb on Hiroshima. Including those who
subsequently died from radiation exposure, thebomb has killed a total of 400,000 people to date.
It destroyed a brick building located near the epi-

The tenth volume in a series about three children
whose parents are a fox and a human, and who
have magical powers. This time, the youngest child
Moe, who is at kindergarten, breaks her promise

an artisan’s handiwork during the war. The setting is Tokyo in 1942, and the author bases thestory on her own wartime experiences. The firstperson protagonist has just started school whenthrough the near-center of the spreads. The fixedcomposition (with one tiny, secret exception) andcolor palette are consistent throughout. Yet as thereader looks closely, a boat with a squirrel comes,
and a child appears. A small bird sings, and the riverbank comes to life. Colors shift. The wind ripples

names, appearances, and characteristics that represent a merging of animals with vegetables orfruit from Planet Earth. Example: Banaraffe (Banana+ Giraffe) is green when young but grows yellow
with time, and develops black markings. Each creature was illustrated by photographing a carefully

center, leaving only a portion of the walls and thesteel frame of its dome. This is now known as the
A-Bomb Dome and is a registered UNESCO World
Heritage site. The story, of which the Dome is thecentral character, encompasses how the building first came to be, the mechanism of the atom

not to tell anyone about a certain encounter she
had with magic, and a spell is put on her thatmakes whoever she kisses turn into a frog. When
she transforms her grandma and grandpa, herelder brother and sister turn to legends and folktales to find out how to reverse the spell and end

a young cobbler called Tasuke opens a shop in
her neighborhood. She is fascinated by his craft,
and after school drops by his shop to watch him
at work. Tasuke had escaped the draf t on account of being nearsighted, but as the war progresses even he is called up to fight. Abruptly

the water’s surface. This book helps one feel the
passage of time in a special way. (Hiromatsu)

chosen fruit or vegetable, printing the photo, andmaking it part of a collage. Collage is then combined with drawing in a fictional encyclopedia that
seems very real. (Hiromatsu)

bomb, and how nuclear power has since been
harnessed for electricity. The abstract depiction ofinvisible uranium particles scattering through the
air leaves a strong impression. (Nogami)

up using a 300-year-old case involving heavy rain,a monster serpent, a frog, and a dragon. (Doi)the girl is made aware of the contrast between
her peaceful days and the violence of war. Her
feelings are vividly por trayed throughout thestory. (Sakuma)

died of an illness, and when his mother remarried, his grandparents adopted him as an heir.
To begin with, relations in this new family of fiveare strained, as conflicting feelings and misunderstandings arise between them. However, after
Haru picks up an abandoned kitten one day, they
gradually draw closer together and create a new
family unit. This process is sensitively portrayedfrom Hinata’s perspective. (Sakuma)

9

Recent Chapter Books and Novels for Ages 9 and Up
35

36

マルの背中
Maru no senaka（Maru’s Back）

バンドガール！
Bando gaaru!（Band Girls!）

Text: Iwase, Joko | Tokyo: Kodansha | 2016 | 166 pp. |Tex t: Hamano, Kyoko | Illus. Shimura, Takako | To-

19×13 cm | ISBN 9784062200639 | Ages 9+ | Cat, Di-k yo: Kaiseisha | 2016 | 199 pp. | 19×13 cm | ISBN

vorce, Siblings, Family, Poverty

37

あぐり☆サイエンスクラブ : 春 まさかの田んぼクラブ !?
Aguri saiensu kurabu: Haru（Agriscience Club:41

神隠しの教室Kami kakushi no kyoshitsu

43

ふたりユースケ
Futari Yusuke（The Two Yusukes）

てんからどどんTen kara dodon（Lightning Strike from Heaven）

Spring—Seriously, A Rice Paddy Club?）（The Hidden Classroom）

Tex t: Mitamura, Nobuyuki | Illus. Osawa, Sachiko |Text: Uozumi, Naoko | Illus. Keisin | Tokyo: Poplar | 2016

Text: Yamamoto, Etsuko | Illus. Maruyama, Yuki | To-

Tok yo: Rironsha | 2017 | 222 pp. | 21×16 cm | ISBN| 188 pp. | 19×14 cm | ISBN 9784591150061 | Ages 12+ |9784036490202 | Ages 9+ | Future, Friendship, Music

Text: Horigome, Kaoru | Illus. Kurosu, Takane |Tokyo: Shin-nihon Shuppansha | 2017 | 158 pp. |k yo: Doshinsha | 2016 | 383 pp. | 20×14 cm | ISBN

9784652201930 | Ages 11+ | Legends, Prodigies, Rebirth,

Transformation, Spirit possession, Friendship, Personality,

9784494020492 | Ages 10+ | Bullying, Neglect, Mystery

CourageStrength and weakness

Since Azumi’s parents divorced two years ago,

The setting for this story is in the near future when

19×14 cm | ISBN 9784406061339 | Ages 10+ | Rice
cultivation, Clubs, Study, Friendshipher younger brother Rio has lived with her father,

the capital of Japan has been moved to Hokkaido

A novel dealing with the problems that Japanese

The narrator of this book is Yusuke Ogawa, who is

Karin and Riko are 14 years old and middle school

while Azumi lives with her mother in a public
apartment. Her mother works at the convenience

after a natural disaster caused a radioactive leak.

This is the first book in a trio. Fifth grader Manabu

children these days have to deal with. One day, five

starting sixth grade. Though active and strong, heclassmates. They also live in the same apartment

Although Tokyo is no longer deemed safe, fifth
grader Sara is among those unable to move to theis different from his accomplished big brother; hecannot take exams for private middle school, andchildren disappear from school: Kana, a girl who
was being bullied; Vanessa, a Brazilian singled out

can also be violent, restless and impulsive. Due thetransfer of his banker father, he changes from abuilding, but they have never had a real conversation. On the surface, Karin is pretty and active, the

new capital and still living there. She is invited bysixth grader Rio to join her in a band at the Children’s Center. There is a rival band at the Children’sCenter, but some members of both bands become
close friends, and together play the encore at

instead spends boring days. Then he picks up aflyer advertising the Ugly Science Club. “Outdoor
activities. Overnight trips!” He’s hooked and signs
up—then discovers it’s really a rice paddy club.
Through it he experiences farming and elderly

for being a foreigner; Miharu, a girl who is abusedby her mother’s lover; Seiya, a boy who is neglected by his emotionally unstable mother; and Ryota,
a boy whose father has been away for work for two
years. Will they be able to find their way back fromcity school to one in a rural town. There, he learnsof another Yusuke who was the son of the prior village head. This other Yusuke got into a top private
middle school in Tokyo and was even called “Godboy.” But the other Yusuke died while swimming intype to tell it like it is. Riko dislikes her own appearance and feels inferior; she’s good at studies
but has no friends. One day, the two girls suddenly
swap bodies, and have to live life with appearancesand personalities opposite to their own. As timethe year-end concert. The song is one that Sara’s
mother used to sing on YouTube, but had been
shunned by society for political reasons. (Doi)farmers for the first time, and he and his friendschange. The author of the book is herself a farmer
who describes agriculture as science. The booktheir “parallel school”? What do they need to do inorder to return? Noma Prize for Juvenile Literature.
(Sakuma)a river. Yusuke Ogawa, who looks like “God boy”
Yusuke, comes to be seen as the dead Yusuke’s
reincarnation and as a source of hope in the town.

passes, each girl realizes that the other has both
weaknesses and strengths, and she matures. This
book moves at a brisk tempo and is easy to read.

Yusuke realizes, though, that he has hidden powerof his own. (Nogami)(Shirota)

store and another part-time job, but still struggles
to pay their rent. She sometimes asks Azumi, “Shallthe two of us die together?” When the man whoruns the sweet shop has to be away, he entrusts
Azumi with his white cat named Maru, who has acircle shape on his back. Azumi, who thinks often
of her brother living apart from her, proves a loving caregiver, and it seems as if Maru may bringhappiness to her life. (Nogami)

brims with her specialized knowledge. Sequels are
Summer and Fall/Winter. (Shirota)
38

ギュレギュレ！
Gyure-gyure（Güle Güle）

39

二ノ丸くんが調査中
Ninomaru-kun ga chosa-chu（Ninomaru Is Investigating）

Text: Saito, Hiroshi | Tokyo: Kaiseisha | 2016 | 198 pp.

40

日小見不思議草紙
Hiomi fushigi zoshi（Hiomi’s Tales of Mysteries）

44

なりたて中学生 上級編
Naritate chugakusei: Jokyu-hen（The Junior High Fledgling: Advanced Level）

Text: Fujishige, Hikaru | Illus. Iino, Kazuyoshi | Tokyo: Kai-

45

46

いい人ランキングIi hito rankingu（Good Person Contest）

カーネーション
Kaneshon（Carnation）

Text: Yoshino, Mariko | Tokyo: Asunaro Shobo | 2016 |Tex t: Ito, Miku | Illus. Sakai, Komako | Tok yo: Ku-| 22×16 cm | ISBN 9784037272401 | Ages 10+ | Magic,

Tex t: Ishikawa, Hirochika | Illus. Uguisu, Sachiko |seisha | 2016 | 231 pp. | 22×16 cm | ISBN 9784035404002

Text: Tanaka, Hiko | Tokyo: Kodansha | 2016 | 391pp. |256 pp. | 20×14 cm | ISBN 9784751528617 | Ages 12+ |mon Shuppan | 2017 | 20 0 pp. | 19×14 cm | ISBN

Turkey, Flying carpets

Tokyo: Kaiseisha | 2016 | 188 pp. | 19×13 cm | ISBN

| Age 10+ | Edo period (1603-1868), Humor, Fantasy

20×14 cm | ISBN 9784062200745 | Ages 12+ | Grade 7,

Friendship, Voting, Traps, Strategy, Bullying

9784774326900 | Ages 12+ | Mother and daughter, Fam-

9784036490301 | Ages 10+ | Urban legends, Tunnels,

1042Club activities, School festivals

ily, Bewilderment, New beginning

One morning, a man wearing a fez hat arrives

Pets, Dolls, Supernatural powers

A collection of five fantasy stories set in the Edo

The students in a middle school class hold a Goodat my apartment, and for 50,000 yen sells me a
red entrance hall mat that flies, and a portal thatmakes me invisible upon passing through it. After
this, the man comes again and again, selling me

Fifth grader Kyota Koizumi’s friend Ninomaru,
who is a bit strange, investigates urban legends
rumored in their community. Supposedly, if you go

period. A samurai wins without fighting thanks
to his magical sword, which makes flowers bloom
from his opponent’s nose resulting in laughter;an artist becomes successful after being given

This third volume in the Junior High Fledgling
series depicting the school life of a boy called Tetsuo. As a member of the PR committee, seventh
grader Tetsuo goes to interview members of vari-Person Contest. The winner is an unassuming girlnamed Momo who never speaks ill of people,
shirks her cleaning duty, or keeps homework fromstudents who wish to copy. At first she is happy

This ambitious work portrays a mother who cannot love her daughter, and the daughter who isshunned by her mother. Hiyori is in her first yearof middle school and does not fit in at home. Her

more mysterious items. An invisible island in Tokyo Bay. A cloud that produces electricity. A witch
clock that a witch exits at intervals to help me out
with things. Güle güle means “goodbye” in Turkish.
So, what does this salesman want? Find out in thishumorous collection of ten short stories. Also see

backward through a certain tunnel, it makes you
lose your memory. A post box is rumored to bringdead pets back to life. A woman all in black named
Angelica asks cute children if she can photographthem, and if refused slits their throats. Men inblack uniforms kidnap boys with supernaturalsome amazing paints by a mysterious girl he met
in a meadow; a dam is built to prevent the riverfrom flooding, with help from some bears…all thestories are short, but well-constructed and fun toread. Each also has something that connects theEdo period with the present, and the border be-ous school clubs, including the athletics, computer,and drama clubs, and ponders the meaning of club
activities. The PR committee decides to do a live
broadcast of club and class exhibitions and performances during the school festival. Tetsuo is incharge of three clubs, including drama club. Onceto have been chosen. Then, however, she sees herclassmates change: They say that as a Good Person
she should do their errands, their cleaning. Momo
is being bullied. She takes a lesson from a certain
young man on how to disrupt the cycle. A bookthat shows how build up of ill intent can lead tomother favors her younger sister and hates Hiyori.
Hiyori’s father pretends to see neither her mother’s coldness, nor Hiyori’s pain. After an incident
on Christmas Eve, Hiyori thinks, “No matter how
I wish or pray, my mother will never like me.” Sheruns away from home. After this, Hiyori finds sup-the squel, Sora de deatta fushigi na hitotachi (TheAmazing People I Met in the Sky). (Nogami)

powers. All of the legends are terrifying and mysterious, but the way they oppose nature brings
about an odd result that is truly creepy. (Nogami)

tween fact and fiction is deliberately blurred. The
illustrations add a humorous touch. Newcomer
Prize of Japanese Association of Writers for Children. (Sakuma)

the festival is over, Tetsuo thinks about the difference between the image adults have of junior highschool pupils, and his own experience. Japanese
Association of Writers for Children Prize. (Doi)bullying. (Shirota)

port from a young man and the warmth of others
who reach out to her. (Shirota)

11

Recent Chapter Books and Novels for Ages 12 and Up/Recent Nonfiction for Ages 3 and Up
47

48

49

53

54

RecentNonfiction
百年後、 ぼくらはここにいないけど
Hyaku nen go, bokura wa koko ni inai kedo

僕は上手にしゃべれない
Boku wa jozu ni shaberenai（In 100 Years, We Won’t Be Here, But…）（I’m No Good at Talking）

Text: Nagae, Yuko | Tokyo: Kodansha | 2016 | 224 pp. |Text: Shiino, Naoya | Tokyo: Poplar | 2017 | 331 pp. |19×14 cm | ISBN 9784062195812 | Ages 12+ | Dioramas,

20×13 cm | ISBN 9784591153239 | Age 13+ | Stammer-

Geography, History, Self esteem

ing, Friendship, Identity

Ｑ→Ａ
Kyu-e（Q & A）

かげはどこ
Kage wa doko（Hey, Shadow!）

きゅうきゅうばこ ・ 新版
Kyukyubako: Shinpan（First Aid Kit: New Edition）

Text: Kusano, Taki | Tokyo: Kodansha | 2016 | 248 pp. |Text: Kisaka, Ryo | Illus. Tsuji, Keiko | Tokyo: Fukuinkan

Text: Yamada, Makoto | Illus. Yagyu, Genichiro | Tokyo:

19×14 cm | ISBN 9784062200752 | Ages 13+ | Survey,

Shoten | 2016 | 24 pp. | 21×23 cm | ISBN 9784834082791

Fukuinkan Shoten | 2017 | 28 pp. | 26×24 cm | ISBN

Answers, Friendship, School, Decisions| Ages 3+ | Shadows, Observation, Identity, Science, Na-

9784834083217 | Ages 4+ | Minor injuries, First aid,

ture

Home

Five girls and boys in their last year of middle
When Kengo enters middle school, he joins the

Yuta has just started at junior high, but he is self-school respond to surveys given at schools, cramA picture book portraying a little boy playing with

Did you burn your finger or scrape your knee?

History and Geography Club because it involves

conscious about his stammer and feels isolated atschools, and in magazines. Their survey responses

his shadow who notices things about the nature ofDon’t panic! This book contains everything a par-the least work and the least hierarchy. If you justjoin, you get credit on your school record—cer-school. His elder sister encourages him, telling him
it’ll improve, and he joins the broadcasting clubtell the story. The students say, “I never write myreal feelings on surveys,” but sometimes by writing

the shadow. He notices that his shadow is always
with him, and runs with it. He discovers how, whenent and child need to know about first aid treatment for minor injuries. Written by a famous pedi-

tainly better than staying home after school. But
in his third year, the faculty advisor changes toan energetic teacher of about 30. The club must
construct a diorama of Shibuya 100 years ago foran academic conference. As Kengo researches theto get speech training. He is supposed to practice
together with Kobe, a girl in his year who is also
in the club, using the script for her favorite anime,
but he refuses saying she doesn’t understand how
he feels. However, knowing that Kobe preparedsurvey responses, they discover their true feelings. This novel unfolds in ten linked stories, suchas “Asako Nozaki: Last Spring of Middle School,
Weirdness Abounds” and “Seiji Masuda: The Endof a Youth Gambled on Volleyball.” Entrance exams

he gets up onto the slide, his shadow moves awayfrom him, and when he slides down it becomespart of him again. He also notices the shadowreflected on water, the shadow on the stairs, how
it lengthens in the evening, and how it disappears

atrician, it was first published almost 30 years ago
but was recently updated to reflect contemporary
medical treatment. In the new version, scrapes
are treated by moist wound healing, for example.
The new edition retains the humorous touch of

history of a century ago, he imagines the thoughtsof people who lived then and makes discoveries.
He also experiences spending time with others to

the script for him and that his sister was also bullied because of his stammer, Yuta takes part in aspeech contest and talks about himself. (Doi)for high school, romance, deciding one’s path,friendships: the heart-stopping aspects of earlyadolescence come through in this book. (Shirota)

when he stands in the shadow of a tree. The boy
noticing familiar wonders, and seeing himself
through his shadow, is vividly depicted using pa-

the original but all of the illustrations have beenrevised. The lines and colors are more vivid andstronger, and the text also has a new font and de-per cut-out technique. (Doi)sign. (Hiromatsu)

tackle a challenge. (Nogami)

50

51

こんとんじいちゃんの裏庭
Konton-jiichan no uraniwa（Grandpa’s Back Garden）

きみのためには だれも泣かない
Kimi no tame ni wa dare mo nakanai（No One Will Cry for You）

Text: Murakami, Shiiko | Tokyo: Shogakukan | 2017 | 256

Text: Nashiya, Arie | Tokyo: Poplar | 2016 | 272 pp. |pp. | 19×13 cm | ISBN 9784092897571 | Ages 14+ | Traf-

20×13 cm | ISBN 9784591152669 | Ages 15+ | Friendship,

fic accidents, Elderly people, Gardening

Romance, High school, Boyfriends

52

55

56

57

フラダン
Furadan（Hula Boys）

このあいだに なにがあった？
Kono aida ni nani ga atta?（What Happened?）

ぼくのもものきBoku no momo no ki（A Peach Tree and Me）

みちくさしようよ！
Michikusa shiyouyo（Let’s Go Home Slowly）

Text: Furuuchi, Kazue | Tokyo: Komine Shoten | 2016 |Tex t /Photos: Sato, Mas ahiko/ Yuf uratesu | Tok yo:

Text/Illus. Hirono, Takako | Tokyo: Fukuinkan Shoten |Text: Okuyama, Eiji | Text/ Illus. Hata, Koshiro | To-

290 pp. | 20×14 cm | ISBN 9784338287104 | Ages 15+ |Fukuinkan Shoten | 2017 | 28 pp. | 26×24 cm | ISBN2017 | 32 pp. | 24×22 cm | ISBN 9784834083286 | Ages

kyo: Holp Shuppan | 2016 | 32 pp. | 24×21 cm | ISBN

Hula dance, Fukushima, Friendship9784834083361 | Ages 4+ | Photography, Detecting,5+ | Peaches, Gardening, Growing, Parent-child relation-

9784593563142 | Ages 5+ | Nature, Siblings, Play, Obser-

Time

ship

vationThis is a laugh-out-loud youth novel, but its de-

12

A realistic coming-of-age story about a 15-yearold boy, Yuto. One day, his grandfather, who showing signs of dementia, is run over as he cycles overa pedestrian crossing, and is taken to hospital

The summer of his first year in high school, Sui
is injured when an elderly man on a bicycle tips
over on him. With his leg broken, Sui relies on a
crutch. A middle school classmate of his sister’s

scription of the circumstances surrounding the
Fukushima nuclear disaster is thought-provoking.
Yutaka, who attends a technical high school, leaves
the swimming club only to be dragged into HulaOn the left is a woolly sheep photo, on the rightis a bald sheep photo, and in between is a blankspace with just the words “What happened?”
Turn the page and you will find the sequence ofOne spring, a boy receives a peach tree and begins
growing it in a pot on the veranda of this family’sapartment. He loves peaches and tends the tree
carefully, watching it every day, eager to eat its

On the way home from school, a first grade boy
dawdles with his sixth grade brother. They find a
cat and follow it; they tease the cat, watch a small
cabbage white butterfly in a field, eat mulberries,

where he remains in a state of semi-consciousness.
On top of that, Yuto’s family receives a demand forcompensation from the person who ran him over.
Yuto is outraged and decides to try to clarify thetruth. He goes to see the police, the insurance firm,
and the law center. At the same time, he continues

named Suzuri, who is the elderly man’s greatgranddaughter, falls in love with Sui, believing that
he saved the man’s life. But Sui has a crush on Natsumi, who is in turn preoccupied with the odd behavior of her friend, Miria, who dates popular boy
Nishiyama. Multiple teen issues intertwine as love,

Dance Club. When he grudgingly goes to take alook, he finds it full of girls. However, some otherboys also join; Okihiko, a heart-throb type who has
just moved from Singapore, Taiga, a geezer-type
who also belongs to the judo club, and Kenichi, a
weedy type whose dad works for TEPCO which isthree photos including the answer. This is a new
approach to an interactive photo book that encourages children to do their own detecting. The
scenes that emerge are highly diverse, ranging
from the ecology of animals to unusual events,
and they stimulate the reader’s curiosity. In ad-

fruit. Blossoms bud and the tree bursts into bloom
in a frame that fills the entire page. The boy andhis mother work together to pollinate the flowers,
waiting expectantly for the fruit, but…The illustrations depicting the growth of the tree are delicate
yet filled with life, so that the reader shares theand spot a snail on the underside of a leaf, whichleads to checking out its habitat. The big brotherleads the way down a secret shortcut to the park.
There the boys suck azalea nectar and follow a lineof ants. By following his brother, the first grader
encounters lots of nature on his way home, andto care for his grandfather’s garden the way his
grandfather taught him. In the process, he learns
to see things from various points of view. (Sakuma)

infatuation, and the importance of being oneself
are addressed head-on in this YA novel. (Nogami)

extremely unpopular in the wake of the nuclear
disaster. Yutaka is put in charge of the boys team.
(Sakuma)dition to the joy of learning through turning thepages, each photograph is rich in detail, offering
new discoveries with each examination and sparking conversation. (Hiromatsu)

boy’s anticipation and the joy of tending a tree.
(Shirota)

finds that the world looks different now. A uniquepicture book about observation. (Nogami)

13

Recent Nonfiction for Ages 5 and Up58

お月さまのこよみ絵本 旧暦で行事をたのしむ
Otsukisama no koyomi ehon（An Illustrated Calen-

dar of the Moon: Enjoying the Festivals of the Old
Lunar Calendar）

59

60

64

65

かつおぶしができるまで
Katsuobushi ga dekiru madeわたり鳥
Wataridori

ふくはなにからできてるの？ せんいのはなし
Fuku wa nani kara dekiteruno?

（How Katsuobushi is Made）（Migratory Birds）（What Are Clothes Made Of? A Tale of Fibre）

66

大坂城 絵で見る日本の城づくり
Osaka-jo（Osaka Castle: An Illustrated Guide to

お船がかえる日 チョプラン漂流記
Ofune ga kaeru hi（The Day the Boat Returned:

Japanese Castle-Building）

Adventures in Choplan）

Text: Miyazaki, Shoko | Photos: Shiramatsu, Kiyoyuki |Text/Illus. Suzuki, Mamoru | Tokyo: Doshinsha | 2017

Tex t: Sato, Tetsuya | Illus. Aminaka, I zuru | Tok yo:

Text/Illus. Aoyama, Kunihiko | Tokyo: Kodansha | 2016

Text/Illus. Kobayashi, Yutaka | Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten |Text: Chiba, Nozomi | Illus. Abe, Shinji | Tokyo: Rironsha

Tokyo: Iwasaki Shoten | 2016 | 34 pp. | 29×24 cm | ISBN| 40 pp. | 26×26 cm | ISBN 9784494010004 | Ages 5+ |Fukuinkan Shoten | 2016 | 32 pp. | 31×22 cm | ISBN| 32 pp. | 31×24 cm | ISBN 9784061332966 | Ages 8+ |2017 | 60 pp. | 26×26 cm | ISBN 9784001112658 | Ages

| 2016 | 31 pp. | 27×22 cm | ISBN 9784652201572 | Ages

9784265085323 | Ages 5+ | Bonito, Food industry, Trans-

Migratory birds, Environment

9784834083088 | Ages 7+ | Fashion, Materials, Daily life

Castles, Architecture, History

9+ | History, Taiwan, Adventure

5+ | Moon, Calendar, Festivals

formation, Nutrition, Japanese traditions

This non-fiction picture book describes the jour-This book draws our attention to the materials ofThree child ninja are ordered to discover the se-

In 1802, an eight-year-old orphaned boy named

A picture book that explains the structure of the

Katsuobushi is a traditional preserved food madeney of migratory birds from around the world. An

the clothes we wear in daily life. Warm sweaters

crets of a castle being built by Shogun Toyotomi

Ichimatsu hopped on a little cargo boat in Hako-

old lunar calendar brought to Japan from China
and compares it with the Western solar calendar,by heat-drying bonito flesh. When finely shaved,
it is used as a flavoring that is an essential ingre-

astounding number of birds travel long distances
every year in search of food and a safe place to lay

are made of sheep’s wool, shiny dresses are fromthread spun from silk, durable shirts are from

Hideyoshi. The children disguise themselves andwork alongside the peasants at the castle site.

date, Hokkaido in northern Japan. He was boundfor Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to study, but the boat

while introducing the background to festivals currently celebrated in Japan and the people who
lived their lives according to the old calendar. It
introduces various facts, such as that a new monthalways started on January 1, and the Tanabata Fes-

dient in Japanese cuisine. This book, illustrated
with photos, shows how bonito caught at sea areturned into the rock-like katsuobushi that holds
the record for being the world’s hardest food. The
photos were taken at a shop in Shizuoka prefec-

their eggs and raise their young. What routes dothey travel? What kind of nests do they build andwhere? What dangers do they face on their journey? How do they find their way? The author, who
is an expert on birds answers such questions as

the fruit of the cotton plant. People all over theworld from past to present, have used animaland vegetable fiber to make clothes. The visualpresentation and easy-to-follow text make it fun
to learn about the various kinds of natural fibers

Through illustrations and text we learn how many
people were involved in the huge castle’s construction, as well as the many processes and building techniques that were used, such as excavation,and quarrying and transporting stone. In each

was blown off course in a gale and lost its rudder.
After 67 days adrift, the boy and the ship’s captainlanded in a village called Choplan on the coast of
Taiwan. They lived with the indigenous people forseven years. The story richly depicts the customs

tival on July 7 was when the Milky Way was clearlyvisible. Through detailed pictures describing how
festivals are currently celebrated, we learn how

ture that has been in business for over a hundredyears. On a conveyor belt system, the bonito isfilleted, simmered, deboned, smoked…the processthese in words and illustrations that children caneasily grasp. (Sakuma)

as well as how synthetic fibers were invented
and the meaning of clothes tags. The illustrator
used to work for an apparel company and theframe, readers can also discover where the threeninja are hiding. The book includes finely detailedarchitectural drawings that show the impressive

and daily life of the villagers and the natural surroundings, so different from Japan. An excellent
work of historical non-fiction, it makes the reader

festivals on the old lunar calendar have been continued up until the present. (Doi)follows some 30 different steps, all by hand. (Shirota)

colorful pictures demonstrate her love for clothes.
(Hiromatsu)

skill of the architect-turned-picture book author.
(Hiromatsu)

acutely aware that world is connected by the sea.
(Nogami)

61

62

63

67

68

世界中から いただきます！
Sekaiju kara itadakimasu!（Eating the Globe!）69

カエルくんのだいはっけん！
Kaeru-kun no daihakken（Mr. Frog’s Big Discovery!）

さかなのたまご いきのこりをかけた だいさくせん
Sakana no tamago（Fish Eggs: Desperate Survival
Strategies）

干したから…
Hoshita kara…
（See What Happens When You Dry It Up）

ファーブル先生の昆虫教室 1
Faaburu-sensei no konchu kyoshitsu（Teacher Fabre’s Insect Class, Volumes 1）

はじめて見たよ！ セミのなぞ
Hajimete mita yo! Semi no nazo
（Seen for the First Time! Cicada Riddles）

Text/Illus. Matsuoka, Tatsuhide | Tokyo: Shogakukan |Text/Photos: Uchiyama, Ryu | Tokyo: Poplar | 2017 | 37

Text/Photos: Morieda, Takashi | Tokyo: Froebel-kan |Text: Okumoto, Daisaburo | Illus. Yamashita, Kohei| Tokyo: Kaiseisha | 2016 | 128 pp. | 21×18 cm | ISBNTe x t / P h o t o s : S h i n k a i , Ta k a s h i | To k y o : S h o n e n

2016 | 32 pp. | 27×22 cm | ISBN 9784097266471 | Ages

pp. | 21×26 cm | ISBN 9784591154908 | Ages 6+ | Fish,

2016 | 34 pp. | 22×27 cm | ISBN 9784577043714 | Ages

| Tok yo: Poplar | 2016 | 175 pp. | 20×21 cm | ISBN

9784036450602 | Ages 9+ | Food, Kitchens, Cooking

Shashin Shinbunsha | 2017 | 6 4 pp. | 19×27 cm |6+ | Ponds, Rivers, Frogs, Insects, Plants, Adventure

Eggs, Offspring, Photography

7+ | Food, Dried fish, Practical wisdom9784591150313 | Ages 9+ | Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre,

Text: Nakayama, Shigeo | Photos: Sakaguchi, Katsumi

14ISBN 9784879816030 | Ages 10+ | Cicadas, Ecology,

Insects, Wonder, Observation

A writer and photographer travel all over the world,

Observation

There are 35 species of cicada in the Japanesearchipelago. These insects spend most of theirlives underground, which means that there is much

With a tree frog born in a pond as protagonist, thisbook examines a natural ecosystem while giving
a detailed introduction to life around the pond,from plants to small animals to insects. The tree

Japan’s many rivers are home to a wide variety offish that have all kinds of methods to protect theireggs in order to survive. Salmon lay their eggs under pebbles on the riverbed so that predators will

This is a picture book by a photographer on thetheme of food. The author uses photos of dried
foods found in many parts of the world to explain
the changes that occur when foods are dried and

The author translated the nineteenth-century entomologist Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre’s work Souvenirs entomologiques into Japanese over a period ofstaying in ordinary homes and observing families
going about their daily lives, and eating the same
food as their hosts. They introduce us to the foodand lifestyles of seventeen families in fourteen

frog, which was almost eaten by a snake, is saved
by a Daruma pond frog and following his advice
searches in the river and the forest for somewhere
safe to live. Readers see the many creatures livingin the river, and the kingfisher that lives by preying
on them—and the insects, birds, and small animals

not find them, while rosy bitterlings have a longthin pipe extending from their rear end throughwhich they lay their eggs inside bivalves, and Japanese river goby males keep guard below their eggs
laid so they hang from rocks. The numerous curious strategies that fish use to leave offspring are

the meaning and purpose of drying food. Drying
removes the liquid from vegetables, fruits, fish,meat and milk products, preserving them so thatthey don’t go rotten, and the author use photos
and text in ingenious ways to excite the reader’scuriosity and make this process easier to under-

thirty years. Here he presents fascinating portionsof the work in a manner accessible to children,
covering one theme per two-page spread. Scarabbeetle, cicada, praying mantis...insects possible
to see in Japan are among many portrayed intheir curious and fascinating environments, withcountries, from Mongolia, Cambodia, and Thailand,to Hungary, Yemen, and Morocco. The fun layout
features many photos of children preparing and eating food, making it approachable for young readers everywhere. We also learn about staple foods
around the world, street stalls, and toilets, as well as

we never see. The author, an insect photographer,has obser ved various types of cicada all overJapan. In this book, he uses plenty of photos
to share discoveries made through painstaking
observation, answering such questions as how
cicadas pee, mate, lay eggs and hatch them, as wellliving in the forest. Countless creatures are lavishly
introduced with plenty of information in this nature picture book. (Nogami)

introduced here through beautiful, highly realistic
photographs. (Shirota)

stand. The short appendix introduces examples ofdried foods used in traditional Japanese cuisineand methods for dr ying vegetables and otherfoods that can be done at home. (Sakuma)

humorous but accurate illustrations that offer discoveries with each viewing. A masterpiece in thearea of science picture books with diagram-typeillustrations. Sequel published in 2017. (Nogami)

what kind of Japanese souvenirs are most appreciated by the host families. (Sakuma)

how cicada larvae spend their time underground.
He explains how important it is for us to use all oursenses to experience the natural environment inwhich cicadas live. (Shirota)

15

Recent Nonfiction for Ages 10 and Up
70

71

72

76

動物たちを救うアニマルパスウェイ
Dobutsutachi o sukuu animaru pasuwei（Saving

ナビラとマララ 「対テロ戦争」 に巻き込まれた二人の少女
Nabira to Marara（Nabila and Malala: Two Girls

犬が来る病院 命に向き合う子どもたちが教えてくれたこと
Inu ga kuru byoin（The Hospital Where Dogs Visit:
What the Children in Touch with Life Taught Us）
		（The Meaning of Life, The Signs of Life）

Text/Photos: Takakura, Masaki | Tokyo: Kaiseisha | 2017

Text: Minato, Shusaku | Tokyo: Bunken Shuppan | 2017

Text: Miyata, Osamu | Tokyo: Kodansha | 2017 | 172 pp. |Text: Otsuka, Atsuko | Tokyo: Kadokawa | 2016 | 224 pp.

Text: Uehashi, Nahoko/Saito, Keisuke | Tokyo: Kodansha| 48 pp. | 22×16 cm | ISBN 9784034171400 | Ages 10+| 152 pp. | 22×16 cm | ISBN 9784580823143 | Ages 10+ |19×13 cm | ISBN 9784062204842 | Ages 10+ | Terrorism,| 19×13 cm | ISBN 9784041035085 | Ages 12+ | Therapy| 2017 | 136 pp. | 19×14 cm | ISBN 9784062870252 | Ages

Edit. Kyodo News | Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten | 2016 | 256| Inclusive education, Down’s syndrome, Illness, School,

Science, Environment, Animals

Islam, Pakistan, Refugees

dogs, Hospital, Children

13+ | Animal protection, Birds of prey, Life, Nahoko Ue-

pp. | 18×11 cm | ISBN 9784005008360 | Ages 13+ | Asia,

hashi

War, Soldiers

Animal Species through Wildlife Crossings）

Caught Up in the “War on Terrorism”）

Friendship

命の意味 命のしるし
Inochi no imi, inochi no shirushi

78

アイちゃんのいる教室 ６年１組にじ色クラス
Ai-chan no iru kyoshitsu（In the Classroom with
Ai-chan: Grade 6, Class 1 is Rainbow Colored）

30 代記者たちが出会った戦争 激戦地を歩く
30-dai kisha tachi ga deatta senso（The War as

Seen by Young Reporters: Walking on Former Battlefields）

Roads cutting through the forests of Japan are

Eleven-year-old Nabila Rehman lives in Pakistan

A documentary book following children in theThis is a book about Ai-chan, a girl with Down’s

shrinking the habitat of Japanese dormice. The

just like Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala, but shepediatric unit at Saint Luke’s International HospitalThis book presents a conversation broadcast on

Eight reporters in their thirties from Kyodo News

syndrome. It is the third book in a series of Aichan, and follows Ai-chan as she attends a main-

author, who has made the study of the dormouse
his lifework, built a dormouse crossing in one area

was injured by a bomb dropped by an American
drone. When she traveled to America to testify

in Tokyo. Saint Luke’s is the first hospital in Japanto admit therapy dogs into the pediatric unit. The

public television in Japan—between veterinarian
Keisuke Saito, a specialist in wild raptors, and thevisit the places where Japan has in the past sent
soldiers into battle, and interview former soldiers

stream Grade 6 class, from the first day throughgraduation. Ai-chan worked hard and was very
positive through third grade. Now, however, she
has fallen behind her classmates in both academics and physical strength, and there are more days

and discovered that other animals also crossed it.
He set up a society for the study of wildlife crossings to find low-cost materials and designs thatare easy for animals to cross and encouraged theintroduction of such crossings throughout Japan.

at a congressional hearing, she appealed to theaudience to spend money on education, not onwars, but only five legislators showed up to hear
her. At the author’s invitation she came to Japanand made the same appeal before a congres-book looks at topics like how the visits by dogs
started, how the children reacted, how care wastaken to make the children’s time in hospital rich,and how many staff cooperated in the aim for total care. The book gives a moving account of four

author Nahoko Uehashi, winner of the Andersen
Award for Writing. Saito has made it his life’s work
to explore means of coexistence with wildlife; heexplains that he treats birds of prey because hewants to return them to the wild. Uehashi, for her

who were there. The selected locations were
Guadalcanal, Imphal, Saipan, the Philippines, andChina. By studying documentary records, walking
around the area, and conducting interviews, thereporters learn that in fact many Japanese soldierswhen she can’t cope. “Ai-chan doesn’t try,” somestudents complain. This book is the story of 36
students and a teacher who all shine in different

After monitoring the results, the society spenteight years from 2004 building these structures.
Connections with similar projects in other coun-sional hearing at a symposium on supporting the
education of women and girls in Islamic countries.
By comparing the differences in the treatment re-children (two passed away; two left hospital to findtheir own paths in life) and their families, whose
progress they tracked as they dealt with their ill-part, asks questions of life and death repeatedly in
her writing; her novel The Beast Player (forthcoming
in English in 2018) features the main character Erinwere recklessly sent to starve and die. They also
gain testimony from local people whose families
were massacred, comfort women, and people whoways, like the colors of the rainbow. (Shirota)

tries are also introduced. (Doi)ceived by Malala and Nabila, the author invites thereader to examine the war on terrorism. (Doi)nesses. (Sakuma)

who says, “I wanted to let beasts born in the wild

were detained in Siberia. (Doi)

73

16

77

74

live the way nature intended.” (Shirota)

75

79

80

世界は広く、 美しい（全 6 巻）
Sekai wa hiroku, utsukushii（The World is Wide and Beautiful, 6 Volumes）

円周率の謎を追う 江戸の天才数学者 ・ 関孝和の挑戦
Enshuritsu no nazo o ou（Solving the Mystery of Pi:
The Genius Mathematician of Edo, Seki Takakazu）

お金さえあればいい？ 子どもと考える経済のはなし
Okane sae areba ii?（All We Need Is Money? A Taleof Economics to Think about with Young People）

Te x t / P h o t o s : N a g a k u r a , H i r o m i | To k y o : S h i n -Tex t: Narumi, Fu | Illus. Ino, Takayuki | Tok yo: Ku-

Tex t : Hama , Nor iko | I llus . Tak abat ake, Jun | To -nihon Shuppansha | 2016 | 48 pp. | 24×23 cm | ISBNmon Shuppan | 2016 | 208 pp. | 19×14 cm | ISBNkyo: Crayon House | 2017 | 64 pp. | 21×15 cm | ISBNTex t: Nishizaki, Fumiko/ Takeuchi, Shinichi | Tok yo:

9784406060561, et al. | Ages 10+ | Color, Earth, Daily

9784774325521 | Ages 11+ | Mathematics, Edo period

9784861013195 | Ages 11+ | Money, Happiness, Econom-

Iwanami Shoten | 2016 | 208 pp. | 18×11 cm | ISBN

life, Humans(1603-1868), Pi

ics

9784005008421 | Ages 13+ | War, World, Peace

The author recounts her personal experience from

A photojournalist who has covered the world’s regions of conflict, and created many fine nonfiction
picture books, here presents aspects of nature andPortrays the life of Seki Takakazu, the master ofJapanese mathematics known as wasan, withparticular focus on his research on pi. We learn at

In easily understood language supported by humorous illustrations, this book teaches us aboutmoney and economics. What is the purpose ofExperts on different areas of the world explore theissues of war, terrorism and violence. The authors

childhood to April 2016, when at age 26 she married another woman. Born in 1987, she began having crushes on other girls at age 13, and felt guilty
about being attracted to members of the same

Born in 1975, the author, Hidehiro Otake, has spentmuch of his life photographing the Northwoods ofAmerica. As a young man he fell in love with theworks of nature photographer Jim Brandenburg.

human life encountered in more than 60 countries.
This unique photo picture book series consists ofsix themed volumes, which are blue, red, yellow,
black, green, and white. “Red is proof of life, andthe color of desire to live boldly.” “Yellow is enfolding, the color that makes us think of what comesschool that pi is about 3.14, but when Seki started
his studies it was thought to be 3.16. The process
of working through the doubts he felt about thisuntil he was convinced, and the way he devised amethod to express numerical formulae based on
Chinese kanbun writing is as thrilling as a mysterymoney? What is economics? The author, Noriko
Hama, is a famous economist. She explains thattrue economics should be about creating spaces inwhich people can come together and that generate happiness. Unfortunately, economic activity
today is increasingly focused on the pursuit ofsex. When she was 18, she joined a Peace Boatvoyage around the world, and after attending a
lecture about sexual minorities accepted that she
was gay. Eventually, she came out to her family andintroduced them to her partner, a Peace Boat staff
member, and they were able to marry. She writes

After graduating from university, he set off on athree-month adventure to the Northwoods, traveling eight days by kayak through the many lakes
and arriving unannounced at Jim’s door. Otake
stayed a week with Jim’s neighbor, the extreme
explorer Will Steger, then showed Jim the photos

after life.” “Green is connection of lives, the colorthat carries us far into the future.” Color connects
photos of people in different lands. Every phototakes one’s breath away. (Nogami)

novel. This mathematician emerges as one humanbeing who single-mindedly pursued somethingwith unextinguished passion. Based on thoroughresearch. (Sakuma)

profit. She teaches how to discern such “false”
economics and live a life that is not controlled byabout their life after getting married, and also
about other acquaintances from sexual minorities.
(Doi)

he had taken and asked for his advice. The work
recounts his growth through this experience andthe thoughts inspired by his encounters with nature and people. (Doi)money and that will bring us happiness. (Sakuma)

紛争 ・ 対立 ・ 暴力 世界の地域から考える
Senso, tairitsu, boryoku（War, Conflict and Violence: Different Perspectives from Different Plac-

恋の相手は女の子
Koi no aite wa onna no ko（I’m in Love With a Girl）

es）

Text: Muroi, Maika | Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten | 2016 | 224

81

report on the suffering of Muslims in the world
and the origins of Islamic countries, the achievements and issues facing the EU, hate crimes in the
United States, conflicts in Africa, crime and terrorism in Latin America, incidents and riots related toreligion in Indonesia, and the expulsion of Christians from China. They then present peace-related
issues in Japan, such as hate speech towards resident Koreans. (Doi)

そして、 ぼくは旅に出た。
Soshite, boku wa tabi ni deta
（And Then I Went Traveling）

pp. | 18×11 cm | ISBN 9784005008292 | Ages 13+ | LGBT,

Text: Otake, Hidehiro | Tokyo: Asunaro Shobo | 2017 |Love, Lifestyle

424 pp. | 20×14 cm | ISBN 9784751528686 | Ages 13+ |Photography, Lifestyle, Travel

17

18

Subject index

adventure...........................18, 24, 25, 61, 66

dioramas..........................................................47

gardening............................................... 50, 56

nests..................................................................15

sea.............................................................. 18, 25

animals.................................................4, 11, 71

doctor...............................................................31

geography......................................................47night.............................................. 8, 10, 11, 19

self esteem.....................................................47

Numbers are book numbers, not page
numbers. See book number near eachcover image.

bears.................................................................3

dolls...................................................................39

getting lost.......................................................1

new beginning............................................. 46

shadows...........................................................53

beasts...............................................................7

Down’s syndrome........................................70

girl........................................................................6

nonsense.............................................6, 12, 17

shoes.................................................................33

birds..................................................................7

drawing............................................................25

growing.......................................................... 56

nuclear weapons......................................... 29

skeletons........................................................ 18

birds of prey............................................... 77

dreams.............................................................19

happiness........................................................75

nutrition...........................................................59

smells..................................................................7

cats.......................................................... 25, 35

dried foods.................................................... 63

history............................................... 47, 65, 66

observation...............................53, 57, 67, 69

snow..................................................................19

dogs................................................................76

earth..................................................................73

home................................................................ 54

offspring......................................................... 62

soldiers.............................................................78

elephants........................................................4

eating..................................................................2

hospital............................................................76

outings...............................................................5

sound..................................................................8

fish.................................................................. 62

ecology............................................................69

hula dance......................................................52

peace................................................................79

spirit possession...........................................43

frogs....................................................... 31, 61

economics......................................................75

humans............................................................73

peaches........................................................... 56

spring..................................................................3

insects.................................................... 61, 67

Edo period (1603-1868).................... 40, 74

humor....................................................... 31, 40

personstammering................................................... 48

migratory birds......................................... 60

eggs.................................................................. 62

ice cream........................................................ 12

Jean-Henri Casimir Fabre...................... 67

staying home alone....................................14

owls.................................................................15

encyclopedia.................................................28

identity......................................... 3, 13, 48, 53

Nahoko Uehashi....................................... 77

strange happenings....................................11

penguins.........................................................5

environment.......................................... 60, 71

illness........................................................ 22, 70

personality......................................................43

strategy............................................................45

pigs................................................................ 30

experts............................................................ 18

imagination....................................................28

pets....................................................................39

strength and weakness.............................43

rabbits............................................................16

exploring.........................................................16

inclusive education.....................................70

philosophy......................................................23

study.................................................................37

animal protection....................................... 77

family..............................9, 21, 32, 34, 35, 46

Islam..................................................................72

photography................................... 55, 62, 81

supernatural powers..................................39

animal trails......................................................7

adoption...................................................... 34

Japanese traditions.....................................59

pi.........................................................................74

survey and answers....................................49

antique.............................................................24babies...............................................................1

kitchens........................................................... 68

picture puzzles.............................................17

teachers...........................................................37

architecture....................................................65

divorce................................................... 34, 35

landscapes..................................................... 27

picture scroll..................................................26

terrorism..........................................................72

artisans.............................................................33

elderly people.................................... 24, 50

legends.................................................... 20, 42

plants................................................................61

therapy dogs.................................................76

bewilderment............................................... 46

fathers............................................................10

LGBT................................................................. 80

play....................................................................57

time............................................................27, 55

boats.................................................................19

grandfather..................................................23

life.............................................................. 29, 77

poetry.................................................................3

traffic accidents........................................... 50

bonito...............................................................59

grandmother....................................... 22, 25

lifestyle..................................................... 80, 81

ponds................................................................61transformation............................... 32, 43, 59

boyfriends......................................................51

mother and daughter............................. 46

love................................................................... 80

poverty.............................................................35

traps..................................................................45

buckets.............................................................11mothers...........................................................1

magic............................................................... 38

practical wisdom......................................... 63

travel.................................................................81

bullying.................................................... 41, 45

parent-child relationship...................... 56

making...............................................................2

prodigies.........................................................42

trouble............................................................. 12

calendar.......................................................... 58

remarriage.................................................. 34

materials......................................................... 64

puddles............................................................11

tunnels.............................................................39

caregiving...................................................... 22

siblings...........................................30, 35, 57

mathematics..................................................74

rain.....................................................................14

urban legends...............................................39

castles...............................................................65

sisters............................................................ 30

minor injuries............................................... 54

reading.............................................................21

vegetables.............................................. 13, 28

caves.................................................................16

uncles............................................................ 12

money...................................................... 19, 75

reality and fantasy.......................................14

voting...............................................................45

character........................................................ 50

fantasy............................................... 31, 32, 40

monsters...........................................................7

rebirth..............................................................42

war...............................................29, 33, 78, 79

children............................................................76

fashion............................................................. 64

moon........................................................ 11, 58

refugees...........................................................72

wonder............................................................ 67

cicadas..............................................................69

festivals........................................................... 58

morning glories........................................... 30

rhythm................................................................4

words.........................................................17, 21

coexistence.....................................................15

first aid............................................................ 54

music................................................................ 36

rice cultivation..............................................37

work....................................................................9

color..................................................................73

fish.......................................................................9

mystery.................................................... 18, 41

rivers...................................................19, 27, 61

world.................................................................79

comedy............................................................26

fishing.............................................................. 18

nations/regions

rolling.................................................................6

World Heritage sites................................. 29

cooking................................................2, 37, 68

flatware............................................................24

Asia.................................................................78

romance...........................................................51

zodiac...............................................................26

courage............................................................42

flying carpets................................................ 38

Fukushima............................................ 20, 52

samurai............................................................19

daily life................................................... 64, 73

food........................................................... 63, 68

Pakistan.........................................................72

school....................................................... 49, 70

daydreaming.................................................10

food industry.................................................59

Taiwan........................................................... 66

club activities............................................. 44

death.................................................................23

friends................. 16, 33, 36, 37, 43, 45, 48,

Turkey............................................................ 38

grade 7......................................................... 44

dementia........................................................ 22....................................... 49, 51, 52, 70

nature.................................................. 8, 53, 57

high school..................................................51

decisions..........................................................49

fruit................................................................... 13

nature’s power............................................. 20

school festival............................................ 44

detecting.........................................................55

future............................................................... 36

neglect.............................................................41

science..................................................9, 53, 71

19

Hans Christian Andersen Award
Winners and Nominees Since 2000

Winner of the 2018 HCA Author Award
Born in Tokyo in 1935, Eiko Kadono moved to Brazil for two years when
she was 25, and based on her experiences there she wrote her first work.
Since then she has written many books for children of several generations. Her chapter book Majo no takkyubin (Kiki’s Delivery Service), written in 1984, won a number of prizes and was included on the IBBY Honour List. This story was adapted into a wildly popular animated film by
Hayao Miyazaki. Kadono has been decorated by the Emperor of Japanfor her significant contributions to children’s literature.

Akaba, Suekichi 1910-1990
Winner of the 1980 HCA Illustrator Award

Sora nigero(Fly Away, Birdies!)
Kaiseisha

Ishii, Momoko 1907-2008

Winner of the 1984 HCA Illustrator Award

2002 Author Nominee

Born in Tsuwano, a village located in a valley surrounded by mountains,
Mitsumasa Anno developed a strong desire to experience places beyond
these mountains while growing up. This is reflected in his books. He
taught art in elementary school for ten years; his first two picture books
reflect his love of playing with visual perception, and his drawings, often
compared to Escher, not only abound with visual trickery and illusions
but also display a playful sense of humour.

Born in Saitama in 1907, Momoko Ishii’s first book Non-chan kumo ni
noru (Non-chan Rides on a Cloud) was published in 1947. She has written 19 children’s books and translated 120, including Winnie the Poohby A. A. Milne in 1940 and Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos in 1982. Her
Tabi no ehon VIII
(Anno's Journey VIII)
Fukuinkan Shoten

Majo no takkyubin(Kiki's Delivery Service, 1984)
Fukuinkan Shoten

Nominees: Author

Anno, Mitsumasa 1926-

books have been translated into German, Danish, Russian, English, Urdu,
and Hindi. Her immense contributions to children’s literature in Japan
have been recognized nationally.

Sangatsu hina no tsuki(Doll's Day for Yoshiko)
Fukuinkan Shoten

Kanzawa, Toshiko 1924-

Mado, Michio 1909-2014
Winner of the 1994 HCA Author Award

2000, 2006 Author Nominee

Michio Mado was born in Tokuyama. When he was a small child, his family left for Taiwan, leaving him behind with his grandfather. He began towrite poetry at the age of 19. In 1934, two of his poems were recognizedby Kitahara Hakushu, the most respected poet of the time. This marked
the beginning of Mado’s career as a creator of nursery rhymes, songs
and poems for children. The Animals , co-published in the USA and Japanas a bilingual book, was translated by Empress Michiko of Japan.

Born in Fukuoka in southern Japan, Toshiko Kanzawa later moved tonorthern Japan and spent much of her childhood in Sakhalin, now a partof Russia. She began writing to support herself after giving birth to twochildren. Her first book, Chibikko Kamu no boken (The Adventure of Little Kam) was published in 1961. As in many of her books, this mythicaladventure story reflects Kanzawa’s yearning for the nature of northern
Japan. She has been awarded many other prizes.

Zoku Mado Michio zen shishu(Mado Michio Complete Collection 2)
Rironsha

Kuma no ko Ufu(Woof the Little Bear)
PoplarSato, Satoru 1928-2017

Uehashi, Nahoko 1962-

20

nominated for the Hans Christian Andersen Award. Four were named winners.

Kadono, Eiko 1935-

Winners

Born in Tokyo, Suekichi Akaba emigrated to Manchuria at the age of
21. He worked in industry and began to paint while still there. He wasawarded special recognition three times at the Manchurian National Art
Exhibition. After returning to Japan at the age of 36. Akaba mastered
painting techniques on his own; he published his first picture book in
1961. His influences include traditional Japanese painting and Felix Hoffmann.

These authors and illustrators, among the finest creators of Japanese children’s literature, were all

Winner of the 2014 HCA Author Award

2004 Author Nominee

Born in Tokyo in 1962, Nahoko Uehashi researched indigenous peoplein Australia for her PhD in cultural authoropology. She currently teaches
ethnology at university. Her literary debut came in 1989, when her firstbook won an award that brought her into the spotlight. In 1996, shebegan to write her historical fantasy series Moribito (Guardian), whichbecame a huge hit and received several literature awards in and outsideof Japan, including the IBBY Honour List and the Batchelder Award in theUSA.

Born in 1928, Satoru Sato is a pioneer in Japanese fantasy literature forchildren. In his first book, Daremo shiranai chiisana kuni (A Little Country
No One Knows), he borrowed the idea of Korobokkuru (little people, thedescendants of little gods) from legends of the Ainu people, aboriginal
people who live in the northern regions of Japan. Sato’s emphasis on“reasoned imagination” and “logical composition” have made his fantasy
world real for young readers. His works have been translated into English, French, German, and Spanish.

Kemono no soja
(The Beast Player)
Kodansha

Dare mo shiranai chiisana kuni
(A Little Country No One Knows)
Kodansha21

Hayashi, Akiko 1945-

Tanikawa, Shuntaro 19312008, 2010 Author Nominee

2008, 2010 Illustrator Nominee

Shuntaro Tanikawa was born in 1931 in Tokyo. After graduating fromhigh school, he published his first collection of works, Nijuoku-konen no
kodoku (Two Billion Light-Years of Solitude). Soon after that, he began
to write theatre scripts and song lyrics. In 1965, his first picture book
was published, followed by numerous picture books and juvenile literary works. Tanikawa has been vigorously active in many arenas, ranging
from translation to poetry readings around the world.

Born in Tokyo in 1945, Akiko Hayashi graduated from the Faculty of Fine
Arts at Yokohama National University. Her first book was published in
1977. She is one of Japan’s leading picture book writer-illustrators andhas received numerous awards in Japan and abroad. These include theEzra Jack Keats Award (USA) for Imoto no nyuin (Little Sister Goes to
Hospital) and the 13 Juries Grand Prix (France) for Hajimete no kyanpu(I’m Going Camping).

Mimi o sumasu(Prick Up Your Ears!)
Fukuinkan Shoten

Nasu, Masamoto 1942-

Kako, Satoshi 1926-

2012 Author Nominee

2012 Illustrator Nominee

Born in 1942 in Hiroshima, Masamoto Nasu became a victim of theatomic bomb when he was only three. After working for a company
in Tokyo, he returned to Hiroshima to help run his father’s calligraphyschool, where he met many children. In 1967, he joined a Hiroshima juvenile literature study group and began to write stories for children. In
1970, his first long story Kubinashi jizo no takara (The Treasure of Headless Jizo) received honorable mention from a major publisher. He sincehas been awarded many prizes.

Born in Fukui in 1926, Satoshi Kako graduated from the University ofTokyo and first worked in a laboratory at a chemical company. His firstchildren’s book was published in 1959 and since then, he has publishedmore than 800 works, ranging from educational picture books on science and astronomy to nursery tales. After his experience as a soldier
during the war, he resolved to devote the rest of his life to helping children grow healthy, both physically and mentally.

Soreyuke Zukkoke sanningumi(Hirarious Trio series, 50 volumes)
Poplar

Kon to Aki(Kon and Aki)
Fukuinkan Shoten

Karasu no panya san(Mr Crow's Bakery)
Kaiseisha

Katayama, Ken 19402014, 2016 Illustrator Nominee
Ken Katayama was born in Tokyo in 1940. After he graduated from the
Department of Commercial Design at Musashino Art University, hebegan to work at an advertising company but soon resigned. In 1966,
he published his first picture book. Although Katayama then stopped
writing for a while, he resumed his artistic activity, inspired by his eldest
son’s birth, in 1979. Since then, he has published creative works embodying his dynamic, vivid, and unique style.

Nominees: Illustrator
Cho, Shinta 1927-2005
1998, 2000 Illustrator Nominee
Born in Tokyo, Shinta Cho began his career as a designer and cartoonistat the Tokyo Daily Press after graduating from high school. His first book
was published in 1950, and he has illustrated over 400 titles since. The
secret to Cho’s popularity with children lies in his flexible style and senseof humour. He has received a number of prizes including the IBBY Honour List twice.

Tashima, Seizo 19402018 Illustrator Nominee
Kyabetsu kun(Mr. Cabbage)
Bunken Shuppan

Ohta, Daihachi 1918-2016
1970, 2002-2006 Illustrator Nominee
Born in Nagasaki, Daihachi Ohta spent his early childhood in Vladivostok. He began to illustrate picture books when he was still a student at
Tokyo’s Tama Imperial Art School. His first book was published in 1949,and since then, his illustrations have embellished approximately 150
picture books and 250 children’s novels. His style varies by genre, whichranges from traditional Japanese tales to modern European stories. His
works have been translated into many languages.

22

Don don don don(Onward—Stomp, Stomp, Stomp)
Bunken Shuppan

Born in Osaka, Seizo Tashima spent his childhood in Kochi Prefecture. He
has been active at the front lines of picture book development since the1960s, receiving the Golden Apple Award at the 2nd Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB) in 1969; he continues to produce powerful, passionate, and ceaselessly innovative works. He has published more than 150
picture books of great variety; some funny and fun, others serious stories of war, as well as folktales and books for babies. Running through allof his works, we can sense a consistent spirit.

Boku no koe ga kikoemasuka(Can You Hear My Voice?)
Doshinsha★ 2018 IBBY Very Best Book

Dai-chan to umi(Dai-chan and the Sea)
Fukuinkan Shoten

23

Japanese Books Selected forthe IBBY Honour List Since 1990

Illustration 2002
Cho, Shinta
Tengu no hauchiwa(The Magical Fun of theLong-nosed Ogre)
Text by Yoshiko Kayama
Kyoiku Gageki

JBBY selects books for three categories (Writing/Illustration/Translation) of the IBBY Honour List every two years.
Since 2008, JBBY has given these books the JBBY Award.
WRITING
Writing 1990
Kanzawa, Toshiko
Taran no hakucho(The Swan of Lake Talan)
Fukuinkan Shoten

Writing 1992
Mitamura, Nobuyuki
Boku ga kyoryu datta koro
(When I was a Dinosaur)
Holp Shuppan

Writing 1994
Iwase, Joko
Uso janaiyo to Tanikawa kun wa
itta (Tanikawa Said It's Not a Lie)PHP InstituteWriting 1996
Ito, Hiroshi
Osaru ni naru hi(Hurrah, I'm a Monkey)
KodanshaWriting 1998
Okada, Jun
Kosoado no mori no monogatari(The Stories of the Kosoado Woods)
RironshaWriting 2000
Ito, Yu
Oni no hashi(A Bridge to the Other World)
Fukuinkan Shoten

Writing 2002
Tomiyasy, Yoko
Yamanba yama no Mokko tachi(Mokko in Mount Yamamba)
Fukuinkan Shoten

Writing 2004
Uehashi, Nahoko
Kami no moribito(Guardian of the Awful God, 2 Vols.)
Kaiseisha

Writing 2006
Ogihara, Noriko
Fujinhisho(The Tale of the Flute Player)
Tokuma Shoten

Writing 2008
Takadono, Hoko
Otomodasa ni narimasho(Let's Be Frrrrriends)
Froe-bel kan

Writing 2010
Hamano, Kyoko
Fyujon (Fusion)
KodanshaWriting 2014
Mahara, Mito
Tetsu no shibuki ga haneru(Where the Steel Sparks Fly)
KodanshaWriting 2016
Iwase, Joko
Atarashii ko ga kite
(Since the New One Came)
Iwasaki Shoten

Writing 2018
Furuuchi, Kazue
Furadan (Hula Boys)
Komine Shoten

Illustration 2008
Arai, Ryoji
Taiyo orugan(A Sound of Taiyo Organ)
Kaiseisha

Illustration 2014
Abe, Hiroshi
Shin sekai e(To the New World)
Kaiseisha

Illustration 2004
Saito, Takao
Kaeru no Heike monogatari(The Frogs and the Cat: Story
Inspired by Heike Monogatari)
Text by Kazunari Hino
Fukuinkan Shoten
Illustration 2010
Ito, Hideo
Ushio (Ushio)
Billiken Shuppan

Illustration 2006
Cho, Shinta
Mimizu no Ossan(The Story of the Earthworm named
Ossan)
Doshinsha

Illustration 2012
Inoue, Yosuke
Boshi (Hats)
East Press

Illustration 2016
Yoshida, Hisanori
Kibo no bokujo(The Ranch of Hope in Fukushima)
Text by Eto Mori
Iwasaki Shoten

Illustration 2018
Suzuki, Koji
Domu gatari (Dome Story)
Text by Arthur Binard
Tamagawa University Press

Translation 1990
Trans. Nakamura, Taeko
Kari o suru Eira
(Mammoth Hunters byJean M. K. M. Auel)
Hyoronsha

Translation 1992
Trans. Uchida, Risako
Roshia no mukashi banashi(Russian Folktales)
Fukuinkan Shoten

Translation 1994
Trans. Shimizu, Masako
Gedo senki(The Wizard of Earthsea by
Ursula K. Le Guin)
Iwanami Shoten

Translation 1996
Trans. Kakegawa, Yasuko
Unmei no uma Dakuringu(Darkling by K. M. Peyton)
Iwanami Shoten

Translation 1998
Trans. Waki, Akiko
Oka no ie no Sera
(The Silent Shore by
Ruth Elwin Harris)
Iwanami Shoten

Translation 2000
Trans. Sakai, Haruhiko
Arabian naito(The Arabian Nights edited by
Wiggin and Smith)
Fukuinkan Shoten

Translation 2002
Trans. Sakuma, Yumiko
Magaretto to Meizon(Last Summer with Maizon by
Jacqueline Woodson)
PoplarTranslation 2004
Trans. Matsuoka, Kyoko
Ramona to atarashii kazoku(Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary)
GakkenTranslation 2006
Trans. Hishiki, Akirako
Mai ga ita natsu(Maj Darling by Mats Wahl)
Tokuma Shoten

Translation 2008
Trans. Chiba, Shigeki
Ori no naka no himitsu(Dumb Creatures by Jeanne Willis)
Asunaro Shobo

Translation 2010
Trans. Kodama, Tomoko
Daido to tochan(Dido and Pa by Joan Aiken)
FuzanboTranslation 2012
Trans. Saito, Michiko
Shikago yori tondemonai machi(A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck)
Tokyo Sogensha

Translation 2014
Trans. Jingu, Teruo
Tsubame-go to Amazon-go(Swallows and Amazons by
Arthur Ransome)Iwanami Shoten

Translation 2016
Trans. Harada, Masaru
Haremu no tatakau honya(No Crystal Stair by
Vanda Micheaux Nelson)
Asunaro Shobo

Translation 2018
Trans. Motai, Natsuu
Oshizukani, chichi ga hirune shiteorimasu (Please Be Quiet, My Father
is Taking a Nap: Jewish Folktales)
Iwanami Shoten

TRANSLATIONILLUSTRATION
Illustration 1990
Suzuki, Koji
Yama no disuko(Disco on the Mountain)
KakushaIllustration 1996
Matsuoka, Tatsuhide
Boku no robotto kyoryu tanken(Exploring the Dinosaur Age
with My Robot)
Fukuinkan Shoten

24

Illustration 1992
Yabuuchi, Masayuki
Yacho no zukan (Wild Birds of Japan)
Fukuinkan Shoten

Illustration 1998
Kobayashi, Yutaka
Sekai ichi utsukushii
boku no mura
(My Sweet Village)
PoplarIllustration 1994
Akino, Isamu
Ore wa uta da ore wa koko o aruku(Oral Poetry of the Native Americans)
Text by Hisao Kanaseki
Fukuinkan Shoten

Illustration 2000
Ono, Kaoru
Okagura(The Night of Kagura)
Text by Akiko Waki
Poplar25

Special Essay

JBBY Book Selection TeamThe JBBY Book Selection Team discussed and collaboratively chose the titles listed inthis publication. The name in parentheses after each book description is the name of
the committee member who wrote the description.

Growth in Japanese Children’s Book
Publishing Since World War II
Yumiko SAKUMA, JBBY President
Translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa

This essay was first presented as part of a session at the Asian Festival of Children's Content (AFCC)

Yasuko DOI

Yumiko SAKUMA

Translator, editor, former professor at the Aoyama

2016, and was modified for Painting Landscapes: Children's Literature About and Beyond Asia（AFCC

Institute for Children’s Literature (IICLO). Besides re-

Gakuin Women’s Junior College, and director of

searching reading activities and the history of Japa-

the Japan-Africa Children’s Books Project (JACBOP).

Publications, 2017）.

nese children’s literature, Yasuko Doi plans projects

After working in publishing as an editor, Yumiko Sa-

such as training courses for teachers and librarians,

kuma began translating children’s books. Her more

and lectures and symposiums for children’s book au-

than 200 translations include Chronicles of Ancientthors from Japan and overseas. Co-editor of Kodomo

Darkness by Michelle Paver, Dusk by Uri Shulevitz,

no hon hyakumon hyakuto (One Hundred Questions

and Of Thee I Sing by Barack Obama. Her translation

and Answers About Children’s Books) in 2013. Juryof Last Summer with Maizon by Jacqueline Woodsonfor the 2018 Hans Christian Andersen Awards. For-

made the IBBY Honour List. JBBY president.

Director and senior researcher at the Internationalmer JBBY board member.

Post-war Publishing in Japan
When I spoke at the Asian Festival of Chil-

Graph A (p. 28) is based on data published in Japan’s

dren’s Content (AFCC) 2016 in Singapore, I

Publication Yearbook (Shuppan nenkan) and by thewas delighted to meet many people there

Statistics Bureau, Ministry of Internal Affairs and Com-

who love children’s books. I presented aboutmunications. It shows us how the number of publica-

the background and current state of Japanesetions in Japan increased from 1954 to 2016. The verti-

Yukiko HIROMATSU

Tomoko SHIROTA

Children’s Publishing and discussed somecal axis shows the number of new publications, andcurator of Chihiro Art Museum, Tokyo. Yukiko Hiro-prefecture. As a public librarian with long experi-challenges and directions for the future.

the horizontal axis shows the publication year. Eachmatsu’s works include Kyo no ehon ashita no ehonence superintending children’s services, she has(Picture Books of Today, Picture Books of Tomorrow),worked diligently to research and promote children’s

Series Ima mukashi ehon Vol. 1-11 (Picture Books ofliterature by implementing read-alouds, book talks,

Old Tales for Now). She received the Japan Picture

Bookstart and other programming. She leads work-

Book Award Translated Picture Book Award for Ha-

Picture book author, critic, and curator. Former chief

Chief librarian at the Miyoshi town library, Saitama

colored line shows a category of publications, such
Since my presentation in Singapore, I haveas the yellow line for social science, the brown line forshops in a range of locations for librarians and day-updated the portion of my talk about growth

literature (for adults), and the red line for children’s

shire, Toto (Run, Toto! by Eun Young Cho) in 2014.

care workers, nurturing the next generation. She has
authored Yomikikase wakuwaku handobukku (Read-in Japanese children’s book publishing since

books.

She has sat on the jury of many international competitions including the chair of 2017 Biennial of illustra-

Aloud Excitement! A Handbook) and co-authoredtions Bratislava (BIB). JBBY board member.

Ehon—kodomo no tame no 300 satsu (Picture Books:
300 Titles for Children). JBBY board member.

Akira NOGAMI

Served as managing editor of children’s monthly
magazines at Shogakukan; former president ofWorld War II. Here I would like to convey myfindings and, using concrete numbers, out-

As you can see, in 1954 the most-published categoryline the size and shape of Japanese children’sin Japan was children's books. It seems the Japanesepublishing.

tried to focus on education and children's publications during the immediate postwar years of recovery.

Shogakukan Creative. Taught children’s literatureand culture at the Shirayuri University and the Tokyo
Seitoku University. Akira Nogami’s works include

Nihonjidobungaku no gendai e (To the Modern Children’s Literature of Japan), Ekkyo suru jidobungaku

but also culture, so children’s books and magazines(Children’s Literature Crossing Borders), and Kodomo

printed on cheap paper sold briskly; children’s maga-

bunka no gendaishi (Contemporary History of Chil-zines were high in number. Later on, publishers began

dren’s Culture). Managing director of the Japan PEN
Club. JBBY vice president.

26

At the war’s end, Japan lacked not only adequate foodto put out series of picture books and famous chil-27

Graph A

Post-war Book Publishing in Japandren's literary titles. Once society stabilized, parents
became able to consider education and sources ofTable ANew Children’s Titles Published in 2016

information for their children, and they bought books
for them; school classrooms and libraries also becamea source of demand, so that the number of titles published for children outpaced titles for adults.

Post-war Children’s Publishing in Japan
Graph B (p. 28) also shows publishing in Japan from

2,303

Picture Books

1,231

Chapter Books & Novels

1,072

Nonfiction & Others

2,568
54

The red line indicates children's books, and the green

Philosophy & Religion

152

line indicates study guides (reference). As you canHistory & Geography

235

Social Science

263

Natural Science492

graph does not show it, but while the number of new

Engineering & Technology

218

publications has increased, the number of books in

Industry

113

Arts & Sports

839

Language202

see, the number of new children’s titles increased toabout 5,000 recently. It is important to note that salesof books have not increased in this same way. The

Post-war Children’s Publishing in Japan

Literature

Number of Titles

General1954 to 2016, but only for books related to children.

Graph B

Categoryeach first printing has decreased. This is because, firstof all, the number of children in Japan has decreased.
Second, books have to compete against games andother media such as TV and comics.

Total

4,871

New Children’s Titles Published in 2016
Table A (p. 29) shows that in 2016, Japanese publish-

Original Works vs. Translations in 2016

ers released 4,871 new children’s titles, of which 1,231

Since I am a translator, I wanted to compare the num-

were picture books, 1,072 were chapter books andber of Japanese original works with the number ofnovels, and 2,568 were nonfiction and informationtranslated works published in Japan in 2016. As you

books.

can see in Table B (p. 30), the translated works accounted for 15.3% of all children’s titles published in

To put all of this in context, Japan now publishes

Japan.

about 80,000 new titles per year (78,113 in 2016), in-28

cluding books for adults. Children’s books account for

Ten years ago, this percentage of translated works

about 6 percent of that.

was much higher. The reason for the decrease might29

Original Works vs. Translations in 2016

Table B
Category

Total
TitlesPublished

Picture Books

1,231

Japanese
Originals958

the 1980s and 1990s, however, there seemed to be a

Translated
Works

Translated
Books asPercentge

divide between those who were involved in publish-

In Closing

ing original works, and those who were involved in

In this essay, I have discussed Japanese chil-

273

22.2%

translated works. So I started a monthly book discus-

dren’s book publishing and the situation ofsion group where writers, translators, librarians, bunko

books translated into Japanese, published(or private library) organizers, editors and researchersin Japan. But how about the translation ofcome and talk about children’s books. In this group

works from Japan for publication overseas?

we always read Japanese original works and translat-

The publication of Japanese picture books ined works about the same theme for comparison. We

translation is on the rise in China, South Ko-

have learned plenty from one another this way; forrea and Taiwan (East Asia). For novels, howev-

example, we translators learn a lot from works origi-

er, the language barrier is high, and overseas
publication in translation is rare.

Chapter Books& Novels

1,072

835

237

22.1%

Nonfiction & Others

2,568

2,332

236

9.2%

Total

4,871

4,125

746

15.3%

be that Japanese publishers dislike the co-production

In recent years, publishers in the U.S. and U.K. havenally written in Japanese, especially regarding literarysystem increasingly required by American and Brit-been requesting scenario 2 more frequently. This

styles.

ish publishers. If a Japanese publisher accepts this co-means that the first print run may be relatively low-

production system, the cost of the first printing may

cost for the Japanese publisher, but then it becomesOn the other hand, many of the successful Japanesechildren in one country and children in an-

be reduced, but it is difficult to reprint at times con-difficult to print more copies or to issue a reprint

writers today were brought up on translated master-other. Only with such bridges can children

venient for the Japanese publisher.

edition when the Japanese publisher wishes. Alterna-

pieces in their childhood, so the influence of transla-

know other cultures deeply. And I believe it

tively, the Japanese publisher may succeed in getting

tions is clear in original works, as well. For example,

is by knowing other cultures, that children of

To explain further about co-production, there are

more copies printed, but the cost may be high. These

Nahoko Uehashi, writer of epic fantasies and winnerdifferent backgrounds can become friends. I

generally two ways to publish a Japanese edition of adifficulties inhibit further printings even when a bookof the 2014 Hans Christian Andersen Award, has said

hope that many people involved in children’s

picture book originally published overseas:

becomes listed as recommended or required reading

she loved to read Rosemary Sutcliff, Arthur Ransome,literature will see the importance of transla-

for Japanese students, so this setup is highly disad-

J. R. R. Tolkien and Jules Verne in translation in hertion and build bridges for our young readers.

vantageous for Japan.

childhood. Also, Noriko Ogiwara, writer of fantasy(1)

The original publisher sells the Japanesepublisher the translation rights and the data files fornovels set in ancient Japan, published Gurifin to ocha

the book, and the Japanese publisher prints and binds

Original Works vs. Translations:Mutual Influenceo (Tea With Griffin) in 2012; this collection of her es-

publisher the translation rights but not the data

I feel that in Japan’s children’s publishing nowadays,

fantasies and myths. Sho Kutsuki, whose parents werefiles, and the original publisher prints and binds thetranslated works and original works influence eachexposed to the atomic bomb radiation in Hiroshima,

Japanese version using the Japanese publisher’sother significantly. One of the leading figures of

has read much foreign literature and written stories

translation. The original publisher enjoys higher profit

children’s literature in post-war Japan was Momoko

with a world-wide view. Finally, Jun Nasuda, who

than in scenario 1, because it prints after receiving

Ishii, who was a translator as well as a writer. In addi-

writes award-winning YA novels, lives both in Berlintranslations not only from Japanese but also fromtion, several "World Children’s Literature" book series

and Tokyo, and he translates German children’s books

other languages.

were published in Japan in the 1950s and 1960s. In

into Japanese as well.

the Japanese edition on its own.
(2)30

A translated book is like a bridge between

The original publisher sells the Japanesesays on animals includes imaginary animals in foreign31Japanese Children's Books 2018

JBBY's recommendations for young readers throughout the world
The 2nd edition© Japanese Board on Books for Young People (JBBY), 2018
JBBY Secretariat
Fukuromachi 6, Shinjuku-ku
Tokyo 162-0828 Japan
Tel. [int. +81] 3 5228 0051
Fax [int. +81] 3 5228 0053
E-mail: info@jbby.org
http://www.jbby.org/
Book selection:
Yasuko Doi, Yukiko Hiromatsu, Akira Nogami, Yumiko Sakuma, Tomoko Shirota
Translation: Cathy Hirano, Ginny Tapley Takemori, Avery Fischer Udagawa
Cover illustration: Maki Arai
Supported by the Foundation for the Advancement of Juvenile Education in Japan

32