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Travel the World: Books for Kids About Japan and Japanese Culture

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Travel to Japan by reading picture books , chapter books, and middle grade books that are set in Japan and show Japanese culture and traditions. Books help kids learn about different countries and their cultures. For me, the book Shogun first got me interested in Japanese culture. I wonder what it will be for your kids?

Happy travels!

Picture Books About Japanese Culture

Travel the World: Books for Kids About Japan and Japanese Culture

Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein, illustrated by Ed Young Wabi Sabi wants to know what her name means so she sets on a journey to find out. Written in narrative and haiku, she learns that wabi-sabi means the ability to see beauty in the simple things. Gorgeous collage illustrations.

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Chapter Books Set in Japan

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Picture Books About China and the Chinese Language (Mandarin)

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Melissa Taylor, MA, is the creator of Imagination Soup. She's a mother, former teacher & literacy trainer, and freelance education writer. She writes Imagination Soup and freelances for publications online and in print, including Penguin Random House's Brightly website, USA Today Health, Adobe Education, Colorado Parent, and Parenting. She is passionate about matching kids with books that they'll love.

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Reading 絵本 (Ehon) – Japanese Picture Books as a Japanese Learner Yes, You Can Be a Child Again (Or at Least Read Children’s Books)

May 10, 2022 • words written by Sarah Bush • Art by Kanae Nakamine and Aya Francisco

When I lived in Tokyo, my friend and I would often take long meandering walks adventuring around the city and often ended up in bookstores. While he tended to gravitate toward the educational textbooks, I somehow always ended up in the children's section. Something about the shelves full of picture books just seemed so inviting to me.

I don't care how many kanji you know, it can be daunting to try and read even a novella in Japanese. If there aren't any illustrations, it's just you and the text — there are no other contextual cues to rely on. But with children's books, I didn't feel like reading them would be an overwhelming challenge from the start, and I felt accomplished reading a whole book (no matter how short or how many pictures).

However, just because children's books are for children doesn't mean they're necessarily easy to read for those studying Japanese as a foreign language. In this article, I'll discuss why children's books can be a great resource for Japanese-language learners, as well as some of the inherent challenges to watch out for. I'll also recommend some genres of books that adult learners of Japanese might enjoy and suggest where to find your own books.

絵本 (Ehon): Japanese Picture Books

Pictures provide context clues, unlike manga, it's not all dialogue, you can set small but achievable goals, learn about japanese culture, and… they're simply so much fun, child-centric vocabulary, grammar the textbooks don't teach you, no kanji… can be a little challenging, it can be harder to find a book at your level (than graded readers), むかし話: traditional folktales, 図鑑・事典: encyclopedia, where to find japanese picture books, ready to enjoy some japanese picture books.

When you hear "children's books," the first thing that might come to mind is the classic picture book. But there are also easy readers, chapter books, middle grade, young adult, and a ton of other related categories of books aimed toward early readers. For example, The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Harry Potter are both children's books, but they are quite different in terms of level, length, and the amount of pictures.

Ehon are illustrated stories for children in which the text and images are integrated, and generally work together to tell a story.

For this article, however, the focus will be narrowed to picture books, or 絵本 (ehon). So what exactly can be considered ehon? To put it simply, ehon are illustrated stories for children in which the text and images are integrated, and generally work together to tell a story. It might seem obvious, but to consider the previous examples, The Very Hungry Caterpillar is a picture book but Harry Potter is not. I know, I know, but what about the illustrated version of Harry Potter ? No, still not a picture book, because the narrative does not rely on images on every page to help further the story and engage the reader — who, in the case of a picture book, is often being read to, not reading the book themselves. But for the sake of the resources I will introduce in this article, any book that is heavily-illustrated, from children's stories to encyclopedia-type specialty books known as 図鑑 (zukan) will be referred to as a "picture book."

Why Read Japanese Picture Books?

There's a reason I gravitated towards the picture books in Japanese bookstores — it was like the candy aisle in the grocery store. Amongst long rows of study guides and harried students, management tomes and surly salarymen, and "easy" cookbooks and the heavy mantle of my own failures, the children's section beckoned like a warm hug. It was a microcosm of bright colors, cozied with charmingly tiny tables and chairs, the shelves stuffed with titles I could actually read — or at least more or less figure out from the cover art.

Beyond the welcoming atmosphere of the children's section, as a Japanese language learner I also enjoy reading children's books because they feel more approachable. If you're still not convinced, here are a few more reasons to try them out.

Especially for those at a lower level who are still learning to read in Japanese, pictures can be a game changer.

For one, you can't take it for granted that they visually make it more appealing and approachable. Compared to something that's text-only, pictures certainly lower the emotional hurdle of picking up a book and starting to read. Reading children's books doesn't feel like studying, even.

Learning new words from picture books can help you gain a better understanding of their nuance, and provide concrete examples of how and when they're typically used in context.

Pictures can also provide context to not only help you read, but read between the lines as well. In fact, research has shown that the combination of text with graphics like pictures or diagrams facilitates reading comprehension. 1 Images can help you understand words you may not know, and give you additional information about how to interpret the text. This means that pictures can also help you learn new words and phrases without translations. Learning through pictures is a more direct and intuitive approach than, say books with parallel translations. While learning new words through translation is a common approach for language learners (like flashcards), learning new words from picture books can help you gain a better understanding of their nuance, and provide concrete examples of how and when they're typically used in context, which is something direct translations can't always archieve.

But why all this talk about picture books when you could just go and pick up some manga? Based on this criteria, they should be perfect reading material, right? Full of pictures, perhaps a little longish but not too text-heavy, Japanese culture savvy, and of course super fun!

Dialogue tries to replicate how people actually talk, and can be very informal and often colloquial.

Don't get me wrong, I love manga. But manga can be difficult for a few reasons, and some of the big ones are related to the fact that the stories are mainly told through dialogue. Of course, this dialogue tries to replicate how people actually talk, and can be very informal and often colloquial. On top of that, spoken Japanese can require you to pick up on a lot of subtext, since things like subjects are often omitted. All of this together means that manga can generally be difficult for beginner and even intermediate learners to understand.

You'll find some of these challenges also apply to picture books, but because the stories are generally told through narrative text instead of nearly exclusively through dialogue, I find they can be easier to digest. While the stories in manga can also get really complicated really fast, the stories you find in picture books are shorter and not overly-complex — after all, they are geared toward children.

You can read — and finish — them faster.

As a second-language learner, I often find that trying to tackle a longer book or a novel to be daunting, and the pressure to finish can be deinsentivising. That's why I’m a big proponent of setting smaller, more achievable goals to stay motivated to read. Because picture books are on the shorter side, you can read — and finish — them faster. I always feel a warm sense of accomplishment when I've finished reading a book in Japanese, and it doesn't really matter if it's a novel, a chapter book, or a thirty-page picture book.

Thinking about Japanese culture in a broader sense, many Japanese children's books, either explicitly or implicitly, explain or teach children about Japanese culture and how to be a part of Japanese society.

You can use picture books to learn what Japanese children learn that becomes part of the collective common knowledge.

Think about all the stories you hear and ideas you pick up as a children that go into your understanding of your culture and how to be a part of it: fairy tales and songs, stories about famous people and events, characters that are part of a shared cultural memory, what you can expect to see and do in different places, expectations about how you should act. You can use picture books to learn what Japanese children learn that becomes part of the collective common knowledge — for instance, the song Donguri Korokoro, who Kaguyahime and Urashima Tarō are, what you might do in the springtime, and how to work together with a group.

Picture books can help you learn not only some foundational aspects of Japanese culture, but can also be a kind of backdoor to understanding a Japanese point of view!

Perhaps the best part of reading Japanese picture books is that they are fun. And cute, and bright, and charming, and just plain lovely.

Even if you were never a big fan of reading to begin with, or if you've developed an emotional allergy over the years of trying to read in Japanese, just like Harry Potter inspired non-readers to find the joy in reading, trying out Japanese picture books might be just what you need to jumpstart your journey into reading Japanese (again). So if it sounds like a fun idea, give it a try! It might be just what you need to motivate you to tackle something with less, or even no pictures, eventually.

Inherent Challenges of Reading Japanese Picture Books

Like I mentioned before, the children's book section beckons like the candy aisle of the bookstore. However, unfortunately not every Japanese picture book offers an effortless jaunt through candy land. So, let's quickly talk about some of the challenges so you're not surprised by a sour gummy worm when you're gobbling down on some sweet, sweet gummy bears.

As a second language learner, there are going to be some inherent challenges that come with reading books written for native speakers, even if those native speakers are children.

While the overwhelming majority of Japanese picture books are written for children who are native speakers of Japanese, if you've spent much time around children you'll know that they have a vocabulary that may not be utilized in many contexts for adults or second-language learners.

They have a vocabulary that may not be utilized in many contexts for adults or second-language learners.

For example, one of the most famous English children's stories is Pat the Bunny, but I couldn't tell you the last time I used the word "pat" or read it in a sentence that wasn't in Pat the Bunny . It's such a simple word, just three letters, but it's not even in the top 5000 words recommended for advanced learners of English by Oxford Learner's Dictionaries. 2

The same goes for Japanese picture books. For example, they often use onomatopoeia and other fun-sounding expressions that add good rhythm to the stories. ごっつんこ gottsunko , for instance, is a word used for when something bumps to something else. This is a fairly common expression for Japanese children, and while it may also be used by native-speaking adults, is not necessarily as well-known to second language learners. Learning these types of words can be a joy, but can also be a stumbling block, just like the relatively advanced grammar that might pop up.

Again, with children's books, the assumption is that the reader is a native speaker. And native speakers learn language in a completely different way compared to second language learners — textbooks have nothing on that spongy baby brain!

You might see more advanced grammatical expressions and verb tenses just casually thrown around.

So, this means that you might see more advanced grammatical expressions and verb tenses just casually thrown around, like the friendly trio causative, passive, and causative-passive. Oftentimes, even if there's some grammar you don't understand you can still get enough of the context to figure out more or less what a sentence means (this is exactly how I read a text written in classical Japanese), so don't get too discouraged!

You might also come across contractions, like 〜てる for 〜ている or 〜ちゃう for 〜てしまう, or some sound changes or other words associated with baby talk, like 〜ちゃま for 〜さま. These colloquialisms may not be in your dictionary, but you can often figure them out with a quick Google search. You can definitely give your dictionary (or at least your brain) a workout with the next challenge: missing kanji.

a page from an ehon that uses only hiragana

Many books for very young children — from toddlers to those in the first year of elementary school — often have very few kanji, or none at all. On the one hand, this means you don't need to know any kanji to start reading children's books, and you won't stumble over the meanings or readings of kanji you're not familiar with. Hurray!

On the other hand, I had no idea how much I actually relied on kanji to grasp the meaning of a sentence until my friend's toddler asked me to read him a book with zero kanji. I was pretty confident — certainly I could read Japanese better than a two year old? The answer was yes — but not without some initial hits to my dignity.

Take, for example, this picture book title: 「きょうは なんのひ?」

It's a little tricky, right? You would typically see the title written like 「今日は何の日?」, but with no kanji, it can take a minute to parse where the end of a word is, what's a particle and what's not, what the meaning of a word is… Sentences are broken up into chunks, however, often with spaces after particles, which is a lot of help.

The use of kanji is something you should look into especially when selecting a book.

Like the other challenges, this isn't a huge obstacle that can't be overcome — just something to be aware of. You may not be comfortable reading (almost) all-kana text at first, but you'll get used to it as you read. When you aren't sure, reading out loud might help you recognize a word you actually know.

Not all picture books are devoid of kanji — there are options geared toward older children and more advanced readers which you can use to practice your kanji knowledge. Just keep in mind that the use of kanji is something you should look into especially when selecting a book!

It can be harder to find a picture book that's suitable for your level.

Compared to resources like graded readers for language learners, which are categorized into levels of difficulty, it can be harder to find a picture book that's suitable for your level. Some websites like EhonNavi (which I'll talk about later) allow you to search by age, which can be an indication of difficulty level, but this can be limiting when the reading material is not tailored for language learners, specifically.

NPO Tadoku Supporter's website is a website where you can find graded readers and search for other recommended extensive-reading materials. In their database, you can search for their curated picture books . Each book is given a grade so you can find books that match your reading level. While you are on their website, be sure to check out their original graded readers too, as many are available for free — especially lower-level reads use lots of pictures, so they're like a perfect mix of picture books and graded readers!

Japanese Picture Books Genre Recommendations

After learning about the benefits and challenges of reading picture books, I hope you are up for giving them a shot. Although "Japanese picture books" sounds like a specific category of books, it actually encompasses a wide variety of genres. In case you aren't sure what to look for, or where to start, I put together a few recommendations, focusing on genres that you can learn Japanese culture from, as well as ones that I think adults can enjoy. To find or instill the joy of reading, I think it's important to pick a book about something you love or that you're at least interested in. I hope you can find something on this list that you feel excited about reading!

an assortment of mukashi banashi ehon

While classic European fairy tales are popular in Japan as well, Japan has its own traditional folktales, or むかし話 mukashi banashi , which literally translates to "stories of a long time ago." The storylines of some of these famous tales, like Momotarō , Kaguyahime , and Urashimatarō are so well-known they’ve become part of the cultural fabric of Japan — you would have a hard time finding someone that doesn't know them. In fact, it is pretty common to see or hear about the characters and references to these folktales in day-to-day life in Japan. So as a Japanese learner it's not a bad idea to expand your cultural knowledge by reading them yourself!

Just a heads-up, since folktales are stories that were traditionally passed down orally through generations, the writing style and format tend to vary between authors and publishers, even for the same story. Most Japanese folktales also feature elderly characters — ojiichan (grandfather) and/or obaachan (grandmother). Because of this, some books (that respected the authenticity of oral storytelling) might use very colloquial speech patterns characteristic of elderly characters in fiction. This can be challenging to understand for Japanese learners, so you might want to look out for these quirks when selecting a book.

a few example pages from various zukan/jiten

This is actually more of a format than a genre, but 図鑑 (zukan) and 事典 (jiten) refer to encyclopedia-type books.

For children who are learning all about new words and subjects for the first time, these are great vocabulary-builders and can provide deep-knowledge on a subject they find interesting, like bugs or fish. There are zukan and jiten of really anything, so you will probably be able to find one that's all about something you love. You might be thinking,"well, I'm not interested in any of the things children love." Okay, even though you might not be interested in dinosaurs or acorns, seriously, the variety of zukan and jiten is huge. And many have really interesting viewpoints that adults would find interesting and educational.

For example, a book called 絶滅したいきもの図鑑 (zetsumetsu shita ikimono zukan) features animals that went extinct for a kind of silly and ridiculous reason. (Like, did you know a manatee-like animal called Steller's sea cow became extinct because they were too kind!? 🤯) There are also books that feature bird beaks, the cut ends of citrus fruits, and even fish fillets.

What's good about these encyclopedia-type books is that they are formatted to parse information in an easily-digestible format instead of using long, endless paragraphs. Usually, a subject (or a group of subjects) is featured on one page. This chunking makes it easy to read or skip entire pages that might not interest you without feeling like you missed out on something integral to the non-narrative format.

As long as they are intended for children, both zukan and jiten (the terms are used almost interchangeably) are image-heavy. However, note that zukan, as the name includes 図 (which means "picture"), means "visual dictionary," so they tend to have a stronger emphasis on visuals. So, although it really depends on the book, it's not rare for zukan to have more limited text. For instance, some only list a name along the picture of the subject.

an assortment of food related ehon

There's something special about looking at illustrations of food that scrolling photogenic foodie photos on your social media feed can't touch. Especially if you love Japanese food (washoku), picture books that feature food are a true gem.

There are story books that revolve around food, but there are also more educational books featuring a certain type of food that give you a deep dive into its history, ingredients, and more. I think adult language learners who are into Japanese culinary culture would especially enjoy those books. Some books also feature encyclopedia-style content like zukan , for example seasonal wagashi, or different types and thickness of ramen noodles. These books tend to be aimed at elementary schoolers, and are written in kana and kanji (often with furigana readings), so they could be great materials for learners who want to practice reading kanji. Just make sure to eat some snacks before heading to a library or bookstore — they will surely make you hungry!

an assortment of yokai ehon

Are you a fan of 妖怪 (yokai) ? If you’re into horror stories or the occult, picture books about yokai could be your jam. If weren’t already familiar, yokai are supernatural beings and mysterious creatures of Japanese folklore. They can be "haunted" inanimate objects imbibed with spiritual energy, water demons like the kappa — who also featured in a Harry Potter series movie — or the frigid 雪女 (yuki onna) snow woman, who freezes her unsuspecting victims to death.

They might sound like an innately frightening topic, but yokai, despite their folktale origins, are a prominent part of Japanese pop culture, especially for children. Ever heard of a little franchise called Pokemon? Yea, yokai inspired. Yokai's looks and habits can be quirky and hilarious, making them much more than the topic of some scary stories. Since many children love yokai in Japan, there are quite a few children's picture books featuring yokai. You might also see the word おばけ as something in the same vein — it generally refers to mysterious creatures including yokai.

Whether you are new to the world of yokai, or an avid fan already, there are many 図鑑 (zukan) / encyclopedia-type books that introduce the different "species" of yokai, and some that even give you tips for how to deal with them if you were ever to encounter these mysterious creatures in real-life.

Yokai manga legend 水木しげる (Mizuki Shigeru), who's best known for the ゲゲゲの鬼太郎 (Ge-Ge-Ge No Kitaro) series, also wrote many picture books about yokai that are well worth checking out.

Now you might be feeling inspired to start reading Japanese picture books (or at least I hope you are), but left wondering where to pick one up. If you're in Japan, you can just pop into the nearest bookstore and wander over to the children's section like I did. Most bookstores will have at least a small children's section. Kinokuniya, Maruzen, Tsutaya, and Book1st are all good options. Even some 100-yen shops sell inexpensive children’s books. If you'd prefer to buy used books, try BookOff! Don't forget to check out your local library as well.

If you'd prefer to browse or read online, or you aren't in Japan, there are some options for you as well. EhonNavi is a Japanese site dedicated to, what else, ehon. On EhonNavi, not only can you search for books by genre, but you can also search by age, which can be helpful to gauge the reading level of the book. One of the many benefits of shopping their catalog online is that they provide free samples. While it’s a limited feature, you can even preview whole books for free by signing up. With your free account you can access the 全ページためしよみ (all-page preview) of up to three books a month (once per title only). Many books also offer a ちょっとためしよみ ("a little" preview) which lets you take a peek of a few pages and for this, you don't even sign up for an account. EhonNavi also offers a premium, paid membership that allows you to read as many books as you want for about four bucks a month (396 yen, to be exact). You can still only read each book once, but you can access as many books as you want! Previews are only available with the mobile app, but it's worth the hassle to download it. Sadly, although EhonNavi does have an online shop where you can buy physical books, sadly, they do not ship overseas.

If you like free stuff and want to support a community of volunteer creators, check out, 絵本ひろば (Ehon Hiroba) . This Japanese site is dedicated to picture books, but all of their books are created by users! You can read stories by amateur ehon artists for free, and there are some wonderful stories with truly impressive art. Sign up for a free account and read these high-quality ehon to your heart's content!

And if you want to get a hold of a physical copy, shipping from Amazon Japan is another option. There are of course lots of children's books to choose from, and Amazon Japan usually ships internationally. For those in the U.S., especially city-dwellers, Kinokuniya might have a brick-and-mortar location near you. They also have an online store , and shipping costs tend to be cheaper than Amazon Japan or other online stores that ship from Japan.

Lastly, I just want to give you a friendly reminder — make sure to take a peek before purchasing ! Especially if you are browsing online, don't forget to take a peek inside before whipping out your wallet and committing your time and money to a purchase. There are many books that provide free previews so be sure to check them out. Again, there is a wide range in picture books, so make sure to choose what you feel is right for your level. Books for toddlers and those intended for school-aged children are vastly different in terms of both language and content, so be sure to look out for things like writing style, vocabulary, the use of kanji, text density, and font.

Most importantly — make sure to pick a book that you think you'll enjoy, and focus on the joy of reading rather than how much you can mine the resources for study material. And of course, don't forget to take some time to admire the illustrations!

I hope this article has given you some new ideas for Japanese books to read. Even though there are some challenges with reading Japanese children's books, because they tend to be shorter and have lots of illustrations, they can be very approachable. They're also, of course, lots of fun. I've gotten a lot of joy out of reading Japanese children's books, and I hope you do, too.

Do You Get the Picture? A Meta-Analysis of the Effect of Graphics on Reading Comprehension by Daibao Guo & Shuai Zhang & Katherine Landau Wright & Erin M. McTigue (2020)  ↩

The Oxford 3000 and the Oxford 5000 by Oxford Learner's Dictionaries  ↩

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This is a catalogue where you can find Japanese content that can be introduced worldwide.

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Japanese Picture Books: 100 Years, 100 Illustrators, 100 Books

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In Japan, there are picture books that have been selling well for over half a century, and at the same time there are about 1,000 new picture books published each year. The author, a picture book expert who has long been writing about 300 book reviews a year for magazines and other media in this “picture book nation,” presents in chronological order her selection of 100 picture books by 100 illustrators, published in the 100 or so years from 1912 to 2014. This fascinating volume conveys the beauty and magic of Japan’s picture books.

Author’s Information

After working as an editor, children’s book collection supervisor, and curator of the Chihiro Art Museum, Hiromatsu became a freelance picture book critic, writer, translator and exhibition planner. She has participated as an international juror in events such as the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the Biennial of Illustration Bratislava (BIB) and the Nami Concours. At BIB 2017 she was the first Japanese ever to serve as the event’s international jury chairperson. She currently contributes article series on picture books to newspapers and magazines, including the selection of books for Asahi newspaper’s “Children’s Bookshelf.” Hiromatsu is a part-time lecturer at Rikkyo University, Musashino University and Yokohama University of Art and Design, and vice-president of the Japanese Board on Books for Young People (JBBY). Since 2020 she has been co-director of 83gocco, a picture book and restaurant space in Ichigaya, Shinjuku-ku (Tokyo). She has written and translated numerous books and articles.

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Hokusai’s printed illustrated Books

“Visiting a Buddhist temple in the neighborhood of Zōshigaya,” in Katsushika Hokusai, Illustrated Book of Humorous Poems “Mountain on Mountain” (Ehon kyōka yama mata yama), 1804, woodblock printed book (Smithsonian Libraries)

“Visiting a Buddhist temple in the neighborhood of Zōshigaya,” in Katsushika Hokusai, Illustrated Book of Humorous Poems “Mountain on Mountain” (Ehon kyōka yama mata yama), 1804, woodblock printed book ( Smithsonian Libraries )

Katsushika Hokusai is among the most celebrated Japanese painters in the world. His print Under the Wave off Kanagawa , or The Great Wave (1830) is instantly recognizable. While Hokusai is primarily known today for his prints and paintings, like many ukiyo-e painters of his time, he also worked in other media such as book illustration. Here I focus on three of Hokusai’s illustrated books, Illustrated Book of Humorous Poems “Mountain on Mountain,” Hokusai Manga , and Picture Book on the Use of Coloring to showcase the broad range of Hokusai’s artistic creativity.

The rise of the printed book

The technology of printing advanced rapidly as it became available to commercial publishers in the seventeenth century (before this printing had been the purview of temples). The rise of printed books (as opposed to those whose text and images were created by hand) throughout the Edo period (1615–1868) was closely associated with the growth of literacy, increased opportunities to travel, and people with time and money to spend on leisurely activities. Before the Edo period, literacy education was largely limited to elites in the warrior class or aristocracy. As non-elites began to acquire wealth, and education became available through terakoya from the seventeenth century onward, the increased literacy rate allowed non-elites to enjoy books as well, and laid the groundwork for publishers to cultivate a readership hungry for new genres.

As with prints, publishers relied on woodblock printing for book publications. Because the Japanese did not use movable type, both text and image were carved into the same block. For books without color, only one block was necessary for each sheet. Colored books required multiple blocks per sheet, but only the most luxurious publications employed more than a handful of colors for an entire book.

“Takatanobaba” in Katsushika Hokusai, Illustrated Book of Humorous Poems “Mountain on Mountain” (Ehon kyōka yama mata yama), 1804, woodblock printed book (Smithsonian Libraries)

“Takatanobaba” in Katsushika Hokusai, Illustrated Book of Humorous Poems “Mountain on Mountain” (Ehon kyōka yama mata yama), 1804, woodblock printed book ( Smithsonian Libraries )

Illustrated Kyōka Poetry Books

From the seventeenth to nineteenth century, a genre of poetry called kyōka became popular. Translated as “mad poetry,” the poems followed the basic format of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables, and were humorous and witty. Hokusai produced books and prints with kyōka poems. His prints were surimono— a special kind of woodblock print that was usually printed with lavish materials and attention to detail. For example, a surimono print might have mica, a mineral pigment that sparkles, and employ embossing, in which pressure was applied to the paper to leave uncolored but raised patterns. Commissioned by private poetry groups, surimono usually circulated in limited quantities within exclusive circles. Some sumptuously printed kyōka books may have been commissioned by private poetry circles as well.

One example of Hokusai’s illustrated kyōka poetry books is the Illustrated Book of Humorous Poems “Mountain on Mountain” (Ehon kyōka yama mata yama) first published in 1803. This book is printed using multiple colors, indicating that the production cost must have been relatively high.

Detail of “Takatanobaba” in Katsushika Hokusai, Illustrated Book of Humorous Poems “Mountain on Mountain” (Ehon kyōka yama mata yama), 1804, woodblock printed book (Smithsonian Libraries)

Detail of “Takatanobaba” in Katsushika Hokusai, Illustrated Book of Humorous Poems “Mountain on Mountain” (Ehon kyōka yama mata yama), 1804, woodblock printed book ( Smithsonian Libraries )

The reader follows two women wandering around Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Poems and the corresponding poet’s names float along the top of the page as the scenes change. The women would have been considered “beauties,” with their small mouths, slender yet long noses, and pale skin. In this scene, the two beauties are joined by another on an outing to Takatanobaba (Takadanobaba today) in Edo. The women sit on a large gray cloth, upon which they have placed a tobacco tray and a package wrapped in a green cloth. Portuguese merchants first introduced tobacco to Japan in the sixteenth century, and by the nineteenth century smoking had become a popular and fashionable activity. The three are ready to enjoy the view as they relax and smoke, and perhaps compose a few poems like the ones in the register above.

Detail of text and landscape, “Takatanobaba” in Katsushika Hokusai, Illustrated Book of Humorous Poems “Mountain on Mountain” (Ehon kyōka yama mata yama), 1804, woodblock printed book (Smithsonian Libraries)

Detail of text and landscape, “Takatanobaba” in Katsushika Hokusai, Illustrated Book of Humorous Poems “Mountain on Mountain” (Ehon kyōka yama mata yama), 1804, woodblock printed book ( Smithsonian Libraries )

The women have a telescope set up to view Mount Fuji. The triangle formed by the legs of the telescope stand echoes the shape of the splitting tree branches upon which the three women have propped the device, which in turn echoes the mountain in the distance, leading the viewer’s gaze from the foreground to the background. The white areas at the bottom right of the mountain are clouds, indicating that they have found an area that is quite high up. 

The poems above interact with the images below, and add to the meaning of both. Takata (the abbreviated form of Takatanobaba), the setting of the image, appears in some of the poems. Takatanobaba was a  meisho , a famous site that evoked poetic, literary, and historical associations for readers. As travel became less restricted in the Edo period, people  toured these sites for leisure. Certain details within the image are not immediately evident without reading the poems. The first poem at the top right, for example, mentions a cuckoo bird, thus giving an identification for the bird seen flying toward Mount Fuji. Readers would have read the poems as they admired the pictures, discovering new layers of humor.

Katsushika Hokusai, Random Sketches by Hokusai, volume 1 (Denshin kaishu: Hokusai manga, shohen), 1814, 8 15/16 x 6 1/4 x 1/2 in. (22.7 x 15.8 x 1.3 cm), woodblock printed book, ink on paper and color scribbles, JIB111a-k (The Metropolitan Museum of Art)

Katsushika Hokusai, Random Sketches by Hokusai , volume 1 (Denshin kaishu: Hokusai manga, shohen), 1814, 22.7 x 15.8 x 1.3 cm, woodblock printed book, ink on paper and color scribbles, JIB111a-k ( The Metropolitan Museum of Art )

Hokusai manga

Of Hokusai’s book publications, Hokusai’s manga was one of his most popular publications. Hokusai’s manga is unlike narrative manga circulating today (which includes graphic novels and comics), but rather consists of disconnected sketches of animals, people, landscapes, and more. In one example of two open pages, we see figures engaged in different activities, helping to show off Hokusai’s artistic abilities of drawing bodies in motion. On the left page, some people bow, perform a puppet play, and play music while others dance and sing. In the middle-right of the page, an armed man robs another, who has fallen to the ground and is putting up his arms in fear. The page on the right shows people at work on the bottom half. One figure strings a bow, with his body visibly straining from the action, as others strike metal with a hammer. In the top half, a man entertains children by blowing something out of his mouth, another fans particles from his hands, and a man massages his client.

Originally planned as a single-volume work, Hokusai manga’ s popularity encouraged the publisher to push Hokusai for more volumes, resulting in a series that spanned fifteen volumes (the last two of which were published posthumously). Hokusai’s illustrations have appealed to audiences across time and space. In the late nineteenth century, when Japanese objects became widely available with the opening of the ports, collectors in the West purchased books like Hokusai manga as references and as entertainment. Images from Hokusai manga circulated widely in Western publications as well, as writers incorporated Hokusai’s figures to illustrate their own books on Japanese history, society, and culture. Today, in Japan, vignettes from  Hokusai manga  continue to appear on stickers, files, and a range of souvenirs available at museums and exhibitions.

“White Phoenix,” in Katsushika Hokusai, Picture Book on the Use of Coloring (Ehon saishikitsū), 1848, woodblock printed book, ink on paper and color scribbles, 7 3/16 x 5 1/16 in. (18.3 x 12.9 cm), 2013.881 (The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

“White Phoenix,” in Katsushika Hokusai, Picture Book on the Use of Coloring (Ehon saishikitsū), 1848, woodblock printed book, ink on paper and color scribbles, 7 3/16 x 5 1/16 inches (18.3 x 12.9 cm), 2013.881 ( The Metropolitan Museum of Art )

Picture Book on the Use of Coloring (Ehon saishikitsū)

One of Hokusai’s final publications was  Picture Book on the Use of Coloring  (Ehon saishikitsū). Published in 1848, a year before Hokusai’s death, the book consists of two volumes filled with images and text. Although the title of the book includes the word for coloring,  saishiki , the book is printed entirely in black ink. The book presents various subjects—ranging from figures to animals and plants—and provides instructions on how to color each image. For example, the text tells the reader that the beak of the white phoenix should be yellow. Little is known about how this book was used. Some scholars have interpreted this book as Hokusai’s final treatise to painting because of its detailed instructions on how to paint and thus was meant for his students, of which he purportedly had over two hundred across Japan.

Later in the book, the text describes how to prepare specific pigments, which has led some scholars to suggest that Hokusai’s daughter, Ōi, might have contributed to the publication. Ōi was a painter as well, and frequently helped mix paint for her father.

Hokusai’s picture books captivated audiences in Japan in the nineteenth century, and later in Europe and America as well. In the latter half of the nineteenth century, when the Japanese art craze took off amongst Western collectors, illustrated books were collected as well, perhaps because collectors could entertain themselves with the illustrations without reading texts in Japanese. As a result, today, many rare illustrated books from early modern Japan can be found in libraries and museums outside of Japan.

Additional Resources:

Illustrated Book of Humorous Poems “Mountain on Mountain” at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Random Sketches by Hokusai , Volumes 1 to 11 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Picture Book on the Use of Coloring , first volume at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Learn more about Japanese illustrated books at the Pulverer Collection, Freer Gallery of Art

Browse the Arthur and Charlotte Vershbow Collection of Japanese illustrated books at The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Read more about Hokusai manga at the Princeton University Library

Read more about  Illustrated Book of Humorous Poems “Mountain on Mountain” at the Princeton University Library

Julie Nelson Davis, “ Hokusai and Ōi: art runs in the family .”

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Art of Asia

Course: art of asia   >   unit 4.

  • Edo period, an introduction
  • Tea bowl with dragon roundels
  • Scenes from The Tale of Genji
  • Genji Ukifune
  • Dog chasing
  • A portrait of St. Francis Xavier and Christianity in Japan
  • Ogata Kōrin, Red and White Plum Blossoms
  • Hon’ami Kōetsu, Folding Screen mounted with poems
  • Archery practice
  • The evolution of ukiyo-e and woodblock prints
  • Utagawa Kunisada I, Visiting Komachi, from the series Modern Beauties as the Seven Komachi
  • Hokusai, Under the Wave off Kanagawa (The Great Wave)
  • Beyond the Great Wave — Hokusai at 90

Hokusai’s printed illustrated books

  • Hokusai, Five Beautiful Women
  • The Floating World of Edo Japan
  • Hunting for fireflies
  • Street scene in the pleasure quarter of Edo Japan
  • Courtesan playing with a cat
  • Courtesans of the South Station
  • An introduction to Kabuki theater
  • The actor Ichikawa Danzo IV in a Shibaraku role
  • Fire procession costume
  • Arrival of a Portuguese ship
  • Matchlock gun and pistol
  • Military camp jacket
  • Military leader's fan
  • An American ship
  • The steamship Powhatan
  • Conserving the Gan Ku Tiger scroll painting at the British Museum

The rise of the printed book

Illustrated kyōka poetry books, hokusai manga, picture book on the use of coloring (ehon saishikitsū), want to join the conversation.

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Picture books symbolize Japan’s modern history / Critic tracks, examines transition through 100 selected works by 100 artists

picture books japan

By Yuki Senda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

11:37 JST, March 3, 2022

A newly published book sheds light on the modern history of Japanese picture books, chronologically featuring 100 selected works printed in the past century along with many illustrations and information about their creators.

Titled “Nihon no Ehon Hyakunen Hyakunin Hyakusatsu” (“Japanese Picturebooks: 100 Years, 100 Illustrators, 100 Books”) and published by Tamagawa University Press, the book was authored by Yukiko Hiromatsu, a picture book critic. Hiromatsu herself stor and exhibition planner of picture books, having previously worked as a picture book editor and as the chief curator at Chihiro Art Museum. She also has served as a judge for international picture book elected the 100 works.

The author is also active as a translator and exhibition planner of picture books, having previously worked as a picture book editor and as the chief curator at Chihiro Art Museum. She also has served as a judge for international picture book competitions.

Hiromatsu believes that Japan is one of the world’s “picture book nations,” with many works that have sold well for more than half a century and numerous new books being published each year. Unfortunately, Japan does not actively promote its picture books globally, resulting in many works having no international recognition. “I want to tell many people that Japanese picture books are very interesting,” Hiromatsu said. “I thought I might be able to offer something significant by presenting picture books along a horizontal axis representing world affairs and a vertical axis representing the passing of time.”

In the book, she chronologically features 100 books, each by a different illustrator or group of illustrators.

The first book is “Ahiru to Niwatori” (Ducks and chickens, 1912) with illustrations by Hisui Sugiura. This book is included in the Nippon Ichi no Ebanashi series (A series of the best illustrated books of Japan) published by the Nakanishiya Shoten.

The stories in the series were written by renowned author Sazanami Iwaya and the illustrations were created by three students of acclaimed painter Seiki Kuroda, including Sugiura. The illustrations in the book have black silhouettes set against monochrome backdrops, creating a sharp contrast.

picture books japan

Some of the 100 books show the playful spirit of their creators, such as “Omochabako” (Toy box, 1927) by Takeo Takei, who is said to have coined the term “doga” (paintings and illustrations associated with children’s literature and culture) to define them as a field of art.

As war spread in the 1930s and early 1940s, some books were written to increase children’s enthusiasm for fighting, such as “Mamenoko Butai” (Pea troops, 1941) illustrated by Koshiro Onchi, which uses peas as stand-ins for human brothers going to war.

picture books japan

Hiromatsu said, “Publication was controlled by the authorities in wartime. We must not allow this to happen again. Also, we should not forget that [there were adults who] made efforts to give beautiful things to children even in that difficult situation.”

The three works mentioned above were later reprinted by Holp Shuppan Publications.

After World War II, picture books based on the new values of freedom and democracy were published one after another, giving rise to a “golden age” in the 1960s and 1970s. Many books published around this time continue to attract new readers, including “Guri to Gura” (Guri and Gura: The Giant Egg, 1963) by Yuriko Omura, “Darumachan to Tenguchan” (Little Daruma and Little Tengu, 1967) by Satoshi Kako, and “Moko Mokomoko” (1977) by Sadamasa Motonaga.

picture books japan

The 100th book is “Ore to Kiiro” (Yellow and I, 2014) by Mirocomachiko. Described by Hiromatsu as “a work symbolizing the modern era after the Great East Japan Earthquake,” it features a blue cat named Ore that chases after Kiiro, a mysterious yellow mass that feels like the source of life.

Hiromatsu said, “After the earthquake, we were forced to think about what hope we can give to children. Artists also searched for what to express and how. This book gives us the vitality that we have wanted to wake up our bodies.”

picture books japan

“All of the books are worth reading many times throughout one’s life,” Hiromatsu said confidently. She selected all the books from her own bookshelf based on her own taste. For example, when selecting a book by Yoko Sano, Hiromatsu chose “Umaretekita Kodomo” (A child who has been born, 1990), rather than “Hyakumankai Ikita Neko” (The Cat That Lived a Million Times), for which Sano is better known.

“I recommend that people compare works that they would choose with the works featured in my book and make their own booklist as an opportunity to talk about picture books with other people,” Hiromatsu said.

picture books japan

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The Essential Guide to Learning Japanese with Children’s Picture Books

What was your favorite picture book when you were a kid?

Now that you’re studying Japanese from the ground up, wouldn’t it be great to have something as simple as a picture book that could help you make leaps of progress?

Japanese 絵本 (えほん — picture book[s]) might be written for kids, but they’re fantastic study tools for beginner to lower- intermediate Japanese learners .

In this post, we’ll look at the five best Japanese children’s books, the benefits of using 絵本 and how to use them to study.

1. ぐりとぐら (“Guri and Gura”)

2. しろくまちゃんのほっとけーき (“shirokuma-chan’s pancakes”), 3. だるまちゃんとてんぐちゃん (“little daruma and little tengu”), 4. かいけつゾロリシリーズ (the “kaiketsu zorori” series), 5. 美しい数学シリーズ (the “utsukushii suugaku” series), why use japanese picture books to practice japanese reading, they’re artistic, creative and entertaining., they can improve your pronunciation and reading speed., they feature shorter sentences and emphasize key content words., they’re great for boosting basic japanese vocabulary., you’ll learn more about japanese society and culture., a simple method for learning japanese from 絵本, and one more thing....

Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)

ぐりand ぐら are two mice who come across a huge egg during their travels.

Naturally, this gives them the idea to make a gigantic cake that will last a long time!

First published in 1963, ぐりとぐら is arguably the best-known Japanese children’s picture book.

Chances are high that any Japanese person you meet will have read it—or will at least have heard of it. It’s been translated into several languages and was eventually spun off into a full-on series of 絵本.

If you like pancakes and adorable bears, then しろくまちゃんのほっとけーき should be right up your alley.

The tale is simple: little Shirokuma asks his mother to make pancakes for him, and then she does!

しろくまちゃんのほっとけーき is an excellent book for learning onomatopoeia.

Part of the book is devoted to the sounds of the mother cooking the pancakes. Lots of cool vocabulary is introduced!

Two traditional Japanese characters—the Daruma and the Tengu—are made cute and fun in this children’s classic.

Little Daruma-chan is envious of Tengu-chan’s possessions, like his 扇子 (せんす — fan) and his 下駄 (げた — wooden clogs).

Daruma-chan’s father—trying to make him feel better—does his best to scrounge up these things for his son but is not always successful.

だるまちゃんとてんぐちゃん became such a successful book series that it has also been published in English.

Zorori is a fox and a wanted criminal whose only ambition is to become the world’s greatest prankster.

He travels from place to place with this goal in mind, but his mischievous ways often get him and his friends into trouble.

The かいけつゾロリ series—as of when I’m writing this— is comprised of over 50 titles.

That being said, it’s hard to recommend just one. Don’t worry, though. Any one of them is an excellent place to start.

The books are full of humor since Zorori himself often speaks in crazy Japanese だじゃれ (puns).

Another famous series loved by both children and adults alike is the 美しい数学 (うつくしいすうがく) series.

The books in this series are famous for their simple stories, gorgeous artwork and unique ability to subtly stoke a love of numbers in those who read them—even the most math-resistant!

These are great books to build your vocabulary and skills with the Japanese number system.

Among the titles in this series, 壺の中 (つぼのなか — “Anno’s Mysterious Multiplying Jar”) is particularly well-regarded for its amazing pictures.

Reading these books can improve some key skill areas, but you’ll need to identify them to target them.

It’s akin to watching Japanese anime shows and reading  manga  to study Japanese .

絵本 typically features かわいい (cute) characters, many of which are totally bonkers!

For example, a book I read with my daughter recently called ほっぺおばけ (cheek ghosts) is about ghosts who dine on people’s cheeks! Because Japanese 絵本 are so light and fun, reading them feels less like “study” and more like educational leisure time.

Because 絵本 are generally written for children who are just getting accustomed to the Japanese language, they focus heavily on natural rhythm and intonation as well as tricky sounds for kids, like ちゃ and っ.

Content words are 名詞 (めいし — nouns) and 動詞 (どうし — verbs).

This makes it easier for you to skim to get the main idea.

Skimming is a skill that will come in handy as your Japanese develops and you tackle things like 漫画 (まんが — comics)   and the JLPT.

The only potential drawback is that 絵本 are usually written in ひらがな (Hiragana). If you’re looking to improve your reading speed while also reinforcing your basic 漢字 (かんじ — Kanji) recognition, you may want to look elsewhere.

This blog post is a great place to begin your search for  kanji  learning resources .

絵本 use common words and phrases essential for achieving fluency in everyday Japanese . They’re a great way to fill in any gaps in your basic vocabulary .

Reading Japanese 絵本 will help boost your cultural knowledge in various ways. 絵本 often center around fundamentals of Japanese culture, which their main readers—kids—need to know about.

They might be legends, characters, places or even aspects of society, such as 和 (わ — harmony, friendship).

There are also picture book versions of classic Japanese stories called 昔話 (むかしばなし — folk tales).

These stories are still read and loved by Japanese people of all generations. Knowing them will help you better relate to your Japanese friends or language exchange partners !

  • Skim the book first. Read it as silently and quickly as you can. Try to focus on the most important words in the sentences. If you run into words you don’t know, don’t stop to look them up! Power through and do your best to understand the main idea.
  • Read it again out loud . This helps you make sure you understood the story right the first time. This is also very good for pronunciation practice. Focus on getting your pronunciation, rhythm and intonation correct. Pause only where appropriate. And don’t be afraid to go back over sentences that were hard— repetition is essential for building fluency !
  • Record yourself reading. One good tip that has worked for me is to record myself reading the book, play it back a few times, take note of my pronunciation and then try again.
  • Take note of any new words or phrases. There may be a lot of new vocabulary words for you, depending on the book’s difficulty. It’s not necessary to remember them all. Just focus on the essentials—the ones you’ll most likely use or see again. Record the words in a notebook or app on your phone and review them until you’ve internalized them. Take it a step further by writing your own sentences and repeating them out loud!
  • Reread the book when you can. Another wonderful thing about 絵本 is that they’re relatively short. You can read them anytime you want. So, after you’ve gone through the steps above, return to the book. This is a great way to review your new words and build confidence. Note how much faster and smoother you can read the story compared to the first time.

With these five titles, you’ll be well on your way to more fluent Japanese reading.

If you’re looking for more books, 絵本ナビ/ehonNavi is the best place to start. It’s an online picture book retailer based in Japan with tens of thousands of 絵本 in its catalog. You can do 試し読み (ためしよみ)—sample reading sessions—for free.

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picture books japan

Japanese

  •  > Part 5 Picture Books of Today: From the Post-War to 1999

Part 5 Picture Books of Today: From the Post-War to 1999

Not long after the end of the Pacific War in 1953, the publishing house Iwanami Shoten launched the Iwanami no kodomo no hon [Iwanami children’s books] series under the editorship of Momoko Ishii and Natsuya Mitsuyoshi. In addition to Japanese translations of children’s books from Europe and the United States, the new series included dowa (children's stories) and retold folktales of Japan.

In 1956, the monthly picture book, Kodomo no tomo [Children’s companion], was inaugurated by the publishing house Fukuinkan Shoten. This monthly mainly featured original stories and retold tales by Japanese writers.

Thanks to these continuing publications, the “story picture book (a picture book with one story)” became well established in Japan.

Picture books for children generally present pictures and text on double-page spreads so that each turn of the pages carries the story forward or introduces something new. Japanese picture books today have been drawing increasing attention from overseas for the way they explore the potential of diverse themes and forms of expression.

Thumbnail of Ienakiko[Nobody's boy]

5-1 Ienakiko [Nobody's boy] Originally written by Hector Henri Malot/Written by Fumiko Hayashi/Illustrated by Hisashi Suda Shinchosha 1949 ( Sekai no ehon chugataban [World picture books, middle-size edition] 1) Call No. 児94-H-1 A picture book series that was published almost immediately after World War II, containing many stories were retellings of overseas classics by well known scholars of literature.

Thumbnail of Nihon'ichizukushi[The best of Japan]

5-2 Nihon'ichizukushi [The best of Japan] Written by Isoji Sekiya/Illustrated by Shozo Oonuki and others Shinchosha 1949 ( Sekai no ehon ogataban [World picture books, large-size edition] 1) Call No. Y17-1614 An educational picture book produced in the style of the Kodansha no ehon [Kondansha's picture book] from before World War II.

picture books japan

5-3 Hana no sukina ushi [The story of Ferdinand] Written by Munro Leaf/Illustrated by Robert Lawson/Edited and translated by Iwanami Shoten Iwanami Shoten 1954 ( Iwanami no kodomono hon, yo/ichi/ni nenmuke [Iwanami children's books for Kindergarten, first and second grade students] 11) Call No. 児726.7-cL43hI A pioneering series launched by Momoko Ishii and others, introducing fine picture books from Europe and the Americas.

Thumbnail of Bippu to chocho[Bip and the butterfly]

5-4 Bippu to chocho [Bip and the butterfly] Written by Jun’ichi Yoda/Illustrated by Fumiko Hori Kodomo no tomo [Children's companion] no.1 Fukuinkan Shoten 1956 Call No. Z32-210 Kodomo no tomo [Children's companion] was the first monthly illustrated children's book series and contributed to the popularization of picture books by publishing the words of many talended picture-book authors. Edited by Tadashi Matsui.

Thumbnail of Serohiki no Goshu [Gauche the cellist]

5-5 Serohiki no Goshu [Gauche the cellist] Originally written by Kenji Miyazawa/Planned by Yoshimi Sato/Illustrated by Takeshi Motai Kodomo no tomo [Children's companion] no.2 Fukuinkan Shoten 1956 Call No. Z32-210 This book is based on an original story by Kenji Miyazawa as retold by Yoshimi Sato. This publication was also the last work produced by Takeshi Motai, one of the best known illustrators of children's picture books after World War II.

5-6 Guri to Gura [Guri and Gura] Written and illustrated by Rieko Nakagawa and Yuriko Oomura Kodomo no tomo [Children's companion] no.93 Fukuinkan Shoten 1963 Call No. Z32-210 This work fascinates children with rhythmic words and a sponge cake made from a huge egg. A masterwork from the golden age of monthly picture books.

Thumbnail of Gurunpa no yochien [Grumpa's kindergarten]

5-7 Gurunpa no yochien [Grumpa's kindergarten] Written by Minami Nishiuchi/Illustrated by Seiichi Horiuchi Fukuinkan Shoten 1966 ( Kodomo no tomo Kessakushu [Masterpieces of Children's companion] 32) Call No. Y17-M98-800 Kodomo no tomo [Children's companion] contributed to the popularization of high quality picture books by actively adopting illustrations by new artists as a feature of their publicatons.

5-8 Inai inai ba [Peek-a-boo] Written by Miyoko Matsutani/Illustrated by Yasuo Segawa DOSHINSHA PUBLISHING 1967 ( Matsutani Miyoko akachan no hon [Baby’s books by Miyoko Matsutani]) Call No. Y17-267 A pioneering work in picture books for infants what is called ' Akachan ehon (Baby's picture book)' and Babies’ first book. Yasuo Segawa was awarded the Grand Prix at the first Biennial of Illustration Bratislava in 1967.

【Column】Influences of Kodomo no tomo

Thumbnail of Daiku to Oniroku[Oniroku and the carpenter]

5-9 Daiku to Oniroku [Oniroku and the carpenter] Retold by Tadashi Matsui/Illustrated by Suekichi Akaba Fukuinkan Shoten 1967 ( Kodomo no tomo Kessakushu [Masterpieces of Children's companion] 36) Call No. Y17-M98-801 A picture book of folk tales. Suekichi Akaba was recognized for excellence in illustrating the climate and culture of Japan with the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration in 1980.

Thumbnail of Watashi no wanpisu [My miracle dress]

5-10 Watashi no wanpisu [My miracle dress] Written by Kayako Nishimaki KOGUMA Publishing 1969 Call No. Y17-609 The story of a dress that was made by a rabbit to change its appearance to fit the scenery. The debut work of an author who is eaually capable as a writer and an illustrator.

5-11 Fushigina e [Topsy-Turvies: Pictures to stretch the imagination ] Written by Mitsumasa Anno Fukuinkan Shoten 1971 ( Kodomo no tomo Kessakushu [Masterpieces of Children's companion]) Call No. Y17-3472 A picture book featuring detailed expressions achieved through optical illusions. Mitsumasa Anno received the Hans Christian Andersen Award for Illustration in 1984.

5-12 Fukimanbuku [The girl and the butterbur sprout] Written and illustrated by Seizo Tashima Kaiseisha 1973 ( Sosaku ogata ehon [Original large-sized picture books]) Call No. Y17-3993 Seizo Tashima is known as a farmer who is also an author of picture books that he illustrates with powerful drawings of nature and children.

Thumbnail of Ame no hi no orusuban [Staying home alone on a rainy day]

5-13 Ame no hi no orusuban [Staying home alone on a rainy day] Written and illustrated by Chihiro Iwasaki/Planned by Yasoo Takeichi Shiko-Sha 1974 Call No. Y17-8334 This work was the first in which Chihiro Iwasaki, who is known for her pale-toned watercolors of children, also wrote the text. First edition was published in 1968.

Thumbnail of Nezumikun no chokki [Little mouse's red vest]

5-14 Nezumikun no chokki [Little mouse's red vest] Written by Yoshio Nakae/Illustrated by Noriko Ueno POPLAR Publishing 1974 ( Ehon no hiroba [Picture book square] 5) Call No. Y17-4254 In this story, one animal after the other borrows a vest from a mouse. The difference in size of the animals is conveyed effectively using the margin of the pages.

Thumbnail of Oshiire no boken[Adventure in the closet]

5-15 Oshiire no boken [Adventure in the closet] Written by Taruhi Furuta/Illustrated by Seiichi Tabata DOSHINSHA PUBLISHING 1974 ( Ehon/Bokutachi kodomo da [Picture book/We are children] 1) Call No. Y17-4289 After visiting a number of nurseries, the author effectively depicted children's behavior in both monochrome and color scenes.

Thumbnail of Kasa [Umbrella]

5-16 Kasa [Umbrella] Written and illustrated by Daihachi Ota Bunken Shuppan 1975 ( Joifuru ehon kessakushu [Best of Joyful picture books] 10) Call No. Y17-4545 A picture book with no words. The only color the main character's umbrella is colored in red, making the story line easy to follow.

5-17 Hajimete no otsukai [Mii-chan's first errand] Written by Yoriko Tsutsui/Illustrated by Akiko Hayashi Fukuinkan Shoten 1977 ( Kodomo no tomo Kessakushu [Masterpieces of Children's companion]) Call No. Y17-5153 First published in 1976, this is the story of the first time five-year-old Mii-chan went on an errand all by herself when her mother was too busy to go buy milk for the baby. The illustrations by Akiko Hayashi reveal a wealth of detail about the story.

Thumbnail of Watashi [Me]

5-18 Watashi [Me] Written by Shuntaro Tanikawa/Illustrated by Shinta Cho Kagaku no tomo [Children’s science companion] no.91 Fukuinkan Shoten 1976 Call No. Z32-26 Kagaku no tomo [Children’s Science Companion] is a science picture book published in 1969 and a sister publication to Kodomo no tomo [Children’s Companion], giving an objective view of the self through pictures.

5-19 Saru, rururu [Monkey, rururu] Written and illustrated by Taro Gomi Ehonkan Publishers 1980 Call No. Y17-7383 A picture book of word play featuring combinations of the word saru (monkey) with two-syllable verbs that end in the sound ru , such as saru or kuru , and illustrated using simple lines and colors. First edition published in 1979.

Thumbnail of Hiroshima no Pika [The Hiroshima story]

5-20 Hiroshima no Pika [The Hiroshima story] Written and illustrated by Toshi Maruki Komine Shoten 1980 ( Kiroku no ehon [Picture book of memory]) Call No. Y17-7130 Picture books on the subject of war started to appear in the 70’s. The theme of this picture book is the atomic bomb, through which the tragedy of war is expressed.

Thumbnail of Kyabetsukun[Cabbage boy

5-21 Kyabetsukun [Cabbage boy] Written and illustrated by Shinta Cho Bunken Shuppan 1980 ( Miru miru ehon [Look look picture book]) Call No. Y17-7209 Shinta Cho is known for his nonsense picture books. This one humorously depicts what happens to animals after they eat the Cabbage boy.

Thumbnail of Hana no ana no hanashi [The holes in your nose]

5-22 Hana no ana no hanashi [The holes in your nose] Written and illustrated by Gen’ichiro Yagyu Fukuinkan Shoten 1982 ( Kagaku no tomo kessakushu [Masterpieces of Children’s science companion]) Call No. Y17-8999 A science picture book featuring the nostrils and describing their function.

Thumbnail of Hasegawakun kiraiya [Can’t stand Hasegawa]

5-23 Hasegawakun kiraiya [Can’t stand Hasegawa] Written and illustrated by Shuhei Hasegawa Subaru Shobo 1984 Call No. Y18-1297 The author depicts social issues from a child’s perspective, based on his own experiences during the Morinaga Milk Arsenic Poisoning incident. First edition was published in 1976.

Thumbnail of Oyasuminasai Kokkosan [Good night, Kokko]

5-24 Oyasuminasai Kokkosan [Good night, Kokko] Written and illustrated by Ken Katayama Fukuinkan Shoten 1988 ( Yoji ehon sirizu [Infant’s picture book series]) Call No. Y18-3025 This book of bedtime stories is intended to make young children relax and fall asleep. The rhythmical text describes how one thing after the other falls asleep in order, from farthest to nearest.

Thumbnail of Magareba magarimichi [Around the Corner]

5-25 Magareba magarimichi [Around the Corner] Written and illustrated by Yosuke Inoue Kodomo no tomo [Children's companion] no.417 Fukuinkan Shoten 1990 Call No. Z32-210 On a winding road in the twilight, unbelievable creatures appear every time you go around a bend.

Thumbnail of Gorira nikki[Gorilla diary]

5-26 Gorira nikki [Gorilla diary] Written and illustrated by Hiroshi Abe Shogakukan 1998 Call No. Y17-M99-131 The facial expressions of a gorilla are depicted sympathetically by an author who was once a zookeeper.

Thumbnail of Mori no ehon [A picture book about the forest]

5-27 Mori no ehon [A picture book about the forest] Written by Hiroshi Osada/Illustrated by Ryoji Arai Kodansha 1999 Call No. Y17-M99-1105 Ryoji Arai has been recognized overseas, receiving the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. His colorful art style has even been compared to music.

【Column】Picture Books of Today

Influences of Kodomo no tomo Kodomo no tomo ">Back

Fukuinkan Shoten began publishing a monthly picture book magazine called Kodomo no tomo [Children's companion] in April 1956, with Tadashi Matsui serving as editor. The first issue featured the story Bippu to chocho [Bip and the butterfly] written by Jun’ichi Yoda and illustrated by Fumiko Hori. Kodomo no tomo pioneered the picture book format in Japan. Issues no. 64, which featured Torakku, torakku, torakku [Trucks, trucks, trucks], written by Shigeo Watanabe and illustrated by Tadayoshi Yamamoto, was the first to be formatted in landscape orientation. Authors in the early days included Teiji Seta and writers of doyo (children’s songs) such as Junichi Yoda, Akira Nogami and Junichi Kobayashi. Later, Kodomo no tomo featured the Guri to Gura [Guri and Gura] series written by Rieko Nakagawa and illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki, who was also known by her maiden name, Omura.

Picture Books of Today Back

A number of picture books published during the 1960s and 70s have become perennial bestsellers, and from this, diverse styles of illustration to emerge. Picture book art became increasingly sophisticated, incorporating new techinologies for engraving and printing. Although the readership for picture books had broadened to include adults, the fact remains that the stories are intended to be read by children. Perhaps the time has come for us to reexamine the place of the picture book by reflecting on what children enjoy about picture books, either when reading by themselves or when having them read to them.

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picture books japan

Picture book reading is also an excellent way to learn Japanese!

picture books japan

Introduction

Picture books are essential for children to learn languages. The picture books they loved when they were little are still important treasures for them even as adults. Children may ask you to read to them many times a day with simple, rhythmical words and appealing characters that are appropriate for their age. Such picture books are also highly recommended for adults learning foreign languages! In this article, I will introduce some classic Japanese picture books and popular picture books!

- Simple and rhythmical style:

Picture books are generally designed for children, and the style of writing uses simple language that is easy for Japanese language learners to understand. The rhythmical writing style unique to picture books is also perfect for reading aloud. Through the picture books, children can learn basic vocabulary and become familiar with the rhythm and pronunciation of the language while having fun.

- Illustrations help you understand the story

Picture books are easy to understand because the illustrations as well as the words are part of the story. Therefore, even beginners and elementary level learners can enjoy working with it.

- Learn about Japanese life and culture:

Picture books often tell stories that relate to everyday life, children's experiences, and provide an opportunity to learn about the daily lives and culture of Japanese children. By reading picture books, foreign language learners can deepen their understanding not only of the language but also of the culture in which the language is spoken. Through them, they can also learn everyday language and expressions that are useful in real life communication.

- Multiple language versions

As picture books are sometimes translated into several languages, the same story can be read in both native and foreign versions. Reading Japanese versions of famous foreign picture books, such as "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", can also be effective. As such, picture books are highly recommended for learning Japanese in a fun way. Picture books are a fun way to learn a language. I hope you will find your own favourite picture books in your area of interest or with your favourite characters,

Nine of the most popular and recommended picture books in Japan, for children and adults

The following are nine popular picture books in Japan, together with their text difficulty levels!

1. Peek-a-Boo!

picture books japan

By Miyoko Matsutani; Difficulty level 1 A long-selling picture book for children that has been read continuously since it was first published in 1967. Various animals play "Peek-a-Boo". The text and illustrations are simple, but it is a classic picture book that every child in Japan has read at least once. Miyoko Matsutani has written many other picture books, all of which are popular.

2. Where's the Fish?

By Tarō Gomi; Difficulty level 1 This is one of the best-known books by Tarō Gomi, a world-famous picture book author whose books have been translated into many different languages. A goldfish escapes from a goldfish bowl, hides behind polka dots on the curtains, in a candy jar, between piles of strawberries... This picture book is as fun as a game of hide-and-seek. It is also published in English and is a very popular picture book in many countries.

3. The Daruma-san series

picture books japan

By Satoshi Kagakui; Difficulty level 1 "Daruma" is a lucky charm used to make a wish. In Japan, Daruma is a familiar character who has been the subject of various picture books. The Daruma series here consists of three parts: "Daruma-san", "With Daruma-san" and "Daruma-san's". The series is based on the children's game of "Daruma-san ga Koronda" (a game in which the children stop moving when the phrase stops, similar to Red light Green light in the USA). The familiar phrases of 'Daruma-san...' are repeated in variations in this picture book.

4. The Nontan series

picture books japan

By Sachiko Kiyono; Difficulty level 2 The Nontan series of picture books features Nontan, a cheerful cat boy. There are 23 volumes published under various titles, which are also animated. The stories are based on the everyday life of a young child, with Nontan playing, fighting and having trouble with his sister "Tartan" and his animal friends. The fast-paced style of writing is recommended for reading aloud.

5. The Koguma-chan series

picture books japan

By Ken Wakayama; Difficulty level 2 This picture book series features Koguma-chan, a friendly bear boy, and Shirokuma-chan, a cheerful girl who lives next door. Fifteen books have been published on themes familiar to young children. One of the most popular is ”Shirokuma-chan's Pancakes". It carefully depicts Shirokuma-chan making pancakes.

6. Guri and Gura

picture books japan

By Rieko Nakagawa; Difficulty level 3 The story is about two wild mouse twins, Guri and Gura, who love to cook and eat. They find a big egg in the forest and after thinking about what would be best for it, they decide to make sponge cakes. They bring a big frying pan and start making sponge cakes, and all the forest animals gather around. The sponge cake that Guri and Gura make looks delicious and it is a classic picture book that has left a good impression on everyone's hearts.

7. Bread Thief

picture books japan

By Keiko Shibata Difficulty level 3 "Bread Thief", the current number one picture book in terms of popularity; The Bread Thief wears a loaf of bread and searches for delicious bread. One day, Bread Thief finds a bakery with a sign saying "The world's most delicious bakery in the forest" and sneaks in under the cover of bread. This is a picture book for children and adults alike, with its lovable character and expressions of Bread Thief and many delicious-looking loaves of bread.

8. Anpanman

picture books japan

By Takashi Yanase; Difficulty level 4 Every child in Japan loves Anpanman. The character is so popular that almost no child has grown up without passing by Anpanman. The character is famous for its character goods and animation broadcasts, but it originally started as a picture book. Various characters such as Anpanman, Currypanman, Shokupanman and Baikinman appear in the series. You can find many Anpanman-related picture books and magazines for young children in bookshops.

9. Butt Detective

picture books japan

By Troll; Difficulty level 5 A picture book about solving mysteries featuring Oshiri Tantei (Butt Detective), a gentleman whose motif is his hips and whose habitual phrase is "Mmmm, it smells". Oshiri Tantei solves various cases through mazes and quizzes. You can experience solving riddles together while reading the picture book, and enjoy it while playing. The unique characters are also popular and have been made into animations and films.

Are there any picture books you know? The titles introduced here are very well-known and popular titles that all Japanese people know, but there are many other attractive picture books that have been published. Although they are less well-known than the animated books that are popular all over the world, they are very useful for learning foreign languages, especially in terms of learning the rhythm of language. Reading aloud is recommended when trying out picture books! If you find one that interests you, please read it!

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Ehon (絵本): 8 Fun Japanese Picture Books for Kids

picture books japan

Japanese picture books, or ehon (絵本), are great tools for kids to learn Japanese. They’re packed with the right balance of cute graphics, dialogues, Japanese sentences and an entertaining storyline. The illustrations can become contextual cues for children, providing a sort of ‘cushion’ when you’re reading the text. All of these make studying Japanese less overwhelming and, well, more fun and educational — especially when it’s for children or beginner-level students.

Just like famous Japanese authors like Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto, some of the best and most classic children’s books are written by well-known writers and illustrators. In fact, they have been so popular that they’re developed into series and translated to English. You can easily notice them from their iconic art style and characters: a rabbit, a mouse, a daruma and other peculiar creatures. 

Many Japanese picture books for children can also teach about Japanese culture and become a backdoor to understanding how Japanese society works. Perhaps the best part of reading Japanese picture books is that they are more interactive than normal textbooks or learning apps. Some books leave readers curious about the next page because there’s a lot of guessing game: Is the next turn the answer? What’s inside the apple?

Check out our favorite Japanese books for children that are easy, fun and creative.

Elements of a Japanese Children’s Books

What is ehon.

Ehon is the Japanese name for illustrated books. The word is comprised of two kanji: 絵 (e), which means “drawing”, and 本 (hon), which means book. Pretty self-explanatory, right? Initially, ehon were specifically paintings drawn in woodblock prints published in the Edo and Meiji period. Toward the end of the 19th century, the definition of ehon becomes more generic and gravitated towards more western concepts of commercial literature.

Now, ehon are picture books with stories made for children.

More Pictures Than Sentences and Dialogues

Open a children’s book at your local bookstore in Japan, and you’ll notice that the graphics take more space than the text. In fact, you’ll probably get one to two sentences per page. This 

While there are a lot of visual novels and books with illustrations, Japanese picture books for children (ehon) are inherently unique, in the sense that the narrative relies heavily on the images on every page. The images carry the story and engage the reader as they can also provide context to not only help you read, but read between the lines as well.

Learning new words from picture books can help you gain a better understanding of their nuance, and provide concrete examples of how and when they’re typically used in context, which is something direct translations can’t always achieve. 

Little to No Kanji 

This can be a drawback or benefit of Japanese children’s books (ehon), depending on how you look at it. When it comes to Japanese school children, they have to learn kanji by learning the kanji with the simplest meanings first. This actually makes sense because they’re little kids and they need to learn vocabulary words.

While this is helpful for a child’s learning growth, parents will often times read the book to their kids. If you already have decent kanji knowledge, you might need more time to grasp the sentence if it’s all in hiragana. You may not be comfortable reading all-kana text at first, but you’ll get used to it as you read. 

They Focus on Rhythm and Pronunciation

You’ll notice a lot of ehon incorporating onomatopoeia and rhythmic-like texts. This is because ehon are written for children who are getting used to the Japanese language. Although they’re not filled with tongue-twisters in particular, Japanese kid’s books tackle tricky sounds, like small tsu. 

Our Favorite Kids Japanese Picture Books (Ehon)

1. ぐりとぐら (guri and gura).

guri to gura (guri and gura) children's book JApanese

Guri to Gura (ぐりとぐら) is probably the most popular picture book in Japan. It tells about two anthropomorphic mice who are very fond of cooking and eating. In their initial story, both protagonists come across a huge egg in the middle of the woods. They decided to make a huge sponge cake and share it with other animals. 

The Japanese children’s book is written by Rieko Nakagawa and Illustrator Yuriko Yamawaki. The first volume was published in 1963 in a monthly magazine, and it has since been so well-known (355 million copies by 1996) that it’s translated into several languages. Eventually, the book spun off into a series of ehon. Buy here . 

Level: Age 4–8

2. しろくまちゃんのほっとけーき (Shirokuma-chan’s Pancakes)

shirokumachan no hottokeeki (shirokuma-chan's pancakes)

Simple pictures and unique Japanese onomatopoeia makes Shirokuma-chan no Hottokeeki a young children’s best-selling book for more than 30 years. The picture book follows Little Polar Bear (Shirokuma-chan) who’s making pancakes with her mama. When they are finished cooking, she invites her friend Little Bear (Koguma-chan) to eat them with her.

There are many sequels to this book, but the most popular one remains the first series. A part of the book is devoted to the sound of cooking pancakes. Buy here . 

Level: Age 3–5 

3. だるまちゃんとてんぐちゃん (Little Daruma and Little Tengu)

だるまちゃんとてんぐちゃん (Little Daruma and Little Tengu)

In Japanese, tengu is a mischievous supernatural being, and Daruma is a symbol of good luck. Satoshi Kako, the writer, made these two traditional Japanese characters cute and fun for children. The story follows Daruma-chan, who is envious of Tengu-chan’s fan, nose and wooden clogs. 

Another classic picture book, Daruma-chan to Dengu-chan is a humorous take on children who wants to be their friends — or imitate those around them. The ehon features watercolor illustrations, making it a great book for children and adults to learn Japanese. Buy here . 

4. きいろいのは ちょうちょ (Yellow Butterfly)

yellow butterfly kids ehon

Yellow Butterfly is an unexpectedly fun Japanese children’s book that captures the mind and senses of young toddlers: curiosity. Taro Gomi explores the sense of colors and shapes perceived by children, helping them get creative. 

The children book follows a young boy who’s trying to catch a butterfly, except there’s a catch: he perceives everything yellow as a butterfly. On one side of the page, the boy is getting ready to capture the butterfly with his net. You will have to flip to another page to find out the real object. It keeps children (and even adults) guessing: Will it be a butterfly or just a yellow flower? When will the yellow butterfly appear in the story? Buy here . 

5. おまえうまそうだな (You Look So Yummy)

Don’t let the title, Omae umasou da na, fool you into thinking that this is a book to scare children. You Look Yummy! Is an endearing father-and-son story. A big, intimidating T-rex is about to pounce when a small dynosaurus baby grabs his leg and cries out, “Daddy!”

From this misunderstanding, the two develop a strong family bond and teach children that the strongest bond isn’t always a biological one. The picture book doesn’t just celebrate the love between father and son — it highlights the importance of family. Buy here . 

Level: Age 4–10

6. こんとあき (Kon and Aki)

kon to aki

A touching story made by Akiko Hayashi, Kon and Aki tells the story between a young girl, Aki, and her plush fox, Kon. The fox was made by her grandma, and when the fox becomes worn out, Aki decides to embark on a journey to her grandma’s house to have him repaired. Along the way, Aki encounters various problems: getting the plush snatched by a dog, having the fox’s tail stuck on the door train, and more. 

With Akiko Hayashi’s gentle text, endearing pictures and preference pastels, the classic book teaches children the dept of friendship, love and perseverance. Buy here . 

7. りんごかもしれない (Might Be An Apple)

りんごかもしれない it might be an apple

A premise similar to きいろいのは ちょうちょ (Kiiroi No Wa Choucho), りんごかもしれない (Ringo Kamo Shirenai)  follows a child’s hilarious and fun journey of coming across apple lookalikes. As he looks at what appears to be an apple, the boy’s imagination spirals into thoughts of all the things an apple can be. The book is crazy, funny and thought-provoking, encouraging children to start getting curious and questioning what they see in the world. Buy here . 

Level: Age 10

8. ねないこだれだ (Who’s Not Sleeping)

who is not asleep nenaiko dare da

Every country has its own take on boogymen — and scary bedtime stories to aid children to fall asleep. ねないこだれだ (Nenaiko Dare Da) has been used by Japanese families since 1969 to help children go to bed. It describes all the scary things that appear in the middle of the night and a flying ghost who will snatch children if they’re not asleep. Buy here . 

Level: Age 0–2

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Picture Books About Japan

Our favorite picture books about Japan . This is one of my favorite ways to “visit” a country without leaving the comfort of my home!

This post may contain affiliate links which won’t change your price but will share some commission.

What You'll Find on This Page

My husband Mike is flying to Japan in December, and when Tuttle Publishing heard that I wanted to learn more about this fascinating island country with my kids, they generously sent us these wonderful books to read! I knew a bit about this country because three of my cousins grew up there, one of my sisters used to live there, and I have friends who are from there themselves as well as friends whose parents or grandparents are from Japan. There is always more to learn, and the kids and I are really enjoying these books. Traveling on planes to faraway countries is exciting, but not always realistic! Books have the ability to take you there – for free, if you use your local public library!

All About Japan: Stories, Songs, Crafts, and Games for Kids

All About Japan: Stories, Songs, Crafts and More is a wonderful introduction to Japan! It includes an astonishing amount of information considering it is a fairly thin book, including holidays for every month of the year! If you want to teach your children a unit about Japan, either as a homeschooler or an afterschooler, this book is an excellent place to start. The illustrations are very engaging and the book is full of interesting activities to accompany all of the information in the book.

My First book of Japanese Words

My First Book of Japanese Words really captured nine-year-old Emma’s attention. My academically-inclined daughter loved the detailed pronunciation guide, and the cute illustrations definitely helped! This book has a Japanese word for every letter of the alphabet. All four of my kids  (aged 3, 6, 7, and 9 years old) love the illustrations and text in this ABC rhyming book!

Here are some of the notes that Emma created when she first read the book. She still picks it up several times a week, and I keep finding little papers with Japanese characters around the house!

Once Upon a Time in Japan

Once Upon a Time in Japan is a collection of traditional Japanese stories that was published with NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation. This book has four different illustrators who divided the various stories, and it is really fun to see their unique styles throughout the book. Like many older stories, these are not happily ever after stories. They will engage your child and get them thinking. I recommend these books for upper elementary – third grade and older, or even fourth grade and older. Nine-year-old Emma really enjoyed this book.

Japanese Children’s Favorite Stories

If you want a gentler telling of traditional Japanese Tales for younger children (or all ages, really), I recommend Japanese Children’s Favorite Stories and More Japanese Children’s Favorite Stories , which we were also sent. These stories do not always end happily, but they have a softer, gentler tone. Six-year-old Lily and seven-year-old Johnny both like these books, and even three-year-old Anna will sit for a few stories. Anna also enjoys looking at the illustrations.

The Peace Tree from Hiroshima

The Peace Tree from Hiroshima: The Little Bonsai with a Big Story is an incredible true story of forgiveness and generosity. It was my favorite book that I read this summer, and one that I think belongs in every home library.

Have you read any of these books? Do you have any recipes or activities from Japan that my kids and I should try?

This post is part of my World Culture for Kids series. You can keep learning about Japan by reading this post about Kyoto, Japan written by  IGameMom’s  son!

Would you like to contribute an original post about your part of the world, or a part of the world you know well? Check out my call for posts !

MaryAnne Kochenderfer

MaryAnne is a craft loving educator, musician, photographer, and writer who lives in Silicon Valley with her husband Mike and their four children.

7 thoughts on “Picture Books About Japan”

How wonderful that your kids can understand more about where their dad is going through these beautiful books!

The Tuttle titles are great! My kids grew up on their Japanese Folk Tales books. We read the Chinese and Korean ones too! I also love the Hiroshima Peace Tree books. It’s special to me because my mom’s side of the family is from Hiroshima!

I didn’t know that about your mom! That definitely gives this book extra meaning.

A true story featuring forgiveness and generosity – will definitely have to find that one!

It is an inspiring story that I think your family would enjoy.

That last book does look really interesting. I’ll have to check around for it.

Wow, Emma’s Japanese writing is quite impressive! All the books look very interesting, and I hope that Mike will take a lot of pictures in Japan…

Comments are closed.

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Children's Picture Books: Stories set in Japan

Holidays & celebrations.

picture books japan

by Carron Brown and Ipek Konak

"Hold a light behind the innovative see-through pages to take a glimpse behind the scenes of some of the world's most wonderful festivals, holidays, and celebrations." -- publisher

Race/Culture Concepts

How Kids Celebrate Christmas Around the World

by Pavla Hanáčková , Karolina Medková and Mária Nerádová

"Who brings Christmas presents in Italy? Where can we sunbathe on the beach on Christmas Day? Why do Russians celebrate Christmas in January? Everyone loves Christmas! But have you ever considered that Christmas might be celebrated elsewhere in the world in another way? What is the typical Christmas dish in Japan? Would you like to spend Christmas day in Ethiopia? Which goodies are always present on festive tables in Greece? On our journey together you’ll learn lots of interesting things about the year’s most beautiful holiday." -- publisher

Informational Race/Culture Concepts

How Kids Celebrate Holidays Around the World

by Pavla Hanáčková , Helena Haraštová and Michaela Bergmannová

"This series takes young readers to different parts of the world, showing a wide range of cultures and traditions. See how varied the world is! Are you curious how people make merry in other countries? Good company, great food and drink, and most importantly, lots of fun—we all like celebrating holidays! But have you ever wondered how people spend holidays across the world? Together we’ll join in with many celebrations, all of them different. What’s Halloween like in Ireland, and Timkat in Ethiopia? What are the customs observed at Hanukkah? You’ll make new friends who’ll tell you all about their culture. Ready to explore? It’s party time all over the world!" -- publisher

How Kids Live Around the World

"From a skyscraper to a houseboat, kids live in all kinds of places. Peek inside their dwellings across the globe and see their amazing cultures! Have you ever wondered how kids live in other countries? This book gives you a great opportunity to look inside homes on all continents and discover how different kids’ lives can be. People build their homes for comfort and to suit local conditions. Do you know how children live in Mongolia? Or what life’s like in an icy igloo? How about in a rainforest? Come with us to take a look at homes in all parts of the world, and to make new friends who’ll tell you all about their culture." -- publisher

Niki Nakayama: A Chef’s Tale in 13 Bites

by Debbi Michiko Florence , Jamie Michalak and Yuko Jones

"Won at auction, this picture book biography tells the story of Niki Nakayama, a powerhouse female Japanese-American chef, and her rise to fame. As a child and adult, Niki faced many naysayers in her pursuit of haute cuisine. Using the structure of a traditional kaiseki meal, the authors playfully detail Niki's hunger for success in thirteen "bites" — from wonton wrappers she used to make pizza as a kid to yuzu-tomatillo sauce in her own upscale Los Angeles Michelin-starred restaurant, n/naka. To anyone who tells her a woman can't be a master chef, Niki lets her food do the talking. And oh, does it talk. Niki was featured on the first season of Netflix's culinary documentary series Chef's Table. And Chrissy Teigen proclaimed that Niki's restaurant is one of her absolute favorites. A smart, strong woman with starpower, Niki is only just getting started -- like the young readers who will devour this book!" -- publisher

The Big Bath House

by Kyo Maclear and Gracey Zhang

"A joyful celebration of Japanese cultural traditions and body positivity as a young girl visits a bath house with her grandmother and aunties. In this celebration of Japanese culture and family and naked bodies of all shapes and sizes, join a little girl—along with her aunties and grandmother—at a traditional bath house. Once there, the rituals leading up to the baths begin: hair washing, back scrubbing, and, finally, the wood barrel drumroll. Until, at last, it’s time, and they ease their bodies—their creased bodies, newly sprouting bodies, saggy, jiggly bodies—into the bath. Ahhhhhh! With a lyrical text and gorgeous illustrations, this picture book is based on Kyo Maclear’s loving memories of childhood visits to Japan, and is an ode to the ties that bind generations of women together." --publisher

Beautiful Life

The Star Festival

by Moni Ritchie Hadley and Mizuho Fujisawa

As five-year-old Keiko and her eighty-five year old Obi, or grandmother, excitedly prepare to celebrate the Star Festival, Tanabata Matsuri, Obi tells the story of Tanabata. Includes information about the festival and how it is celebrated

Beautiful Life Folklore

A Bowl Full of Peace

by Caren Stelson , Caren Barzelay Stelson and Akira Kusaka

"Six-year-old Sachiko and her family suffered greatly after the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, and in the years that followed, the miraculous survival of a ceramic bowl became a key part of Sachiko's journey toward peace"--

Biography Informational Oppression & Resilience

Natsumi’s Song of Summer

by Robert Paul Weston and Misa Saburi

"This sweet and gentle picture book celebrates summer in Japan, as one little girl shares her love for bugs with her cousin who is visiting from America. Two young cousins who are separated by language, continent and culture meet for the first time when Jill’s family travels from America to Japan to stay with Natsumi’s family during the summer holidays. Natsumi’s nervousness about meeting her cousin from across the sea quickly disappears when she discovers that her cousin is a lot like her: they both love summertime’s hot sandy beaches, cool refreshing watermelon, festivals and fireworks. Then Jill asks Natsumi about the strange buzzing sound that comes from the nearby trees, and Natsumi is nervous once again. What if Jill is frightened of Natsumi’s cherished cicadas, the insects that sing the music of summertime? This is a tender, evocative story that celebrates the special pleasures of summertime and of reunions with faraway family and friends." -- publisher

No Steps Behind

by Jeff Gottesfeld and Shiella Witanto

"Her parents moved her from Austria to Tokyo, Japan before she started school. They were all rendered stateless when Nazi Germany and Austria stripped Jews of their citizenship. She graduated high school fluent in Japanese plus four other languages and went to college in America at age 15. Cut off from her parents by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and America's entry into World War II, she went years not knowing if they were alive. She returned to post-war Japan as an interpreter, found her parents, and wrote the fateful words that make her a storied feminist hero in that nation even today. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor said about Beate Sirota Gordon, 'It is a rare life treat for a Supreme Court Justice to get to meet a framer of a Constitution. It is rarer indeed for that framer to have been a woman'"--

Biography Incidental

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Elementary / English/Lang Arts / History/Geography / Reading/Books

Children’s Books About Japan

A great way to introduce kids to other cultures is through high quality children’s literature. From beautiful picture books, to engaging native stories, books that teach about language and culture and so much more. While your kids may not be able to physically travel to a place, engaging books can be a transportation of their own, allowing kids to learn and experience the culture of other places in the world from the inside of their own home.

Here is a list of children’s books about Japan that include both fiction and non-fiction titles to help your child learn and explore the native culture of Japan.

1.  Count Your Way Through Japan by James Haskins – Presents the numbers one to ten in Japanese, using each number to introduce concepts about Japan and its culture.

2. Once Upon A Time in Japan by Japan Broadcasting Corporation – Bringing Japanese folk stories to the English-speaking world, this book presents eight stories from the popular NHK Japan Broadcasting Corporation’s popular radio series Once Upon a Time in Japan . Each story is illustrated by a Japanese artist. The tales recounted are among Japan’s oldest and most beloved stories. Entertaining and filled with subtle folk wisdom, these retold stories have been shared countless times in Japanese homes and schools for generations.

3.   My Awesome Japan Adventure: A Diary About The Best 4 Months Ever! by Rebecca Otowa – A perfect introduction to Japanese culture for kids, My Awesome Japan Adventure is the diary of an American fifth grader who travels to Japan to spend four exciting months with a Japanese family as an exchange student. He records all his adventures in this diary so that he can tell his friends back home about what he did and saw during his time in Japan. With the help of a Japanese foster brother and sister he visits a Ninja village, tries new foods, learns brush painting, and gets the inside scoop on daily life in a Japanese school. Readers of all ages will love experiencing life in Japan from a kid’s point of view!

4. I Live in Tokyo by Mari Takabayashi – Seven-year-old Mimiko lives in Tokyo, and here you can follow a year’s worth of fun, food and festivities in Mimiko’s life, month by month. Learn the right way to put on a kimono and see Mimiko’s top ten favorite meals.

5.   All About Japan: Stories, Songs, Crafts, and More by Willamarie Moore – Two friends, a boy from the country and a girl from the city, take us on a tour of their beloved land through their eyes. They introduce us to their homes, families, favorite places, school life, holidays and more! Celebrate the cherry blossom festival, learn traditional Japanese songs and poems, make easy recipes like mochi (New Year’s sweet rice cakes) and okonomiyaki (Japanese pizza or pancakes), and create origami frogs and samurai helmets.

6.   The Way We Do It In Japan  by Geneva Cobb Iijima – Gregory lives in San Francisco with his American mother and Japanese father until his father’s job takes them all to Japan. Gregory’s experiences in his new home and school provide children with an introduction to Japanese customs and lifestyle. More important than the cultural differences, however, is Gregory’s positive reaction to the changes.

7. Erika-San by Allen Say – Tells the story of an American girl whose ingenuous hopes of reaching old Japan are finally realized.

8. Crow Boy by Taro Yashima – Based on a true story from the author’s life, Crow Boy is a young boy from the rural mountains who travels to go to the village school every day. He is made fun of and ostracized until a new teacher discovers and exposes his talent tot he children. The children recognize their cruelty and make amends in the end, as the book wraps up with a moral lesson on compassion and appreciating our uniqueness.

9. Tea With Milk by Allen Say – May lives in San Francisco with her Japanese parents, and grows up straddling American culture and traditional Japanese culture. When the family moves back to Japan May struggles to fit in until discovers what really makes a place a “home.” The author explains at the end of this lovely book that this is the true story of his parents!

10. Grandfather’s Journey by Allen Say – At once deeply personal yet expressing universally held emotions, this tale of one man’s love for two countries and his constant desire to be in both places captured readers’ attention and hearts. Winner of the 1994 Caldecott Medal. Home becomes elusive in this story about immigration and acculturation, pieced together through old pictures and salvaged family tales. Both the narrator and his grandfather long to return to Japan, but when they do, they feel anonymous and confused: “The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other.”

11.  The Peace Tree from Hiroshima : The Little Bonsai with a Big Story by Sandra Moore – This true children’s story is told by a little bonsai tree, called Miyajima, that lived with the same family in the Japanese city of Hiroshima for more than 300 years before being donated to the National Arboretum in Washington DC in 1976 as a gesture of friendship between America and Japan to celebrate the American Bicentennial.

12.  Life in Old Japan Coloring Book (Dover History Coloring Book) by John Green – More than 40 ready to color illustrations depict samurai warriors, the imperial villa at Kyoto, a Shinto shrine, a tea ceremony, a Noh play, a typical city street, a restaurant, music makers, and more!

13.  Colors of Japan   by Holly Littlefield – This picture book uses colors to describe some aspects of Japanese culture. Each double-page spread gives a color, the Japanese word for it, calligraphy symbol, and phonetic pronunciation, along with a brief description of one thing that the color symbolizes.

14.  Japanese Phrase Book (Eyewitness Travel Guide) by DK – This is for kids that want to delve deeper into the language. They are pocket dictionaries are organized by subject, where you can quickly find vocabulary relevant to things like transportation, hotels, meals, shopping, post offices and banks, sports, or health care, accompanied by a pronunciation guide.

15.   Japanese Traditions: Rice Cakes, Cherry Blossoms and Matsuri: A Year of Seasonal Japanese Festivities   by Setsu Broderick – Told via a series of short text blocks and lighthearted illustrations based on cats, Japanese Traditions displays seasonal festivals and activities such as O-Bon (Festival of the Souls), O-hanami (cherry blossom viewing) and preparing for the New Year.

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These are wonderful! We love new books and I don’t think we’ve read any specific for Japan yet. Adding these to our list! #HipHomeschoolMoms

We are online schooling family and that is why we enjoy traveling. So these would be an awesome companion for our adventures. Thanks for sharing!

A Pair of Red Clogs is fantastic for early elementary, and we loved How My Parents Learned to Eat, as well.

Thank you for the suggestions!

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10 Books About Japan That Expat Parents Should Read To Their Kids

Reading is a great way to help children adjust to—and thrive in—their new home.

picture books japan

Getting children to settle in a new school or home can be challenging even if it's in a neighborhood around the corner so it’s not surprising that many expat parents find the task overwhelming in a new country. Savvy Tokyo spoke to Summerhill International School for their expertise on what books can do for children undergoing cultural adjustment.

Whether children are adjusting to their new cultural home, diving deep into their third culture or simply interested in learning more about their surroundings, books are ideal tools to help them on their journey.

For children transitioning to life in Japan, being able to enjoy books can be a great support

Not only do reading interactions encourage children to inquire, grow through understanding, and be empathetic, they are also a fun, positive and educational experience.

Recommended reading for international children in Japan

“For children transitioning to life in Japan, being able to enjoy books can be a great support,” according to Rita Kar, the librarian of Summerhill International school.

“When families move to Japan, the children are making a big transition in language and culture. Familiar books can be a great source of comfort to children when they see them in their new unfamiliar surroundings,” says Rita.

picture books japan

Once some familiarity is established, introducing books that provide children with the background or information to help them understand their new world in Japan can bring greater fun, authenticity, and a sense of involvement when out shopping, dining or experiencing cultural events. Children might point out things they have seen in books or, while reading books, have a eureka moment of understanding.

According to Rita, literature is a great way to support your adventures in your host country. She continues on to say that “books that are based on Japanese history, tradition, or folklore will always be fascinating as [they] take place in a setting you are familiar with.”

Here are Rita’s top 10 books to read to your kids while in Japan.

1. Hachiko Waits  by Leslea Newman

10 Books Expat Parents Should Read To Their Kids

Relating the true story of a loyal dog who accompanied his master to and from a Tokyo train station for a year and continued to wait for him there every day for many years after his death, these books will make a trip to Hachiko Square in Shibuya meaningful. Most suitable for children in grades 3-5.

Buy on Amazon

2. Eliza’s Cherry Trees: Japan’s Gift to America by Andrea Zimmerman

10 Books About Japan Expat Parents Should Buy for Their Kids

This historical, illustrated account of how one woman’s persistence brought Japan’s cherry trees to Washington is suitable for grades 3–6. It portrays the beauty of cherry blossoms and is a great read during the sakura season.

3. The Last Kappa of Old Japan: A Magical Journey of Two Friends by Sunny Seki

10 Books About Japan Expat Parents Should Buy For Their Kids The Last Kappa

This beautifully illustrated bilingual children’s book introduces many aspects of traditional Japanese food, culture, and folklore while teaching an important lesson about environmentalism. It can be enjoyed by all ages.

4. Magic Ramen: The Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang

10 Books About Japan Expat Parents Should Buy For Their Kids Magic Ramen- The Story of Momofuku Ando by Andrea Wang

An insightful, illustrated story of how Momofuku Ando invented instant ramen. So next time your kids demand noodles, at least they’ll know where they came from!

5. The   Beckoning Cat by Koko Nishizuka

10 Books About Japan Expat Parents Should Buy For Their Kids The Beckoning Cat

Beautifully illustrated, this book retells a traditional Japanese tale, describing the origins of the beckoning cat and how it came to be a symbol of good luck. Children will understand the beckoning cats in shop windows and restaurants after reading this book.

6. I live in Tokyo by Mari Takabayashi

10 Books About Japan Expat Parents Should Buy For Their Kids I live in Tokyo

This book is a child-friendly, colorfully illustrated, and lively introduction to Japan. The story is about seven-year-old Mimiko who takes readers on a month-by-month tour of contemporary Tokyo.

7. Japanese Celebrations: Cherry Blossoms, Lanterns and Stars! by Betty Reynolds

10 Books About Japan Expat Parents Should Buy For Their Kids Japanese Celebrations

Gorgeous illustrations and simple informative text explain Japanese holidays and celebrations. This book promises to delight and educate young readers and parents alike.

8. Wabi Sabi by Mark Reibstein

10 Books About Japan Expat Parents Should Buy For Their Kids Wabi Sabi

This beautiful picture book for grades 1–3 explains the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi (the art of finding beauty and harmony in what is simple) through the story of a cat named Wabi-sabi, who lives in Kyoto with her master.

Buy on Amazon (International)

9. Kamishibai Man by Allen Say

10 Books About Japan Expat Parents Should Buy For Their Kids Kamishibai Man

After many years of retirement, an old man skilled in kamishibai (picture story shows) decides to perform once more in spite of the fact that his art isn’t as popular anymore—or so it seems.

Buy on Amazon International

10. Japanese Children’s Favorite Stories by Florence Sakade

10 Books About Japan Expat Parents Should Buy Their Kids

In these much-beloved stories are charming characters drawn from folklore and passed down for generations: tales about playful goblins, walking statues and a delightful one-inch tall hero evoke the virtues of honesty, humility, and hard work. This book is a great way for parents to teach through stories that thrill their children.

Buy on Amazon  

Let them choose

Still, Rita points out that “we cannot prescribe books” even if they are likely to provide children with help in adjusting and enjoying their life in Japan. Rather, children should be given freedom to choose the books they like.

“Giving a child the liberty to make a choice in their reading material or genre not only gives them agency but also pleasure and interest in reading,” she says. “While encouraging them to enjoy their choices, gently nudge them along with your choices, too, thus exposing them to a whole new world of books to be loved and enjoyed,” she says.

Making reading more valuable

To maximize the learning and enjoyment possible from these books, Rita advocates discussing what you are reading, including the characters and story, to help children think creatively. Explaining vocabulary or cultural references and encouraging children to remember experiences or situations in which they might have encountered them can also nurture a deeper understanding.

Ultimately, it’s all about creating a positive environment for reading these books, full of fun, excitement, and curiosity.

“Reading interactions with children is a way to get them to associate books with fun, pleasure, and attention,” says Rita. “And it’s good for adults, too!”

About Summerhill International School

Summerhill International School

With a Reggio Emilia-inspired approach that focuses on teaching 21st-century skills, such as learning how to learn, creativity and critical thinking, Summerhill International School is an accredited IB school that offers the Primary Years Programme to help children grow into well-rounded individuals. In the leafy, yet central surrounds of Moto-Azabu, its early childhood educators are supporting children’s holistic development, physically, emotionally, intellectually, creatively and in language. Find out more about Summerhill International School on their Savvy Tokyo schools page .

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Japan Pictures Book - Japan Photography: 100+ Amazing Pictures and Photos in this fantastic Japan Photo Book (Japan Photography and Japan Pictures Book) Paperback – July 22, 2019

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100+ Amazing Pictures and Photos in this fantastic Japan Photo Book

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‘The Rise and Fall of the EAST’: China’s ancient successes paint worrying picture of its future

“The Rise and Fall of the EAST” author Yasheng Huang blames the “keju,” the imperial national civil service exam, for the decline in China’s technological innovation. Its influence continues in the “gaokao,” the annual university entrance exam that high school students take in June.

If economist Yasheng Huang is right, the West shouldn’t be too worried about China winning the battle for technology leadership. It’s not that China can’t innovate; it produced the “four great inventions” — gunpowder, paper, printing and the compass — hundreds of years before the West. Rather, as Huang convincingly argues in his new book, “The Rise and Fall of the EAST,” the social and political construct imposed on China since the Sui Dynasty (581-618) has throttled the creativity that is essential to innovation.

A professor of global economics and management at the MIT Sloan School of Management and author of magisterial assessments of the Chinese economy, Huang blames the “ keju ,” the imperial national civil service exam, for this decline. In their effort to govern a large and unruly state, successive Chinese leaders used the exam (E) to promote ideological conformity and obedience to the emperor (an autocrat, A), which promoted stability (S) and inhibited technological innovation (T).

His book makes this case by taking each “letter” (which creates the acronym “EAST”) and first exploring its historical roots in Chinese politics in one chapter and then applying that analysis to contemporary China in the next. The result is a compelling and easily digestible argument. He also draws on extensive databases that he and his colleagues created, mining historical texts as far back as China’s Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.) for lists of inventions — over 10,000 in total.

In Huang’s telling, Chinese innovation flowered in periods of political competition, when political units were small and there was a marketplace of ideas. The project to grow, unify and impose order on China, to promote ideological conformity through a highly competitive exam that bestowed considerable rewards on those who passed, stifled the country’s creativity.

The keju demanded intense memorization and thus laid “claims to the time, effort and cognitive investment of a significant swathe of the male Chinese population,” Huang writes. It allowed the state to monopolize the best human capital and deprived other sectors of access to talent. According to Huang, “(the) keju anchored Chinese autocracy.” Formally abolished at the beginning of the 20th century, its influence continues, not just in its successors — the “ gaokao ” university entrance exam and the civil service exam — but in the values and work ethic it inculcated.

Japan Times

Huang’s interpretation bodes ill for China’s prospects in the Xi Jinping era. While every member of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) leadership has been committed to retaining the party’s role at the apex of power within the country, there have been differences among individual figures regarding the space for innovation on some matters. Deng Xiaoping promoted openness in the economy and society even as he insisted on maintaining the CCP’s iron grip on politics; his followers adopted that approach as well.

Xi has diverged from that path, pushing for the consolidation of power and uniformity of thought and practice to ensure that his supremacy is unchallenged. Even though there can be — and often is — bloodthirsty competition at the firm level in China, the ceiling for independent thought and action has been lowered, imposing a stultifying uniformity and crushing the country’s innovative potential. As Huang explained last month in a seminar at The University of Tokyo’s Komaba campus, “scientific development and humanistic development go hand in hand.”

If he’s right — and the evidence is compelling — then China will face sustained and perhaps insurmountable headwinds as it struggles to emerge from the COVID lockdown and intensified competition with the West.

Brad Glosserman is deputy director of and visiting professor at the Center for Rule-Making Strategies at Tama University as well as senior adviser (nonresident) at Pacific Forum. He is the author of "Peak Japan: The End of Great Ambitions" (Georgetown University Press, 2019).

“The Rise and Fall of the EAST” author Yasheng Huang blames the “keju,” the imperial national civil service exam, for the decline in China’s technological innovation. Its influence continues in the “gaokao,” the annual university entrance exam that high school students take in June. | Retuers

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