A fox and a racoon in Japanese-language and English-language picture books 

Fact finding  Hello minna san,   Let’s resume our research activities. As I mentioned in the previous entry, starting research with a vague idea is not a good approach to writing. To produce quality writing, one must refine the idea until it shines. One effective method is to validate all my observations through actual browsing, ... Read More

Research Project in Children’s Literature Studies 

From Start to Finish  Dear readers,  Today, I invite you to embark on a journey with me—a journey that will take us from the inception to the completion of a research project. We will explore the essential steps and procedures involved in academic writing. This idea recently came to me, and I am delighted to ... Read More

How I won a Picture book writing contest in Japan

Today, I’m thrilled to announce that I won an incentive prize at the 10th Picture Book Contest in Japan. This was my first time entering a picture book-creating contest, and I feel incredibly lucky that the jury recognized my manuscript as publication material. Based on my experience, let me share with you what it takes ... Read More

November must-buy in Japan

To have a merry little Christmas Once upon a time I came to Japan. Having a 100% foreigner mindset I waited for December to discover that the essential Christmas must-haves have long been sold. If you’re a foreigner living in Japan and planning to celebrate Christmas, it’s important to keep in mind that the essential ... Read More

Picture books for 0-years-old

An insight from a Japanese researcher In this entry, I’ll resort to a viewpoint expressed by Toshiyuki Shiomi, a Japanese author of pediatric literature. The field of psychology dedicated to the study of infants, specifically those aged 0 to 1, has only recently emerged as a topic of research. This is due to the fact ... Read More