Anna

November must-buy in Japan

by Anna
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

by Anna
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

Kirie – Japanese traditional paper cutting and picture books

by Anna
These days I find myself wondering how pictures in a picture book are made. People draw them, yes. But how do they create such a cohesive story with their pictures? The most conventional way of creating pictures is drawing them by hand. Nonetheless, Pictures in picture books are created with various tools: In addition, there ... Read More

A Research Field Was Born

by Anna
Today (Aug 26th) marks the birthday of Children’s Literature Translation Studies as a field, which was established in 1976 at the 3rd Congress of IRCL, titled “Problems of Translation in the Field of Literature for Children and Young People.” At the congress, Children’s Literature scholars and translators gathered in Sweden and agreed on the importance ... Read More

Children and other talking animals

by Anna
Picture books and books intended for two- to three-year-olds often use talking animals as a way to show children agency and explain the transition from animal-like existence to that of a talking little human. In books for children aged one to three, animal characters take on human roles and behaviors such as talking, cooking and ... Read More