Cildren's book illustrations - 1920s Japan

August 21, 2004 7:34 AM

Kodomo no kuni - children's book illustrations and songs from 1920s Japan. I found the artist's index the best way to navigate. (via the always entertaining quiddity)
posted by madamjujujive (12 comments total)

This is why I love metafilter. Thanks, madam, these illustrations are superb.
posted by btwillig at 7:58 AM on August 21, 2004

Sort of reminds me of the Cricket Magazines I used to read as a kid, only much, much better! AWESOME.
posted by runtina at 8:06 AM on August 21, 2004

This is why I love jujujive
posted by Pretty_Generic at 8:38 AM on August 21, 2004

Thanks for this. My son is in bed now after a big day at Ueno Zoo, and a big evening matsuri (festival) and fireworks at our building complex. But tomorrow I am going to share some of the songs and pictures with him.
(self links - largish jpegs.)
posted by bashos_frog at 8:44 AM on August 21, 2004

Coincidentally, I just got home from Jizo-bon children's festival to find this. I should learn some children's songs in Japanese for my baby to go with my Old Macdonald. This will be useful. Thanks MJ3! Notice that the colorful title graphic, the name "Kodomo no kuni" is written right to left, as was the style back when Japan was adapting to horizontal writing.
posted by planetkyoto at 8:57 AM on August 21, 2004

beautiful : >
posted by amberglow at 9:04 AM on August 21, 2004

My Tokyo-born gurufurendo is dancing around the room singing the "Dance of the Rabbits" and now I have to arrange it for national slide guitar... she was really interested in the children's illustrations which were published right after the huge 1927 tokyo earthquake - much more somber.
posted by zaelic at 9:40 AM on August 21, 2004

Excellent
posted by magullo at 10:38 AM on August 21, 2004

wow, these are great! What a wonderful magazine that must have been.

There are lyrics and/or scores for quite a few of the songs online, in Japanese of course: The Moon in the Rain, The Rabbit's Dance, This Town, That Town, Boats of Leaves, and Taanki, Poonki.
posted by vorfeed at 12:28 PM on August 21, 2004

Oh, these illustrations are mouth-wateringly delish. Yummm. And the songs are great. What an elegantly executed site.
posted by lobakgo at 3:41 PM on August 21, 2004

Great find, thanks MJJJ!
posted by dejah420 at 10:54 PM on August 21, 2004

tremendous!
posted by jann at 12:10 AM on August 22, 2004