Customer Reviews

I Live in Tokyo

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

"I Live in Tokyo" is a sweet little picture book describing the life of a small girl, Mimiko, and her life in Tokyo, Japan. The book is sectioned off into months, with each month telling the story of something that happens in Japan during that month in a two-page spread, with very pretty illustrations.

This is a great book to introduce a typical Japanese lifestyle to the wee ones. I am happy to see how authentic it is, without antiquated notions of Japanese people running around in Kimono all the time or eating sushi at every meal. I loved seeing Mimiko listing "hamburger" as one of her top ten favorite meals. There is not a thing in here that I have not done myself in Japan, and Mimiko acts like all the little Japanese children that I know so well.

The illustrations are great, and offer a simple but accurate and inviting picture of things like a japanese house, a japanese summer festival, japanese food and even a japanese-style bathtub where you wash outside before getting into the water. Throughout the book, the Japanese names for several things are given, rather than devising English translations, and a few simple characters are introduced.

Highly recommended for anyone wanting to get kids interested in life in Japan, or just to open a window to another world, different yet similar.

In this delightful little book, Mari Takabayashi very accurately portrays what it is like to live in Japan. I highly recommend this book for anyone of any age with an interest in Japan. The book is arranged like a photo album and calendar, highlighting the special traditional holiday celebrations of each month. Her watercolor illustrations are simple, colorful and just darling. It reminds me of art drawn by students at my high school in Japan many years ago. Like looking through a favorite photo album, the book brings back wonderful memories for anyone who has lived in Japan. It would also be ideal for anyone travelling to Japan for the first time, to learn about Japanese traditions and culture.

I found this book while my family and I were living in Japan, and knowing we would move someday I bought it for my son. We've recently moved out of Japan and now this book makes me a little weepy because it's so spot on! Every little detail in the pictures reminds me of home, and my son loves reading the Japanese words.

I am a Kindergarten teacher and I teach a unit on Japan. I liked this book for the children. It had a lot of details. It has a lot of words on the pages, but I read the pages to the children. They were very interested.

child friendly but accurate and cute illustrations. A good reference for any age.

I GOT THIS BOOK FOR MY DAUGHTER TO STUDY ABOUT JAPAN.I'M FROM TOKYO AND I LIVED THERE.
THIS IS VERY ACCURATE AND I F YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JAPAN OR YOU HOMECHOOL,YOU SHOULD GET THIS BOOK FOR YOUR CHILDREN.

a book which introduces different culture and custom to children must be accurate. children's books about Japan by non-Japanese writers are not always correct as they tend to write only what they see/hear/feel and lack a broader view or facts. in that sense this book written by a Japanese author has of course no problem. the contents are well organized covering "a year in a life" of children in Japan. illustrations are light and cheerful. our 4 year old grandson in America who recently visited Japan enjoys this book as he can relate it to what he had seen while in Japan.

Certainly there are monthly festivals in Japan like foreigners don't know. As Japan especially Tokyo of the metropolitan get to be industrial and modern city, the importance and customs for them between Japanese is getting to be thin, however even now the connection between such festivals or customs and Japanese history will be maintained. There are the special holidays, called "Syukujitsu" in Japan except of such festivals, too. If Syukujitsu compare with U.S.A ways, that will be like Independence Day. But Syukujitsu have other mean in Japan, off course though have the mean as being applied to U.S.A like Tennou Tanjoubi(Japanese emperor's birthday), too, that is, there are the holidays like Keirou No Hi(a holiday that people thank for old men)in Syukujitsu, too. I think that such festival have strong connection with Japanese history that Japanese have the custom for old men the old days ago.

In Japan, there will be at least one festival on each month. In January, especially new-year-day there won't be countries that do not their festival. Off course that is special day in Japan. The day is called "Syougatsu" in Japan. As I wrote already, the festival day is not general festival, have the mean of Japanese history, for instance, some of Japanese (over 50%) go to Japanese shrines (Jinja), if we consider of the recent truth that Japanese younger have no the interest for such old customs, the number will be surprising thing. And the custom that Japanese go to shrines on the day have important mean. The act is called "Hatsumoude(first pray)". Japanese have the thinking that good outcomes are made if we do all the things on the first day whether new month day of New Year Day, therefore on Japanese New Year Day, there are the special act of "Hatsuhinode" except of Hatsumoude, too. There is the custom that sunrise bring people good fortune in Japan from long ago. Especially as I wrote already, Japanese think that more good outcomes are brought if they do such act on first day, such act that people watch sunrise on New Year Day is called "Hatsuhinode". Some of Japanese go to seaside or the top of mountains more than 100 km away from their home where they can watch Hatsuhinode clearly, even if they have troubles.

In Japan, there are many monthly customs so that can not write easily. That is interesting genre, too. Even Japanese.

Thank you for reading poor English.