Tales from a Japanese Dreamland Series

Kenji Miyazawa is undoubtedly one of Japan's most highly regarded writers of fantasy fiction. Book 1 of Tales From A Japanese Dreamland is an introduction to Kenji's writing through his well-known poem Ame-ni-mo makezu and the story of Kenju, which can be thought of as an extension of that poem. Kenju's Forest Playground Kenju is different from other kids his age, and he gets teased a lot. But Kenju can see things all around that others can't. One day, completely out-of-the-blue, he decides to plant seven hundred cedar trees, and those trees become something that no one ever imagined. Ame-ni-mo Makezu Perhaps the most famous Japanese poem of the modern age, it was written by Kenji while lying on his death bed and was never seen by anyone else until after his death. This significance of this poem has increased greatly for the Japanese people following the Great East Japan Earthquake, with many people using it to reflect on what truly is important in their lives. Please note that both these stories can be found in Book 4 and Book 5 of the series Tales from a Japanese Dreamland published by Little J Books.

Nankichi Niimi & Kenji Miyazawa are undoubtedly two of Japan's most highly regarded writers of fantasy fiction. Book 2 of Tales From Japan contains four stories by Kenji Miyazawa and one story by Nankichi Niimi. In addition to the title story Gauche the Cellist, this book also includes Kenji's much loved The Restaurant of Many Orders. Gauche is a hopeless musician and he's always being yelled at by the conductor. It's not because he doesn't try, it's just that there is something lacking in his music. And now the orchestra is preparing for a big concert so if Gauche doesn't improve in a real hurry he's going to be in big trouble. One day a strange cat turns up holding a tomato in his mouth and then all sorts of strange things start to happen to Gauche. A Story with a Message The underlying theme in Gauche the Cellist is admitting our weaknesses and recognizing our strengths. It is not easy to admit when we are doing something wrong, especially when we are putting in so much effort. But if that effort is being applied in the wrong place, then it is almost impossible to achieve the goals that we have set ourselves. Admitting to ourselves that we've been doing something the wrong way is the first step to achieving our dreams. And in the same way, it is also important to recognize the things that we've been doing right, and take pride in what you have achieved up until now. The Nighthawk Star The nighthawk has a hard time of it. He's got a face like a mud pie, he gets teased by all the other birds and he has to put up with bullies. Hans Christian Andersen was a great inspiration to Kenji and you will recognize something of the Ugly Duckling in this story, but the setting and the finale is classical Kenji, making this story a standout favorite amongst many Japanese readers. Wild Pear (Yamanashi) A surreal tale about a family of crabs on the bottom of the river. The amazing descriptions of life under the water will leave you with a truly new perspective on the world. An extremely well-crafted fable, with a profound underlying message. The Restaurant of Many Orders This is perhaps the most famous of Kenji's short stories and one of his personal favorites, as it was the title story of his one and only self-published collection of short stories. Two hunters go on a hunting trip in the country and end up completely lost. Luckily they come across what appears to be an extremely popular restaurant...but everything is not as it seems. Buying Mittens by Nankichi Niimi Mama fox only wants the best for her little one, so when the cold winter arrives and her precious boy needs some mittens, then she knows what she must do. The only problem is that she is afraid and her legs won't take her any further. So her son must go on his own. The highlight of this delightful children's story is the beautiful description of the foxes' journey through the snow covered woods during the middle of the night.

Nankichi Niimi is undoubtedly one of Japan's most highly regarded writers of fantasy fiction. Book 3 of Tales from a Japanese Dreamland is an introduction to Niimi's writing through one of his most famous children's stories. Mama fox only wants the best for her little one, so when the cold winter arrives and her precious boy needs some mittens, then she knows what she must do. The only problem is that she is afraid and her legs won't take her any further. So her son must go on his own. The highlight of this delightful children's story is the beautiful description of the foxes' journey through the snow covered woods during the middle of the night. Buying Mittens is also available in Books 2 & 5 of the series Tales from a Japanese Dreamland. Nankichi Niimi was born Shohachi Watanabe in what is now Handa City, Aichi Prefecture, on July 30, 1913, with the year 2013 marking 100 years since his birth. It was recently estimated that over 60 million people have read Gon the Fox which he penned at just 17 years of age. Although Niimi went on to write a large number of poems and short stories, such as Buying Mittens, Grandpa's Lamp and When the Thieves Came to Hananoki Village before his death from tuberculosis at age 29, Gon the Fox is undoubtedly the most famous and well-loved of all his works, and perhaps the most famous Japanese children's story of all time. About Little J Books Hi, my name is Paul and I started Little J Books because I personally wanted to be able to read more of these kinds of Japanese stories in English, especially in ebook form. By putting these stories into an ebook format they will be available for anyone to access anywhere in the world, forever. If you know of any other Japanese stories like these that it is hard to get your hands on (because they are sold out or just too expensive), please let me know.

Nankichi Niimi & Kenji Miyazawa are undoubtedly two of Japan's most highly regarded writers of fantasy fiction. Book 4 of Tales From A Japanese Dreamland contains four stories by Nankichi Niimi and one story by Kenji Miyazawa. This wonderful collection contains the following stories. Gon the Fox Gon is a cheeky fox that loves to play pranks on people, but one day he plays a prank that has unexpected consequences, so he decides to make amends. Niimi wrote this story when he was only seventeen years of age, and now more than seventy years after his death it remains one of the best known and loved Japanese stories of all time. A Story With A Message Gon is a very lonely fox who yearns for friendship. He makes mischief because he feels left out. But everyone is capable of recognizing when they have done something wrong and turning over a new leaf, and Gon is very brave for doing so. This story emphasizes how important it is that we give mischief-makers like Gon a second chance, before it is too late. Other stories included in this book include: The Story of the Giant All of the town's people are terrified of the giant because he is enormous and he is the son of that horrible old witch. But is it possible that they may have misjudged him? Grandpa's Lamp Minosuke was born a poor orphan, but with a little luck and a lot of hard work he manages to carve out a business of his own and starts to rise up in the world. One day a competitor arrives that threatens to take it all away from him. A fascinating insight into the period of transition in Japan, from a country in darkness to one bathed in light. When the Thieves Came to Hananoki Village What could be a better hunting ground for a thief than a village where people don't even bother with proper locks? The only trouble is that these thieves have no idea what they are doing, and it is up to the boss to train them. But just when the boss appears to have made a wonderful score, the story takes an unexpected turn. Ame-ni-mo Makezu This is often referred to as one of Kenji's most famous poems, however it is actually a beautiful Buddhist prayer with universal appeal across all cultures of the world. Although he wrote this prayer while lying helpless on his deathbed, it expresses Kenji's wish to help others without concern for his own ego, and its significance has increased greatly in modern consumer-driven Japan following the Great East Japan Earthquake as people pause to think about what is truly important in life. Kenju's Forest Playground Kenju is different from other kids his age, and he gets teased a lot. But Kenju can see things all around that others can't. One day, completely out-of-the-blue, he decides to plant seven hundred cedar trees, and those trees become something that no one ever imagined. This is a story about a boy who has an intellectual disability but still has something invaluable to offer the world if only they would bother to take notice.

Tales from Japan Book 5 combines all of the works from Tales from Japan, Books 1 - 4. The Tales from Japan series was produced by Little J Books to provide readers with a sample of the best works of Nankichi Niimi & Kenji Miyazawa, authors of fantasy fiction that has been loved by children and adults throughout Japan for more than 70 years. Both of these authors have had a significant influence on the fiction and animation that was produced in Japan post-WWII. Ame-ni-mo-makezu, a prayer composed as a poem, and The Restaurant of Many Orders are two of Kenji's most famous works, while Gon the Fox and Buying Mittens are two standout stories from Nankichi Niimi. Gauche the Cellist Gauche is a hopeless musician and he's always being yelled at by the conductor. It's not because he doesn't try, it's just that there is something lacking in his music. With a big concert approaching, Gauche receives some special music lessons from his closest neighbors. Wild Pear (Yamanashi) A surreal tale about a family of crabs on the bottom of the river. The amazing descriptions of life under the water will leave you with a truly new perspective on the world. An extremely well-crafted fable, with a profound underlying message. The Restaurant of Many Orders This is perhaps the most famous of Kenji's short stories and one of his personal favorites, as it was the title story of his one and only self-published collection of short stories. Two hunters go on a hunting trip in the country and end up completely lost. Luckily they come across what appears to be an extremely popular restaurant...but everything is not as it seems. Ame-ni-mo Makezu Perhaps the most famous Japanese poem of the modern age, it was written by Kenji while lying on his death bed and was never seen by anyone else until after his death. This significance of this poem has increased greatly for the Japanese people following the Great East Japan Earthquake, with many people using it to reflect on what truly is important in their lives. Gon the Fox Gon is a cheeky fox that loves to play pranks on people, but one day he plays a prank that has unexpected consequences, so he decides to make amends. Niimi wrote this story when he was only seventeen years of age, and now more than seventy years after his death it remains one of the best known and loved Japanese stories of all time. When the Thieves Came to Hananoki Village What could be a better hunting ground for a thief than a village where people don't even bother with proper locks? The only trouble is that these thieves have no idea what they are doing, and it is up to the boss to train them. But just when the boss appears to have made a wonderful score, the story takes an unexpected turn. Buying Mittens by Nankichi Niimi Mama fox only wants the best for her little one, so when the cold winter arrives and her precious boy needs some mittens, then she knows what she must do. The only problem is that she is afraid and her legs won't take her any further. So her son must go on his own. The highlight of this delightful children's story is the beautiful description of the foxes' journey through the snow covered woods during the middle of the night. Plus The Nighthawk Star Kenju's Forest Playground Grandpa's Lamp The Story of the Giant