Illustrated Books
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Hyakumankai Ikita Neko (The Cat with a Million Lives) |
Mottainai Basan (Mottainai Grandma) |
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| An illustrated book that adults will enjoy as much as children, The Cat with a Million Lives is in its ninetieth printing having sold an astonishing 1.6 million copies. A satire, an allegory and a compendium of extraordinary tales, this multilayered story is about a selfish cat who, after countless deaths and rebirths, finally finds the meaning of life. | A uniquely Japanese concept that's started to gain international traction, mottainai is all about taking care not to waste precious natural resources. This series of charming picture books that remind children not to leave food uneaten or use too much water when brushing their teeth has sold over 450,000 copies in Japanese. |
Fantasy
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Kemono no Sosha (Musician to the Beasts) |
No. 6 |
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| In this fantasy by Nahoko Uehashi, author of Seirei no Moribito (Guardian of the Sacred Spirit), Erin is orphaned after her mother, a veterinarian, is executed for having allegedly killed a batch of fighting snakes. Raised by a beekeeper, Erin meets the king of the animals in the mountains and is inspired to become a veterinarian herself, a decision that will put the fate of the kingdom in her hands. | It's 2013 in Ideal City No. 6, an elite township from which war and poverty have been banished. Shion is just a normal boy until an encounter with Nezumi, a refugee from the Special Security Zone, turns his life upside down. Is destruction about to be visited on his secure little world? With six volumes in the series so far, cumulative sales have already passed the 450,000 mark. (6 vols. ) |
Young Teenage Fiction
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Machi no Tomu & Soya (Tom and Sawyer in Town) |
Kuro Majo-san ga Toru!! (Here Comes the Black Witch!) |
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| Life is all work and no play for junior high schooler Naito until he gets to know his classmate Soya. Then suddenly they are involved in a host of adventures as they go in search of the mysterious genius game maker. They need all their knowledge and skill to pull through. Five volumes out so far in this ongoing series. (5 vols.) |
When magic-mad Choco summons up a black witch by mistake, she finds that she and her friend Gyubido need to keep a careful eye on her to stop her getting up to all sorts of mischief. The nine volumes of this ongoing series
have sold more than 800,000 copies. (9 vols.) |
Nonfiction
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Madogiwa no Totto-chan (Totto-chan:The Little Girl at the Window) |
Gotaifumanzoku (No One's Perfect) |
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| A fictionalized account of her schooldays at the eccentric but delightful Tomoe Gakuen school by Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, one of Japan's most popular TV personalities. Madogiwa no Totto-chan has sold 7.2 million copies, making it the single biggest-selling book in Kodansha's entire history. | Born with neither arms nor legs, Ototake overcame disability to live a full and happy life, proceeding from normal schools to one of Japan's top universities. "Perfectly healthy people can suffer from depression," he says, "and conversely, limbless people can live surprisingly happy lives." An autobiography guaranteed to uplift and inspire. |