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How about learning Japanese Onomatopoeia on-line?

By kinotoriko on January 1, 2021 5:47 PM

I'm happy to announce that my book I'm PEKO-PEKO Hungry is now became a text for on-line language course!  It's a collaboration with Go! Go! Nihon, the company that helps students who wants to live and study in Japan.

Now that the entrance to the country is restricted, on-line study would be helpful to keep up your motivation (:-) ! The special thing of this on-line course is; I recorded myself "how to pronounce", so you can learn the words and sentences through your ears!

Besides, the physical book

*I'm PEKO-PEKO Hungry! is now on sale. It's a book that introduces many Japanese onomatopoeias.

Do you know when and how to use onomatopoetic words/mimetic words like "PEKO-PEKO" or "DOKI-DOKI" or "GAN-GAN"? This book shows the situation to use these expressions by illustrated scenes along with the explanations in English & Japanese, the description of the words, and some clues for pronunciation.

This is for the people who are interested in Japanese culture, learning Japanese language, living and working in Japan, and also for the tourists, as a souvenir from Japan.

→kinotori2019_pekopeko_leaflet.pdf

June 18, 2020

Japanese yôkai AMABIÉ to repel the pandemic

By kinotoriko on June 18, 2020 12:01 PM

In this critical situation worldwide, it may seem to be ridiculous to "just draw a picture and show it to others", but it is one of the style of prayer, to survive this hardship.

I'd like to introduce a Yôkai --- a monster, a spirit of Japanese folklore that has some supernatural power. It's AMABIÉ for this time.

Here you'll see what it is and the movement among people.

I like this AMABIÉ because:

* it works as a charming symbol for the campaign to defeat pandemic.

* it's not "someone-designed" symbol, but anyone can create their own; funny or furious, sharp or innocent, etc. it's fun to see the variations on FB, instagram, twitter with the hashtag #amabie or #amabiechallenge !

* it's religion- free.

April 16, 2020

" Honeybees and the Labyrinths of Flowers " published !

By kinotoriko on October 16, 2019 9:41 PM

Issued on March 8th, 2019

" Honeybees and the Labyrinths of Flowers"

In this book, many nectar plants from various regions in the world are introduced, in style of the maze, as if you are  wandering among these flowers with "a honey-bee-point of view"!

It is one of the so-called activity book, enjoyable for tracing and coloring the maze, but it also has much information on honeybees, flowers and the relationships between them and we humans.

Dr. Masami Sasaki ( professor emeritus / Tamagawa University), the leading expert in the field of honeybee research, has supervised the contents, to make this book also recommendable for ones who love natural science.

*texts & illustrations by kinotoriko

  supervised by Masami Sasaki (professor emeritus of Tamagawa Univ.)

*issued on March 8 from Hyoronsha, Tokyo ￥1800+tax
*240mm(h)×257mm(w), 48pages all printed color
*ISBN: 978-4-566-02386-4

more information here

Damask rose of Bulgaria

April 5, 2019

" La nuit, ailleurs " published in France

By kinotoriko on April 5, 2019 5:36 PM

The book on the right on this photo, "La nuit, ailleurs"= " The night, elsewhere " is recently published as my second title in the series of "Papier Coupés", by the french publisher Grandir, The book on the left "Quand petit Tomo dort"= " While Little Tomo sleeps " is the one that already released in April.

All Illustrations are laser-cut, accordion folded structure, cloth covered case, wrapped by double paper jacket.

The color of the paper underneath --- silver for "la nuit ..." and bronze for "Petit Tomo" --- represent the light of the full moon.

September 15, 2017

A prayer

By kinotoriko on September 15, 2017 1:32 AM

August 15, 2017

" Quand petit Tomo dort ", published in France

By kinotoriko on August 15, 2017 11:36 AM

A new picture book is released from French publisher Grandir, as one one of the series "Papier Coupés".

As it is called "Papier Coupés"= "Cut Papers" , the illustrations are laser-cut, and folded in accordion style.

Cloth covered case, wrapped by double paper jacket ivory (laser-cut) and bronze(inside). Details are shown here.

The title is "Quand petit Tomo dort"= "While little Tomo sleeps". 

A little boy in his bed, about to sleep, looks outside the window to see the sky with full moon. Meanwhile, the nocturnal animals are ......

This title is not introduced yet on the site of the publisher, but others previously issued are in this catalog. I hope you have an opportunity to see and touch this series, so beautiful!

March 24, 2017

the New Year 2017

By kinotoriko on March 24, 2017 3:34 PM

January 1, 2017

the New Year 2016

By kinotoriko on January 2, 2017 2:54 AM

Back-up (March 2015 )

By kinotoriko on January 4, 2016 1:07 AM

An image of the paradise

The theme is "Paradise on Earth" or " Shangri-la".

Introduced here on the site of " illustration file WEB news ",  is my technique of making " watercolor collage "(sorry, only  in Japanese).

We see the world full agonies and tragedies, but there must be some, or even more beauties in the world, too. If we won't shut our eyes for both sides ......

March 10, 2015

Back-up (January 2015 )

By kinotoriko on March 9, 2015 11:44 PM

the New Year 2015

*click to enlarge the picture.

ANY VIOLENCE SHOULD BE DENIED

updated Jan. 12, 2015

January 6, 2015