If you had told me a few years ago that I’d be running a small children’s press from the edge of a forest west of Tokyo, I probably would have laughed… and then quietly hoped it might one day be true.

But here we are.

And I want to tell you how we got here, because this story sits behind every book we make.

It started with made-up stories

Maybe it really began with a little girl lying in the grass with her eyes closed, listening to the wind move through the trees.

I used to do that for hours as a child. I’d listen to birds in the distance, leaves shifting overhead, the rustle of summer air, and make up entire worlds in my mind. The stories seemed to appear from nowhere, as if they’d simply been waiting for me to notice them.

Somewhere along the way, that part of me grew quiet.

And then I became a mother.

Long before there was a press, or a name, or even a plan, there were simply the two of us: a mother and son making up stories together.

We told them everywhere. In the car, stuck in traffic, inventing characters to pass the time. In line for ice cream, trying to outdo each other with increasingly ridiculous plot twists. During lockdown, tucked inside a blanket tent in the living room, lanterns glowing softly through the fabric as we whispered stories that felt like they belonged to the moonlit sky.

Without realizing it, motherhood brought something back to life in me. The wonder. The imagination. The instinct to turn ordinary moments into stories.

At the time, I never imagined any of it would grow into anything. It simply felt like part of everyday family life, the magical moments that parents treasure quietly inside.

Looking back now, though, I can see that Fox on the Moon began there, in those quiet moments together.

A move that changed everything

After nearly a decade on the East Coast of the U.S., we moved to Tokyo in 2021.

Starting over somewhere new is a strange thing, especially after building a life filled with familiar routines, close friendships, and places that feel like home. Leaving all of that behind was hard, particularly as the world was only just beginning to emerge from lockdown.

But somewhere between the grief of leaving and the reality of arriving, something unexpected happened.

The stories began to bloom.

Japan is full of quiet wonders, and my son, who was six at the time, had endless questions wherever we went.

🦊“Mom, why are there so many fox statues here?”

🟥“Why are they wearing baby bibs?”

🐲“Why are people throwing coins into that dragon?”

The answers were rarely obvious. Some lived only in stories passed down in Japanese among older generations. Some were woven so naturally into daily life that nobody thought to explain them. And some, I realized, were slowly fading with time.

So I started telling him the stories I had grown up hearing and reading, adapting them for children who didn’t grow up here, and always adding a little extra magic along the way. Because honestly, I think every child deserves a little magic.

Then something lovely happened.

The children around us started listening too.

Wide-eyed. Curious. Completely captivated.

That was the moment I realized these stories could help children experience Japan not just as tourists passing through, but as children discovering a place filled with meaning, mystery, and imagination.

So I kept sharing them.

And little by little, Fox on the Moon began to take shape.

West Tokyo Magic

The town we settled in, west of Tokyo, felt like a gift.

Forests and farms stretch between quiet neighborhoods. Old shrines sit tucked among the trees. A river winds softly through it all. Dawn and dusk spill breathtaking colors across the landscape in every season.

It’s also where Hayao Miyazaki founded Studio Ghibli, and it’s easy to understand why so many of those films feel rooted in places like this.

Life here slowed us down in the best possible way.

We watched dogs and their owners wander familiar paths through changing seasons. We noticed herons standing silently in the river, raccoon dogs slipping through the twilight, petals drifting through the air like snow. Even an ordinary bike ride to school or a misty morning walk with our dog could feel strangely storybook-like, as though everyday life and folklore were quietly overlapping.

And hidden within those landscapes were traces of old folktales everywhere, small stories carried by shrines, statues, festivals, rivers, and forests that most people pass without noticing.

The more we explored, the more we realized how differently children experience a place when they’re invited into its stories.

A simple walk becomes an adventure. A fox statue becomes a mysterious messenger. A quiet shrine tucked between buildings suddenly feels like the entrance to another world.

That idea became the heart of Fox on the Moon.

We create stories and activities that help families experience Japan as if they’ve stepped inside a storybook. Not just visiting places, but discovering them. Looking for hidden details. Following legends through real streets and forests. Turning ordinary family outings into moments of wonder and connection.

Some days that looks like retelling old folktales in a way children can easily connect with. Other days it means creating scavenger hunts inspired by local legends, or helping families notice the tiny magical details they might otherwise walk past.

Because childhood wonder changes the way we experience the world.

And in a fast-moving modern life, we wanted to create something that helps families slow down together, stay curious, and make memories that feel a little magical long after the trip is over.

That was the moment Fox on the Moon stopped feeling like a daydream and became something we genuinely wanted to build.

What We're Creating

We want families to experience Japan as though they’ve stepped into a storybook.

Not just the famous sights, but the quieter magic hidden in everyday places: forest paths, lantern festivals, tiny shrines tucked between buildings, fox statues watching over rice fields at dusk.

The kinds of places children often pass without realizing there’s a story waiting there.

Through books, scavenger hunts, and place-based adventures, we hope to help families slow down, look closer, and discover the wonder woven into the world around them.

Because sometimes all it takes is a story to turn an ordinary walk into a memory a child carries forever.

What’s Coming

Our first book arrives this fall, just in time for the mid-autumn season.

Alongside it, we’re creating scavenger hunts and story-led activities designed to help families explore Japan with fresh eyes — following legends through real places and discovering hidden magic along the way.

If you’d like to be the first to receive our Japan Storybook Scavenger Hunt when it launches, join our newsletter below.

We send occasional letters about the stories, places, and small moments of wonder inspiring us here in Japan. Quiet, thoughtful updates for families who love curiosity, imagination, and meaningful travel.

Thank you so much for being here. It truly means the world to us.

The Fox on the Moon family

Fox on the Moon Press is a small, family-run children’s press in the woods west of Tokyo. We create stories and activities inspired by the magic hidden in everyday Japanese life, for children and families who believe the world feels better with a little wonder in it.