Our Story

Children playing on a green hillside in west Tokyo

OUR STORY

Stories woven in the woods west of Tokyo

We are a family-run children’s press based in west Tokyo, among wooded landscapes alive with the colours and scents of each season. It is a hidden corner of Japan that has long inspired the worlds of Studio Ghibli, and we still feel lucky to call it home.

A view across the water from New York’s seaport

SEE YOU LATER, MASSACHUSETTS. HELLO, WEST TOKYO.

We carried our stories across the ocean

Our story began with a mother and son who always found stories in ordinary places. In the car. While waiting for ice cream. Inside a lantern-lit tent at home.

After nearly a decade on the East Coast of the U.S., we moved to Tokyo in 2021. New stories began to bloom around us. Our walks passed through woods, rice fields, small farms and shrines. The landscape brought back the folktales I had grown up with, filled with kindness, connection and lives lived close to nature.

THE STORIES BEHIND WHAT WE SEE

So much wonder is lost in translation

Growing up in Japan, I heard stories behind many of the big and small details we see every day. They made an ordinary shrine, an animal in a field or a familiar decoration feel far more alive. Yet many of these stories never cross into another language. Sometimes there is simply no translation at all.

I began telling them to my son because I wanted him to see what I saw. Before long, other children gathered around. They listened, asked questions and became excited to discover what was hiding behind the things they had passed many times before.

Fox statues, a dragon water basin and a printed Japanese folktale manuscript

ROOTED IN JAPAN. FELT EVERYWHERE.

Stories that bring the natural world a little closer

In our stories, every paw, wing and tail may lead to a friendship, a surprise or a little magic.

Many Japanese legends and folktales are shaped by the relationship between people, animals and nature. That connection can still be felt in Japanese life today. Each tale begins in Japan, but its magic is meant to travel. We hope young readers close the book feeling a little closer to the animals and nature around them. Perhaps they might even dream up magical stories of their own!

A peaceful forest and lake landscape in Japan

OUR FIRST BOOK

Magical Tails is coming soon

Eleven gentle stories inspired by Japanese legends. Meet foxes, cranes, dragons and other animals whose friendships with children carry kindness and wonder into the real world.

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LOOK INSIDE THE BOOK →

VISITING JAPAN AS A FAMILY?

Tell us what you are wondering about

Travelling through Japan as a family can be full of wonder. It can also bring plenty of questions, especially when you are hoping to find experiences that feel enjoyable and meaningful for everyone.

We moved here as a family and have found our way through many adventures, surprises and occasional wrong turns of our own. We would be delighted to share what we have learned. Whether your question is practical or simply something you are curious about, send us a note.

Think of us as your family friend in Japan =)

We are currently listening to families as we explore future planning sessions, story walks and helpful resources for children visiting Japan.

FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS

We hope each book carries a small spark of wonder

Like a lantern lighting the places where magic hides, we hope our stories inspire children to notice and imagine, connect families across cultures and carry a little spark of our magical world wherever they call home.