Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, whose best-selling autobiography Totto-chan: The Girl in the Window, was first published in 1981, has published the long-awaited sequel to her debut memoir. The original edition, which explores postwar Japanese culture, chronicled the author’s childhood in Tokyo and her eclectic school life in the lead-up to World War II. The book quickly rose to the top of the publishing charts in Japan, breaking publishing records and becoming the best-selling book in Japanese history by the end of 1982. To date, we have sold over 8 million units in Japan and maintain our superiority.
It became an international sensation, selling an astonishing 26 million copies worldwide in dozens of languages. After more than 40 years, Kodansha USA releases the first English translation of Kuroyanagi’s recently published and long-awaited sequel, Totto-chan: The Sequel (translated by Yuki Teshima).
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi said this.
I am pleased to announce that my memoir, Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel, will soon be published in English. It took over 40 years to create with all my heart and soul. I hope you all enjoy it too.
Provided by: Kodansha USA Kuroyanagi’s original memoir ends with a heartbreaking scene in which her school, Tomoe Academy, is destroyed in an air raid during World War II. The Girl in the Window: Totto-chan Sequel begins with a family’s desperate efforts to escape Tokyo and the worst horrors of war. Kuroyanagi details how Totto endured hunger and suffering to become a pioneering actress, an advocate for deaf people around the world, and one of the most successful entertainers in Japanese history.
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, now in her 90s, says:
I wanted to write about the war while I still remember it.
The literary classic Totto-chan: The Girl by the Window reached a new generation in 2023 with the release of the animated film adaptation of the story, produced and animated by Shin-ei Animation. The film, distributed by Toho and directed by Shinnosuke Yakuwa, Yuta Kambe, and Kunio Kato, stars Liliana Ono as Totto-chan.
Courtesy: Toho To celebrate the book’s release, Kodansha America will be sponsoring a series of commemorative events with translator Yuki Teshima throughout New York City, including a book talk at the New York Public Library, an autograph session at Kinokuniya, and a screening of the acclaimed film at the Japan Society.
said Alvin Lu, President and CEO of Kodansha USA Publishing.
Told with the same soothing charm as the original memoir, this anime connected Totto-chan’s story to a new audience. Now published in English, Totto-chan, the Girl in the Window: A Sequel, picks up where the story left off, giving readers a complete look at the life of one of the most influential and inspiring women in Japanese history.
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi remains one of the most popular and famous media personalities in Japan. Her long-running TV show, Tetsuko’s Room, began airing nearly 50 years ago in 1976. She has also been a philanthropist for decades, and in 1984 was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador, visiting 40 countries in that capacity.
In addition, she serves on the board of World Wildlife Fund Japan, which provides professional training to deaf actors through the Tot Foundation, which is funded by book royalties. She is the author of more than 20 books, including co-authors.
Courtesy of Guinness World Records.
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