私は小さい時から、起伏に富んだ筋のある物語が大好きでした。

Watashi wa chiisai toki kara, kifuku ni tonda suji no aru monogatari ga daisuki deshita.

Ever since I was little, I have loved stories with strong plots full of ups and downs.

Eiko Kadono · 角野栄子

children's author and 2018 Hans Christian Andersen Award recipient

The National Diet Library's official May 2025 bulletin publishes a digest of Kadono's prerecorded lecture for its 2024 exhibition event. In the lecture she explains that she loved strongly plotted stories from childhood.

Why today: Japan's annual Reading Week begins October 27. A celebrated children's author's account of becoming a reader gives the opening day a personal literary voice.

Language note: 起伏に富んだ (きふくにとんだ / kifuku ni tonda) means full of ups and downs; 筋 (すじ / suji) here means plot; 物語 (ものがたり / monogatari) is story.

A lifelong writing voice can begin with the kind of story a child cannot stop reading.

Practice:

今夜は、好きな物語を一つ読もう。

Kon'ya wa, sukina monogatari o hitotsu yomō.

Tonight, let's read one story we love.

Sources:

National Diet Library Monthly Bulletin, May 2025 — Eiko Kadono lecture digest: https://dl.ndl.go.jp/view/download/digidepo_14206154_po_geppo2505.pdf?contentNo=1

Japan Reading Promotion Council — Reading Week: https://www.dokusyo.or.jp/

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