Popular Japanese ehon characters arrive in Hanoi
Hanoi (VNS/VNA) - Young
Vietnamese fans of Japanese ehon picture
books are getting their hands on the latest releases at the Japan
Foundation Centre for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam and Mogu Ehon.
The
World of Ehon – Meet the Famous Twin Voles Guri and Gura exhibition
is being co-held by the centre and the Mogu Ehon project.
The series is about a twin
voles called Guri and Gura created by sisters Rieko Nakagawa and Yuriko
Omura (Yamawaki).
They were first published in
1963 as a short ehon series titled An
Egg on Mother’s
companion, a magazine for parents.
Guri
and Gura quickly became popular after appearing in the ehon
magazine Children's Companion.
The series, which consists of 19 volumes including the most popular seven, has been translated
into 14 languages with over 20 million prints throughout the world.
At the exhibition, children can
view nine printed paintings taken from the first series and drawings
of Guri and Gura.
“The originals are normal
books,” said Tran Phuong Thao from the project. She added that the books were brought from
Japan for visitors to enjoy at the exhibition.
“Ehon is quite different from
manga which is popular for Doraemon or Detective Conan in Vietnam. Ehon has more drawings more than
manga. It inspires preschool children to imagine and think,” Thao said.
The two Vietnamese versions are
among the most popular seven episodes which the Mogu Ehon project holds
the copyright to.
Before leaving the exhibition,
the visitors can pick up the recipe for the Castella cake made by the two
voles.
The exhibition will
run until September 30 at 27 Quang Trung Street. Opening times from 9am to
6pm with free entrance./.