Digital Ehon Award Interview Series, Vol. 4

“Technology Is a New Kind of Paint”

The popular “Baby’s Play Picture Book” series is a bestseller with cumulative sales of 11 million copies. We spoke with Yuichi Kimura, who has published over 500 picture books.

　“I was surprised by how polished every single entry was,” he said, sharing his impressions of the Digital Ehon Award. Although Mr. Kimura holds picture book workshops for aspiring picture book authors, he admitted that, when it came to digital ehon books, he hadn’t quite understood how to approach the planning process until now.However, upon seeing the entries for the award, he found many well-thought-out concepts unique to the digital medium. He learned a lot—realizing, “So that’s how it’s done”—and this sparked a new ambition: “Next time, I want to be on the winning side, not the judging side.”

　Traditional picture books have always been based on the act of turning pages. Digital Ehon, however, has established itself as a new medium, featuring elements such as changing movements and sounds. Although they share the name “reading pictures,” they are fundamentally different as media. If you don’t understand that, there’s no point in creating them.

　She said she was also deeply moved when she first encountered picture books. She had thought books were simply for reading text, so she was surprised to discover that there was a way to communicate with young children through illustrations. Then came her encounter with Digital Ehon. She believes the most innovative aspect of this medium is “interactivity.” “Until now, the relationship was between sender and receiver, but now the receiver can actually change the story.”

　In addition to being a picture book author, Ms. Kimura is also an art teacher with a 23-year career. Art is about using everyday materials to bring one’s own new ideas to life. The fact that it’s interactive means that the world of art classes can also be expanded into the digital realm.There’s a major difference between store-bought toys and handmade toys: with the former, you play exactly as the manufacturer programmed; with the latter, you create your own way to play. “With store-bought toys, you have to play exactly as the instructions say—one wrong move, and you end up being played with. With handmade toys, a single stick can become a sword or a rocket.You’re free to let your imagination run wild.” Even if you’re taught how to make something, you have to set your own goals. The same goes for digital media. He explains that the future of content hinges on how many experiences emerge that allow users to play freely, rather than simply being played with. Not toys with concrete forms, but those with abstract forms. While many Digital Ehon books do offer some interactivity, most haven’t yet reached the point where users can freely create their own content.“We haven’t quite reached the point of providing LEGO yet.”

Also, when I hold art classes, there are children who can’t finish their projects within the allotted time. Even when I tell them, “Finish the rest at home!” I sometimes get the reply, “I’m here because I live in an apartment and can’t make a mess at home.”Children come from a variety of backgrounds. “Some children have plenty of materials to work with, while others can’t spread out materials at home to create. But on this screen, every child can use it equally.” No preparation is needed; no physical space is required. Children can participate in creative activities even if the conditions aren’t ideal.

　There’s another aspect that Ms. Kimura hopes Digital Ehon will offer: “teaching in a fun way.”For children, play and learning were originally one and the same. “When siblings play wrestling, it looks like play, but lions are actually learning how to hunt by roughhousing like that.” Yet, before we knew it, “learning” became something children do reluctantly. Learning and play have become separate. Can we use the power of digital technology to bring them back together again?
Creating things on one’s own, lowering the barrier to creativity, and learning while playing—he says he sees new possibilities in these areas.

　However, when it comes to digital technology, some adults worry about its negative impact on children. “When I was little, there was no television. When TV first appeared, its problems were pointed out. The other day, while giving a lecture on this very topic, I realized that the adults in the audience were the very people who had already grown up with television.No matter what we perceive as a problem, we can’t fight the tide of the times. And before we know it, everyone has grown up to be responsible adults in their own right.” We used to be told, “Stop reading nothing but manga—read real books!” but now even adults read manga on the train. Furthermore, manga and anime are hailed as Japan’s cultural treasures on the world stage, and universities have even established departments dedicated to manga.“The generation that grew up reading manga despite opposition to it has created a new era, and the children who grew up consuming digital media will become adults and create the next era. It’s a cycle.”

Just because a new medium emerges doesn’t mean the previous ones disappear.“When the camera was invented, some people said painting would become obsolete; when television was invented, others said radio would disappear—but none of them have disappeared, have they? So, naturally, print culture won’t disappear either. Rather than opposing it, I think we should tackle it head-on.” The question is how to provide it; it’s impossible not to provide it at all.

　However, there are challenges—particularly on the business side. Mr. Kimura says he has received countless proposals for digital projects—for the internet, cell phones, the Nintendo DS, and more—but none of them seem likely to become viable businesses.
“The reality is that the market is tough in Japan, partly because hardware adoption rates have been slow.“But if we target the global market from the start, wouldn’t there be potential?” he points out.
Paper picture books originated in Europe. The history of Japanese picture books is short. “When I was a child, there were no Japanese picture books. I’m often asked in interviews, ‘What was your favorite picture book as a child?’ and it really stumps me.” However, he says that Japanese picture books have now reached world-class standards.Conversely, when asked to translate foreign picture books, there are some that make him want to make corrections without even thinking about it. On the other hand, Japanese picture books sell well overseas. About 100 of Kimura’s picture books have been published abroad. The movie “On a Stormy Night,” based on one of Kimura’s picture books and released recently, was also produced and screened in Singapore.Japan is highly regarded worldwide for its visual media, such as manga and anime. “I think Digital Ehon might also have a chance to expand overseas,” she says.

Until now, Digital Ehon had been in a state where “people try various things, but they just can’t seem to make it work.”When he encountered the Digital Ehon Award, he says he got the impression that “this might be the project that puts us on track for the next era.” From an author’s perspective, he felt a sense of hope. Until now, the system has been that publishers produce physical books, which distribution companies then deliver to bookstores. With the advent of the internet, that entire system has been disrupted, and everyone now has the potential to take control of it.Authors can change a world dominated by factors beyond their control, such as capital. At the same time, however, authors themselves must also adapt. He points out that authors of the future will need to master both the technological and creative aspects of their craft. It’s the intersection of the sciences and the humanities. Technology is a new kind of paint. Just as you can’t paint the picture in your head if you don’t know how to use the paint,Conversely, even someone who excels at technology is useless without creative ideas. Both of these elements are essential.

Mr. Kimura says his picture books aim not just to “communicate with children,” but to “communicate with everyone.” I look forward to seeing what kind of expressions Mr. Kimura will create with this new paint.