Featured Japanese Children's Picture Book - help

The drop waist dress places the cover figure in the 1920s.

Debora

 

I think maybe @Couch Potato Wannabe is able to translate Japanese... not sure who else can.

 

True, they did. But other considerations are... The skirt length, the cloche-ish hat, the bright polka dot print and the Mary Janes all say 1920s to my eye.

Debora

 

ISN'T she JUST PERFECT!!!!!!! LOVE the PIC, Debora!!!!

 

That picture of the Sumo wrestlers made me wonder if Japan held a World's Fair.

1922 Peace Exposition
http://www.oldtokyo.com/peace-commemorative-exposition-1922/


I didn't go through the whole website. And I am not saying that your book relates to the Expo. However, there does appear to be similarities to these pictures.

 

Think the dresses made a comeback for little girls in the 50s. A cousin my age had one & I was so envious, but then I also wanted a sailor suit. I think we called them chemise dresses, although that term does not really find them on the Internet now. The dress my maternal grandmother wore to her wedding in 1924 was the drop waist with ruffles look.

 

This alone might sell it to someone. Appear to be labeled illustrations of various sumo moves, all different, a whole sumo primer.

 

Speaking of the boats page - those out further from shore are much more 20s than 50s.

 

Yes, they appear to be worn over kimonos. Isn't that interesting?

Debora

 

What's happening in the last picture? Looks like he untied & opened the box, getting a surprise that knocked him back. At the moment I can only think of firecrackers, but could it be a smell?

 

I see in the panel above that there are creatures with butterfly wings & also a box giving off something. The plot thickens!

 

Love them visiting with the octopus & watching the bats. If the silhouette on the right is the little girl with a big bow in her hair, that really puts in to 20s/30s. My mother said she hated them but that her younger brother always wanted one.

 

The majority of the text is too small for me to read... Although, I can read it is a monthly publication, in the top white writing on the first page. The large red writing is 報畫年幼 is like saying information for young children, though doesn't directly translate well.