Abstract

From the 1960s to the present day, picture book author Seizo Tajima has been active on the front lines for over 60 years. His work extends beyond picture books, encompassing everything from large-scale paintings to three-dimensional works using nuts and driftwood, and even written expressions born from his keen sense of language. He has constantly pioneered new worlds of expression, traversing genres. This book is a visual book that introduces Seizo Tajima's creative activities from multiple angles. Focusing on drawings that have been presented at recent solo exhibitions and have gained popularity, it includes newly taken photographs by Nobuo Onishi who closely followed him at his creative process, a long conversation with picture book author Yukiko Hiromatsu about his own picture books, a contributed article by his close friend Koji Suzuki, and a new picture book on the theme of "love" that unfolds using only words beginning with "A". The book delves into the charm of his works, his attitude towards creation, and his captivating personality that continues to attract those around him, getting a complete picture of Seizo Tajima as an artist. Seizo Tajima, who will turn 86 in 2026, continues to burn with a prolific creative spirit. This book is a must-have for fans, conveying his current work, and at the same time, it is an excellent introduction for readers who are just discovering Tajima's work. It is a book that I would recommend not only to picture book fans, but also to anyone interested in art and verbal expression.

Author’s Information

Seizo Tajima was born in Osaka Prefecture in 1940. He spent his childhood and youth in Kochi Prefecture. He graduated from Tama Art University. He has received numerous awards, including the Golden Apple Award at the Bratislava World Picture Book Illustration Exhibition for "Chikara Taro" (Poplar Publishing), the Kodansha Publishing Culture Award for Picture Books for "Fukimanbuku," the Shogakukan Painting Award and Picture Book Nippon Award for "Tobe Batta," and the Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award for Fine Arts for "Tsukamaeta" (all published by Kaiseisha). In 2009, he opened "Hachi & Seizo Tajima Picture Book and Nut Museum," which transformed an abandoned school in Tokamachi City, Niigata Prefecture into a spatial picture book. Other works include "Boku, Otamajakushi?", "Ta", and "Taberu zo Taberu zo" (all published by Kosei Publishing). / Nobuo Onishi was born in Tokyo in 1968 and raised in Gifu Prefecture. He studied under photographer and film director Seiichi Motohashi. His works often deal with social themes such as craftsmen, psychiatric wards, people with disabilities, and villages submerged by dams. He received the Japan Photographic Society Cultural Promotion Award in 2025. His numerous books include "Japanese Candles Connect," "The Pulling Stone and 24 Blocks of Tofu" (winner of the Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award Grand Prize, both published by Alice-kan), and "Grandma Became a Tree" (winner of the Japan Picture Book Award, published by Poplar Publishing). In addition, he won the Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award Grand Prize and the Shogakukan Children's Publishing Culture Award for "Pork" (Gentosha). His film directorial works include "The Village That Became Water" and "The Flames Connect."