T is for Tokyo by Irene Akio (ThingsAsian Press)

Irene Akio who was born in Japan but grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States with her mother and brother. In her youth, she spent time in Japan with her father and her Japanese side of the family. 

T is for Tokyo is an excellent introduction to the city for kids who have an interest in all things Japanese. In the book, Mina asks her father to tell her again about the city she was born in. He tells her it’s “a city halfway around the world where they speak a different language and eat different kinds of food”. Mina was born in a city called Tokyo.

He tells her about the archers called shashu, about shrines with pagodas. He tells her one of the most famous shrines is Meiji Jingu which is located in the center of the city. He says to her, you can go to temples “where you think you traveled back in time”. 

He tells her about the ravens that sometimes snatch food right from your hands and about the fashion center for young girls and boys called Harajuku where “they wear crazy and colorful costumes and you feel like you are in the future”. 

Mina’s father also tells her about the different kinds of foods people eat. In the winter, you can warm your insides by buying roasted chestnuts. You can look for ramen noodle shops by searching for a red lamp called aka chouchin. Or if you’re not in the mood for ramen, you could try takoyaki which are little balls filled with octopus. Or you can buy onigiri, rice balls wrapped in seaweed, at almost any convenience store. 

Mina’s Father also talks about the most ordinary things you can find in Tokyo - large green public telephones, bright red mailboxes, small police buildings called koban. He also talks about ordinary things you can only find in Tokyo, the maneki neko or beckoning cat, daruma which are wish dolls, and tengu which are demons with long noses. Everything Mina’s Father talks about is colorfully illustrated and will be easy for children and adults to understand. 

Many of the things Mina’s father tells her can be found throughout Japan. Shrines and temples of course, the police box, the ravens, and the different types of food.  Although I wasn’t born in Japan, I grew up in Tokyo during my elementary years. I also have a Japanese mother so I can attest to the accuracy of Mina’s father’s description of the things you can see and do in Tokyo. As an adult, I also spent twenty-one years living in one of the busiest areas of Tokyo - Shibuya before moving north to Aomori City in 2016. 

I was surprised that Mina’s father mentions a park near her grandmother’s house which is famous for its cherry trees but neglects to mention that it also houses one of Japan’s most popular zoos where you can see the giant panda. 

There are many things that Mina’s father talks about which are becoming harder to find. The large green public telephones are almost obsolete as everybody carries their own smartphones. The illustration of the cylindrical red mailbox is also becoming just a memory of the past as the mailboxes are little red square boxes now. You can still find the old-style mailboxes in the countryside though. You can buy hot roasted chestnuts all year round and not as many ramen shops display the red lanterns anymore. 

The book is written in English and Japanese. Also, for those who still haven’t learned to read the language, following the Japanese text, the romaji version is provided. Romaji being the Romanization of the Japanese language. It is a good tool for learning how to read once you’ve learned the basics of the Japanese alphabet and are familiar with a number of kanji characters. 

Still, the book is a wonderful introduction to a city I once called home. If you’ve never been to Tokyo, this book will make you want to go and see all those things for yourself. Tokyo may be a bit overwhelming at times but I believe there is something for everyone, children and adults alike. It is still one of my favorite cities in the entire world and if you visit, it might become one of yours as well. ~Ernie Hoyt