This is the story of Chico (actually Chiyonosuke), a half-Japanese teenager from New Jersey, who visits Tokyo to see his aunt Hana. Fond of capturing his experiences on camera, he is accompanied by his cat Neko. The story starts off with Chico's arrival at Narita Airport and his journey to Asakusa where he gets separated from his beloved cat. His subsequent search for Neko leads Chico from attraction to attraction, from landmark to landmark: Akihabara, the Ryōgoku Kokugikan, Harajuku Station, and Tokyo Skytree. He is reunited with Neko at his aunt's home, and the family spend a relaxing evening soaking in what seems to be a public bath.
The whole book - presented in comic style - consists of only fourteen pages with six magnificent pop-up scenes. While the drawing style is a little crude for my taste, the intricate pop-ups are of an amazing quality. They need to be handled with great care though; unfortunately, I ripped off the Takeshiba street sign on my first reading.
The book is aimed at kindergarteners and elementary school students and makes a perfect souvenir for children.
Sam Ita's website: Sam Ita
Pop-up samples:
The whole book - presented in comic style - consists of only fourteen pages with six magnificent pop-up scenes. While the drawing style is a little crude for my taste, the intricate pop-ups are of an amazing quality. They need to be handled with great care though; unfortunately, I ripped off the Takeshiba street sign on my first reading.
The book is aimed at kindergarteners and elementary school students and makes a perfect souvenir for children.
Sam Ita's website: Sam Ita
Pop-up samples: