This is the first exhibition to introduce the entire creative process of Ken Wakayama, the creator of "Koguma-chan ehon" (Little Bear Book).

The "Koguma-chan ehon" series, which depicts the daily life of a young child with clear lines and vivid colors, is Wakayama's best-known work. It has become a long-selling picture book with a total of more than 10 million copies sold. This exhibition introduces the charm of the "Kogumachan Ehon" series, which was created with the idea of "giving Japanese children their first encounter with a picture book by a Japanese author," and the process of its creation, which has not faded away.

The exhibition also introduces "Kitsuneyama no Yomeiri" with its appealing light colors and detailed expressions, the "Obake no Doron Doron" series with its unique humor and poetic world, picture books based on Japanese folk tales, and illustrations for poetry collections, exploring Wakayama's varied creative activities. The exhibition will feature approximately 230 items, including original drawings of picture books, lithographs printed in the process of picture book production, original magazine covers, and related materials. We hope that the exhibition will provide an opportunity for new discoveries as well as nostalgia.

Ken Wakayama (Ken Wakayama, 1930-2015)
Born in Gifu City, Gifu Prefecture. After working in graphic design, moved to Tokyo at the age of 24. After working on illustrations for textbooks and picture story shows, he began creating picture books. In addition to the "Koguma-chan Ehon" series, his best-known works, he has created a unique world of picture books with his poetic style of drawing. He was involved in the launch of the magazine "Monthly Picture Book" and advocated "pure picture books," which are picture books that can be read with pictures.