Ardent fans of the best-selling Japanese work Totto-Chan: The Little Girl at the Window have something to cheer about.
Luca, an online science portal initiated by the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad, is offering them a chance to reach out to its author Tetsuko Kuroyanagi on the occasion of her 90th birthday on August 9 (Wednesday). They can upload the experience of reading her autobiographical memoir and wish her birthday through the link https://forms.gle/xAtmQyQFACVWArtN8.
Some of the other programmes organised to honour the legendary figure include ‘Totto Quiz’ for children and a Google meet interaction with writer Anwar Ali who translated Ms. Kuroyanagi’s literary classic into Malayalam.
“We plan to compile the birthday wishes and sent it to the Totto Foundation founded by Ms. Kuroyanagi as a mark of tribute to her,” said Riswan C, chief editor of Luca. “About 5,000 students had participated in an online quiz held as part of her 90th birthday,” he said.
In a letter sent to her informing about the celebrations on her 90th birthday, the people behind Luca stated that the Malayalam translation of her book was an instant success. It went on to motivate a few generations of students, it said.
Born on August 9, 1933, Ms. Kuroyanagi is a noted Japanese actress and television personality. She was also a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. Published in 1981, her memoir speaks about her life and learnings at the Tomoe Gakuen elementary school that existed in Japan during the Second World War. Sosaku Kobayashi, its founder and headmaster, had imparted unconventional education methods rooted in freedom of expression and creativity. The school was burned down following American bombing in 1945.
