Ehon: Japanese Picture Books and Why Parents Read Them Aloud

Explore Japan's picture book tradition, from the classic mice Guri and Gura to read-aloud habits, and find easy ways to bring ehon into a home anywhere.

Published October 19, 2026 at 10:50 AM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: Ehon (picture books) are illustrated books for young children, and reading them aloud, called yomikikase, is a widely valued family routine in Japan. Classics include Guri and Gura (1963), which has sold millions of copies. Libraries, nurseries and some local programs encourage parents to share books with babies and toddlers, and many ehon are available in English translation.

What ehon means

Ehon is made of two words: e, meaning picture, and hon, meaning book. The term covers picture books for the youngest children, from sturdy board books for babies to story books for early school ages. In an ehon the pictures carry as much of the story as the words, so a child who cannot yet read can follow along and talk about what is on the page.

Japan has a long history of illustrated storytelling. The Wikipedia article on picture books points to the eighteenth-century kibyoshi, illustrated popular books that are seen as a forerunner of manga, as one early strand of the tradition. Modern ehon grew alongside Japanese children's magazines and publishers in the twentieth century, and today a bookshop's children's section is usually full of them.

Yomikikase: reading aloud

The Japanese word for reading to a child is yomikikase, which means roughly "reading so that someone can hear." Parents, grandparents, nursery teachers and librarians all do it, and a bedtime ehon is a common part of a child's day. The act is as much about being together as about the story itself: a child sits on a lap or leans on a shoulder while the adult turns the pages.

Researchers who study early literacy have long found value in reading aloud. The Wikipedia article on picture books notes that picture books support language development and creativity, and it mentions a University of California study in which children remembered a story's sequence better when an adult read it aloud than when they read it on a tablet. A short session of five or ten minutes is a good start, and it can happen at any time of day: after a bath, before a nap, or while waiting for a meal.

Classic titles to know

Guri and Gura is probably the best-known ehon series. Rieko Nakagawa wrote the stories and Yuriko Yamawaki illustrated them; the first book appeared in 1963 in the children's magazine Kodomo no Tomo. The series follows twin field mice through a string of small adventures. By 2014 the first volume had sold more than four million copies, and the series has been translated into many languages, with a British edition appearing in 1967.

Other Japanese creators have reached readers abroad. The Wikipedia article on picture books mentions Mitsumasa Anno, whose picture books began appearing in 1968, and Taro Gomi, whose Everyone Poops first appeared in Japan in 1977. Many ehon have English editions, so overseas families can try them at home. A library or international bookshop can help locate the translated versions, and reading the same story in two languages can be a fun project for bilingual families.

Why the stories feel different

Many ehon have a gentle pace. A story may center on a small event, such as baking a cake or going to the shop, and the humor comes from repetition, sound words and close observation. Onomatopoeia, the sound-symbolic words that Japanese uses in abundance, appears often in ehon for toddlers: words for splashing, bouncing or crunching that are fun to say aloud. Children enjoy joining in with the sounds.

The books also tend to focus on everyday life. Wikipedia's description of Guri and Gura notes that the stories entertain rather than teach morals, with loosely structured plots and simple illustrations. That leaves room for the child to explore the page and ask questions, and it means the books stay enjoyable for adults who read them many times over. Parents can pause to point, name things and let the child turn the page, which makes the reading a conversation.

Choosing books for each age

Picture books come in several forms for different ages. The Wikipedia article on picture books describes board books for very young children who handle books roughly, wordless picture books that encourage children to tell the story themselves, and easy readers for children beginning to read. The same variety exists among ehon, so a family can choose by how the child uses books.

For babies, sturdy board books with bold shapes and sound words work well, because the baby can hold and chew them. For toddlers, books with repeated phrases and a simple plot invite them to join in. Preschoolers enjoy longer stories and detailed pictures to search through. Letting a child choose the book, even if it is the same one every night, builds a sense of ownership and a love of the routine.

Libraries, bookstores and reading programs

Libraries in Japan commonly offer story times and children's corners for families with young children, and some local governments run programs that give babies a first picture book, sometimes linked to a health checkup. Ask the ward office or the library what is available. In Japan the national International Library of Children's Literature in Tokyo offers exhibitions, lectures and a library of children's books, and its website has an English page.

Another traditional form is kamishibai, a Japanese storytelling form in which a narrator changes illustrated boards in a small frame. According to Wikipedia it grew popular in the 1930s and after World War II and is seen as an origin of manga. The format shows how closely Japanese children's culture ties pictures to the spoken word.

Reading ehon at home, wherever you live

Families overseas can start with a few Japanese picture books in English translation or in the original language, whichever suits the household. Choose books with large pictures and short text, sit close, and read with expression. If the text is in Japanese and the reader is learning, point to the pictures and say a word or two at a time. A child learns from the voice and the closeness as much as the words.

Rereading is welcome. Toddlers often want the same book again and again, and repetition helps them anticipate what comes next. Keep books where a child can reach them, rotate a few titles each week, and visit a library for fresh ones. This guide shares general cultural information and published sources, not professional advice; for questions about a child's language or hearing, talk with a pediatrician or local clinic.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does ehon mean?

Ehon means picture book. It combines the Japanese word for picture, e, with the word for book, hon. Ehon range from board books for babies to illustrated story books for young children, and in them the pictures usually tell as much of the story as the words.

What is yomikikase?

Yomikikase is reading aloud to children, a common practice at home, in nurseries and in libraries in Japan. The adult reads a picture book while the child listens and looks at the pictures. It is valued as a warm daily routine as well as a way to build language.

Which Japanese picture books are available in English?

Guri and Gura, by Rieko Nakagawa and Yuriko Yamawaki, has been translated into many languages, including English. Mitsumasa Anno's picture books and Taro Gomi's Everyone Poops are other Japanese creators' works that readers abroad know. A library or bookshop can help you find translated editions.

Want to go deeper? Tokyo Paul's book Japanese Parenting Secrets That Create Calm, Independent Children is available on Amazon.

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More guides from Tokyo Paul: Kamishibai: Paper Theater Storytelling for Children, Learning Japanese History Through Manga: Where to Start and Hokusai Manga: The Sketchbooks That Gave Manga Its Name.