There are many ways to explore Japanese culture — through food, language, anime, travel, and everyday traditions. Stories offer something different. They let us see not only what is in Japan, but also what is imagined there.
Japanese folktales have fascinated me since I was little. Like many traditional Japanese legends, they are full of strange characters, supernatural events, and ideas that still appear in Japanese culture today.
I grew up watching these folktales on old video tapes and reading them in books, and years later, when I started learning Japanese, I returned to many of those same stories in Japanese.
They became one of the ways I came to know Japan, through its folklore, traditions, values, and imagination.
That interest is what eventually led me to create Japanese Folktales: Stories to Read and Color*.
This book includes 22 traditional Japanese stories, retold in simple language for young English-speaking readers, with a full-page coloring illustration for every story.
(Actual book photo, digitally colored with AI for this sample)
I wanted to share these stories with children who are discovering Japan today. I also thought the book could help multicultural families bring this part of Japanese culture to their English-speaking children.
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A Japanese coloring book built around classic tales
This is more than a Japanese coloring book about places, objects, or symbols. It brings together traditional Japanese stories that are widely known in Japan and that many Japanese children grow up with.
In this book, you’ll meet Momotarō, the Peach Boy, as he sets off for Ogre Island. You will travel beneath the sea with Urashima Tarō and discover Princess Kaguya-hime inside a bamboo stalk. You will meet many more characters that have been part of Japanese culture for generations.
As you read, you will come across different parts of Japanese culture too — traditional tools, foods, beliefs, customs, mythical creatures, and values. These details are simply part of the stories, and I kept the retellings clear for children who are new to Japanese culture.
You may have met some of these stories already
Did you know? Japanese legends and folktales still show up in modern Japanese entertainment, sometimes in ways you might not notice until you know the original story.
Momotarō, for example, is referenced in Pokémon through Pecharunt and the Loyal Three: a peach, a dog, a monkey, a pheasant, and an oni (ogre) all appear in a new form.
Princess Kaguya-hime, who comes from the moon, inspired Kaguya Ōtsutsuki in Naruto.
These are only a couple of examples. Japanese folktales are referenced in many more places, and once you know the original stories, it becomes much easier and more fun to spot them yourself!
Traditional stories, thoughtfully prepared for young readers
When I started working on the book, I compared different versions of each story in both Japanese and English, so I could stay close to the versions that are most familiar and recognizable.
I also kept young readers in mind, especially in places where traditional versions can be a little intense. I handled those moments carefully while staying true to the original stories.
Made for reading and coloring
Each story in the book is followed by a full-page coloring illustration created especially for that tale.
Children can color Momotarō and his companions, scenes from the Dragon Palace under the sea, magical creatures, traditional Japanese settings, and many other moments from the stories they have just read.
Some children may want to read the book from beginning to end. Others may choose a story because they like the picture, the character, or the title.
It also works well for reading together. A parent can read the story aloud, and the coloring page can become a quiet activity afterward.
Who is this book for?
I especially had in mind children who are curious about Japan, families looking for Japanese stories for kids, and multicultural families who want to keep a connection to Japanese heritage.
But a child does not need any previous knowledge of Japan to enjoy it.
If they like magical stories, unusual creatures, unexpected heroes, princesses, animals, and coloring, there is plenty here for them too.
A first step into Japanese folklore
I hope this book gives children a warm first introduction to some of Japan’s best-loved traditional stories.
They can read them, color them, meet the characters, and then perhaps recognize them again somewhere else later.
Japanese Folktales: Stories to Read and Color is available now on Amazon.
