Hasegawa's Whimsical World
An Evolving Virtual Exhibition of Japanese Crepe-paper Fairy Tales in the St. Olaf College Special Collections
Crepe-paper books or chirimen-bon are nineteenth and twentieth-century creations by Japanese publisher Hasegawa Takejirō. Explore these works with us!
“Books for children, above all others, are short-lived and disappear more successfully than other kinds of literature. When they have served their turn, and the little hands have turned and thumbed them well-nigh to pieces, few people think of saving the tattered scraps for antiquarian scrutiny.”
-Charles Welsh (1886), p. 21
Annotated Books
The Matsuyama Mirror
Story about a mother’s love passed down through a unique, enchanted gift by Mrs. T. H. (Kate) James. Annotated by Anika James ’25.
Kachi-Kachi Mountain
Story about a farmer and a trouble-making tanuki (badger) by David Thompson. Annotated by Laura Smith ’25.
The Fisherboy Urashima
Story of Urashima Tarō and his journey to the Dragon Palace by Basil Hall Chamberlain. Annotated by Christina M. Spiker.
“I myself take fairy tales very seriously, though not, I hope, ponderously. It is true that they are ‘of the stuff that dreams are made on,’ and what would life be worth withouts its dreams?”
-Grace James [Daughter of Kate James] (1932), p. 29
“Dear Chamberlain,--What do you think about the idea of getting up a new “Japanese Fairy Tale Series”? I have quite a number of tales splendidly adapted to weird illustrations. Is there money in such a thing?”
-Lafcadio Hearn (1910), p. 311
The Project
This project is funded by the St. Olaf Collaborative Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (CURI) program. CURI provides opportunities for St. Olaf students from all academic disciplines to gain an in-depth understanding of a particular subject through working closely with a St. Olaf faculty member in a research framework.
We are grateful to work under the guidance of Distinctive Collections Engagement Librarian Jillian Sparks. This project would not have been possible without her help.
We have received generous technical assistance from Ben Gottfried, Sara Lynnore, and Anders Nienstaedt.
We also thank the Colorado Antiquarian Book Seminar (CABS) for providing our students with intensive, hands-on instruction regarding the antiquarian book trade in Summer 2024.
St. Olaf College Special Collections
Rolvaag Memorial Library Special Collections offers students and scholars access to printed materials from the 15th century to the present. The crepe-paper books you see here can be accessed in-person through our library.