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
Recent Annotations
Here are 3 stories from our collection that our team has recently annotated. Visit the Annotations page to see more!
The Serpent with Eight Heads
Story about the slaying of a monstrous serpent by a mythical deity. Translated by Basil Hall Chamberlain, annotated by Sam Gering ’27.
The Ogre's Arm
Story about Watanabe no Tsuna and his encounter with an oni (ogre) by Mrs. T. H. (Kate) James. Annotated by Tiana Pay ’29.
The Wonderful Tea Kettle
Story about a talented tanuki who transforms into an enchanted tea kettle by Mrs. T. H. (Kate) James. Annotated by Christina M. Spiker.
Interactive Elements
Hasegawa Takejirō’s Social Network
Here you can discover the elaborate social network cultivated by Hasegawa Takejirō, the main publisher of crepe-paper books created during the Meiji period (1868-1912) of Japan. Feel free to explore the map here on our our Social Network page!
Hasegawa’s Tokyo Circa 1880-1910
Here you can discover the various businesses and addresses that the main publisher of crepe-paper books, Hasegawa Takejirō, operated out of during the turn of the 20th century in Tokyo, Japan. You are welcome to explore the map more indepthly on our Maps page!
“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 for the guidance of Lead Archivist Kristell Benson in Summer 2026 and Distinctive Collections Engagement Librarian Jillian Sparks in Summer 2024. We have received generous technical assistance from Anda Tanaka, 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.