[Tokyo] 東京 , ポプラ 社 , 昭和 48年 [1973]. Illustrations by Hayashi Kyōzō (林恭三). Series: わらいの絵本, 1.
4to. 31, [1] pp., ill.
First edition of this text and of these illustrations.
The story comes from rakugo, the Japanese tradition of comic storytelling. Jimbē-san swallows cherry pits, and a cherry tree grows out of the top of his head. Crowds gather to picnic and carouse under it; the noise and commotion drive him to distraction. He tears the tree out, leaving a hollow that fills with rainwater and becomes a lake — at which point fishermen arrive and lower their hooks, snagging his nose. Overwhelmed, Jimbē-san throws himself into the lake on top of his own head.
This version was written by Funazaki Yoshihiko (舟崎 克彦; 1945–2015), a novelist, poet, illustrator and manga artist. The year after this book appeared he received the Akai Tori Bungaku Shō (赤い鳥文学賞), the literary prize named after the celebrated children's magazine "Akai Tori"; in 1976 he was named to the IBBY Honour List for text, as Japan's entry, for another of his titles, "Ame no Dobutsuen" (Tokyo: Kaiseisha, 1974).
The illustrations are by Hayashi Kyōzō (b. 1939), who models his figures as shallow three-dimensional forms in clay and then paints them. This appears to be the first book to show the technique.
The same rakugo tale was adapted by Yamamura Kōji as the animated short "Mt. Head" (2002), nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film at the 75th Academy Awards.
Binding & condition
Original pictorial boards and pictorial dust jacket, illustrated endpapers. Near very good: jacket very faintly rubbed.
Rarity
No copy located outside Japan on OCLC.
