Hayao Miyazaki's original pictorial story "Shuna's Journey" is now in heavy print following the release of its English edition. With this, the total number of copies sold since its publication in 1983 has surpassed 900,000. Hayao Miyazaki's original illustrated story "Shuna's Journey" is going into a second printing following the release of the English edition. With this, the total number of copies sold since its publication in 1983 has surpassed 900,000. Shuna's Journey" is an all-color watercolor illustrated story by Hayao Miyazaki based on a Tibetan folk tale. It depicts the adventures of Prince Shuna and his encounter with a young girl, Thea. Miyazaki says, "It has been a dream of mine to animate this folk tale" (from the afterword) ever since he first read the story "The Prince Who Became a Dog," on which it is based. The official Twitter page of Studio Ghibli announced about the book, "Mr. Miyazaki took so much time to draw this picture story that the announcement of its release was postponed twice in Animage magazine. As you can see from the original, it was painted very carefully in watercolor. In particular, the face of Thea, the girl used for the cover, was redrawn many times and even cut and pasted until he was satisfied with her complexion and expression. With the announcement that "Shuna's Journey" will be released in English for the first time outside of Japan, the original book, Animage Bunko, has been reprinted in 94 copies. This brings the total number of copies sold since its publication in 1983 to over 900,000. Shuna's Journey" is priced at 660 yen (tax included) and is now available at bookstores and online bookstores nationwide. （C）Tokuma Shoten. All Rights Reserved.
【Background】
・Graduated from Kyoto University with a major in Japanese Culture Studies, Faculty of Letters
・After graduation, worked 4 years as editor and proofreader for a print magazine specializing in traditional performing arts and culture
・Became a freelance journalist in 2021 and launched japanculturean.com in 2022
【Expertise】
・Pop-Culture Fusion Analysis
Analytical commentary on how modern pop-culture media (anime, film, fashion) incorporates and reinterprets traditional Japanese motifs.
