Learning from Japanese picture books (1) Dozo no Isu

This column introduces recommended Japanese picture books, along with related terms and culture that foreigners living in Japan may find useful. Most titles can be found in bookstores or libraries throughout Japan.

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“Dozo no Isu” written by Yoshiko Koyama, illustrated by Kozo Kakimoto (Published by Hisakata Child, 1981)

Story outline

This is a story about animals who pass on kindness in succession. A rabbit makes a chair and places it in the field with a sign that reads, “Dozo no Isu” (roughly translated as “a chair for your use”). Then a donkey comes and sees the chair and thinks, “This is a kind chair.” The donkey places a basket full of acorns on the chair and begins to take a nap under a nearby tree. Then a bear comes and eats all of the acorns because the sign reads “dozo,” or “please.” The story continues from there.

Vocabulary, culture tips

Dozo — This adverb is mainly used when recommending something to someone. In many cases, it may also include a sense of kindness or hospitality toward the other party. It is often used in combination with a verb, such as “dozo … shite kudasai” (please do …), but it may also be used on its own. For example, if a person says, “dozo,” in front of food, it means, “Please eat.” Note that the usage of “dozo no …” in the title of this picture book is almost never used.

Donguri — “Donguri” means “acorn.” The word is very familiar to Japanese children, and in autumn, it is common to see those aged 2 or 3 picking up acorns in the park. There is a famous children’s song “Donguri Korokoro,” which is known to most Japanese people (“korokoro” is an expression used to describe the rolling of small objects).

Okinodoku — This phrase is used when expressing sympathy for the other party. The “o” in “okinodoku” is a prefix for politeness. It is an expression used by adults and is almost never used by children. In this picture book, the animals who have eaten what is in the basket feel “okinodoku” (sorry) for the next animal who comes to the chair. In everyday life, the phrase can be used to express sympathy for some misfortune. For example, if you heard that your colleague’s father was in a traffic accident, you could say, “Sore wa okinodoku sama desu” (I am sorry to hear that). The word “sama” here represents politeness.

Making a real life ‘dozo no isu’

“Dozo no Isu” is a short but heartwarming story filled with examples of compassion among the characters, and our family has one wonderful memory related to the book.

The story begins with a scene in which a rabbit makes a chair using wood, a saw, a hammer and nails. In my home, there is a small chair that looks exactly like the one in the book. My husband and our oldest son, who was 3 years old at the time, made it based on the book.

They built the chair in April 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic had just hit Japan. Schools and day care facilities, including my sons’ ones, were all closed. To prevent children from gathering, playground equipment at a nearby park was out of service, and I was discouraged from playing outside with my children. My husband and I were looking for something different, not the usual toys, that we could enjoy in our home with our sons.

When my husband read this book, he thought, “If a rabbit can make a chair, maybe I can make one too,” and decided to make it with our oldest son to provide some distraction amidst the growing anxiety of the unknown virus. Our oldest son, now 7, reflected on making the chair and said, “It was a little difficult, but fun.”

For a while it was used as a chair for my children, but now it is placed in front of the washbasin and serves as a step for my second son. We were able to make it on the small balcony of the apartment we lived in at the time. If you are interested in having such a chair, why don’t you try making one with your child? It will surely be a memorable experience.

(This is Part 1 of a series. The next “Learning from Japanese picture books” story will be published on March 8.)

(By Risa Koshiba, The Mainichi Staff Writer)

Profile: Risa Koshiba is a mother of two boys and loves picture books. She believes that picture books can help improve literacy. In fact, her children were able to learn how to read and write Japanese by reading picture books to them. She is also interested in teaching Japanese to foreigners, and tutored students in Japanese and taught the language to children when she was a university student in the United States.