Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, whose bestselling autobiography, Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window, was first published in 1981, has now published her long-awaited sequel to her debut memoir. Exploring postwar Japanese culture, the original installment chronicled the writer’s Tokyo childhood and eclectic school life in the run-up to World War II. It quickly soared to the top of the charts in Japan, breaking publishing records, and by the end of 1982, it had become the bestselling book in the country’s history; a distinction it maintains with over 8 million domestic sales to date.
An international sensation, it has gone on to sell an impressive 26 million copies worldwide in dozens of languages. Over four decades later, Kodansha USA will release the first-ever English translation of Kuroyanagi’s recently published and eagerly anticipated follow-up, Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel, translated by Yuki Tejima.
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi had this to say:
I’m excited to share that my memoir, Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel, will soon be released in English. It has been over forty years in the making and I put my whole heart and soul into it. I hope you all enjoy it.
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, now in her nineties, has stated:
I wanted to write about the war while I still remember it.
A literary classic, Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window reached a new generation in 2023 with the release of an anime film adaptation of the story, produced and animated by Shin-Ei Animation. Distributed by Toho, and directed by Shinnosuke Yakuwa, Yuta Kanbe, and Kunio Kato, the film features Liliana Ono in the leading role as Totto-chan.
Kodansha USA Publishing President & CEO Alvin Lu had this to say:
Told with the same disarming charm as the original memoir, the anime connected Totto–chan’s story with a new audience. Now the English-language publication of Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel picks up where that story left off and allows readers to discover the full life story of one of the most influential and inspiring women in Japanese history.
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi remains one of Japan’s most popular and celebrated media personalities. Her long-running television show, Tetsuko’s Room began airing almost fifty years ago in 1976. She has also spent decades as a philanphropist, and was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 1984, visiting 40 countries in that capacity.
Additionally, she is on the board of the World Wide Fund for Nature Japan and provides professional training to deaf actors through The Totto Foundation, which is financed with her book royalties. She has written over twenty books, including as co-author.
