Launch of historical picture book 'Princess Anio' for young readers

This work marks the combination of content presented by Japanese authors with illustrations by Vietnamese artists. Through sparkling paintings and concise narratives, Princess Anio demonstrates the good cultural exchange between the two countries, promoting the spirit of solidarity and mutual learning.

Historical comic book Princess Anio launched on September 23 in Hanoi

The book's content goes back to the early 17th century, when Japan began to open up, allowing merchants to go abroad, forming many Japanese neighborhoods in countries in the region. At that time, in Nagasaki (Japan), there was a merchant who was a samurai (bushido) with the dream of sailing around the world. His name was Araki Sotaro. With a heart full of courage, Sotaro left Japan, leading a group of ships. Indians came to Hoi An to trade.

During a trip, Princess Ngoc Hoa accidentally met a Japanese merchant. The two of them immediately felt like they had known each other for a long time, and were very much in tune with each other. After that, the merchant Sotaro decided to meet Lord Sai Nguyen Phuc Nguyen to ask for the hand of the girl he loved.

Sotaro swore to Lord Sai that he would definitely bring happiness to Ngoc Hoa, whether they were still in the princess's homeland or after returning to Japan. Admiring the brave young man, Lord Sai gave him the Vietnamese name Nguyen Thai Lang and nodded in agreement to marry his beloved daughter to him.

After the wedding procession in Hoi An, Princess Ngoc Hoa and Sotaro boarded a boat to Nagasaki and held a grand wedding ceremony. To this day, the image of Princess Ngoc Hoa and merchant Sotaro's wedding is still recreated through the sacrificial dance in the Nagasaki Okunchi festival. Whenever talking to her husband, Ngoc Hoa often called out "Anh oi!". The people of Nagasaki mistakenly heard that call as "Anio", and from then on, they affectionately called her "Anio".

This love story is still a source of inspiration for posterity. Every 7 years, in October, the scene of the procession welcoming the princess will be recreated in the scene of the Indian boat at the Nagasaki Okunchi autumn festival as a symbol of the strong diplomatic relationship between the two countries of Vietnam and Japan.

Mr. Aoyagi Masayuki, Director of Publishing Kadokawa Corporation, shared about the book: “There are many things we do not know about Princess Anio . All that is recorded is that she married Sotaro and they had a daughter together. So when reading Princess Anio , readers can imagine the story of the two characters at that time."

"Weekend reading corner" at Kim Dong Publishing House every Saturday morning attracts children

Through Princess Anio, author Koshiya Katsuji, who is in charge of the book's content, expressed his wish: "Even if our countries, languages, and cultures are different, if we treat each other with sincerity, we can still become close and understand each other. I really hope that when readers read this book, they will feel that there is a bright and happy future ahead of us."

Sharing about the difficulties in the production process, the editorial team of the book Princess Anio said: the most difficult thing for the entire production team of Princess Anio was how to tell an attractive, close story based on historical sources that both countries still preserve about the life of Princess Anio and her husband. The parties involved in the project have made efforts to bring a well-prepared product, suitable for readers of all ages, contributing to the treasure trove of stories about historical figures of the nation.

Also on the day of launching the picture book Princess Anio , Kim Dong Publishing House launched a series of events "Weekend Reading Corner" for children, every Saturday morning at Kim Dong Publishing House headquarters (55 Quang Trung, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi) with the hope of contributing to nurturing the love of reading and discovering new knowledge of children every day.

Source link: https://thanhnien.vn/ra-mat-sach-tranh-truyen-lich-su-cong-nu-anio-danh-cho-doc-gia-nhi-185230923150046523.htm