Culture April 9, 2024 6:00
The first picture book in the “Baba-Grandma” series, “I’m Busy”
Wakiko Sato (real name Wakiko Takei), the founder of a small picture book museum in Nagaji, Gongen Town, Okaya, and a picture book author known for the “Baba Grandma” series, will hold a lecture on March 28th at 11:40 p.m. He died at a hospital in Suwa City due to aortic dissection. She is 89 years old. Her funeral was attended by her immediate family. Her chief mourner is her husband, Riki. At a later date, she plans to hold a farewell party for those involved and a memorial exhibition for her.
Mr. Sato was born in Tokyo. She opened the museum in her home in 1990. She has written more than 100 books, and her masterpiece, Grandma Baba’s picture books, began in the 1980s with “The Busy Story,” and she has written about 20 works in both the story and oryoori series. There is also Yatsugatakekan in Haramura, and both buildings display original paintings from her picture books.
The news of his death came as he was about to publish his picture book “Michikusa” on April 12th, which he had been planning and working on for 30 years. Her husband and museum director, Riki, said, “This was just when we thought it would be the future. We who are left behind must continue to carry on her work.” She said the museum “is having a difficult time sorting out its feelings, but we hope to continue to open as scheduled and allow as many people as possible to see Wakiko’s work.”
Before his death, Sato would introduce works with ties to the Suwa area at reading classes, saying, “Stories that were born only in this area.” In the picture book “Baba Grandma’s Kantenryori,” he describes in detail how the Suwa region’s specialty agar agar is made, saying, “It’s interesting that it’s made in the mountains using amanita from the sea.I wanted people to learn about the manufacturing process.” Regarding his work “Goodbye Swans,” which depicts migratory birds returning north, he revealed how he spent two days observing swans at Lake Suwa, and ended up getting frostbite on his feet.