Google Doodle Celebrates - Satoshi Kako’s 97th Birthday - 31 March
Today's Doodle commemorates the 97th birthday of Japanese novelist and illustrator Satoshi Kako, who developed timeless children's books. His engineering and scientific expertise led him to add a new twist to each narrative to make them informative, entertaining, and interesting for Japanese youngsters.
This day in 1926, Kako, whose real name was Satoshi Nakajima, was born in Kunitaka Village, Fukui Prefecture. As a child, he was surrounded by creative children who inspired him to pursue art. In 1948, Kako graduated from Tokyo Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo) with a degree in chemistry. He joined a theatre study club while in school and began writing scripts and building stage sets for children's shows.
He obtained employment at a major Japanese chemical firm and organised traditional kamishibai (or play-card) plays for the children of his coworkers. 1959 saw the publication of Kako's first children's book, named Damu no Ojisan-Tachi (Uncles of the Dam) and describing the societal benefits of dams. The book was inspired by the applause of his coworkers and the approval of his little audiences. He proceeded to produce masterpieces over the next three decades.
Kako is well known for her Daruma-chan series, in which a boy named Little Daruma embarks on numerous adventures and finds new friends along the way. He also penned numerous tales that taught children about commonplace issues such as brushing their teeth, traditional Japanese games, and cooking, among others. Throughout his lengthy career as an author, Kako has received numerous accolades, including the Takahashi Gozan Special Award in 1985, the Japanese Scientific Reading Award in 1991, and the Kanagawa Cultural Award in 2009.
From test tubes to stories and beakers to books, Satoshi Kako's life was a page-turner. Best wishes for your birthday!