Chihiro and H.C. Andersen

A Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, loved by children around the world, was one of Chihiro’s favorite authors. The number of existing illustrations of Andersen’s fairy tales that Chihiro worked on count 850. This number alone shows that she was one of the leading Andersen illustrators in Japan. Chihiro said: “Transcending a century-long time difference, H.C. Andersen brings to my heart an enduring beauty. Though his writing may be old-fashioned, he is an author whose stories convey the sadness of ordinary people, a melancholy that still resonates in today’s society, offering much from which I can learn. H.C. Andersen’s fairy tales hold dreams that are quite real, which may be why they still speak to our hearts today.”