Our Town Inagi 2017: Kuniko Ohnishi

Inagi's Folktales for Children

Mr. Onishi, who lives in Koyodai, has been actively engaged in the hobby of picture letters for many years, and recently published two picture books based on stories that have been passed down in Inagi.
The picture books include "Tenjin-sama and the Divine Child," which describes the origin of the establishment of Yanokuchi and Anazawa Tenjin Shrine, and "Odaryo Mukashigatari," which describes the origin of the shrine in Sakahama and Odaryo area. Both are accompanied by handwritten illustrations, making them warm and inviting works.
The inspiration for creating picture books came from the desire to convey the old tales related to various regions of Inagi to many children through picture books.
This is the first attempt at publication, and it reportedly took about 1 to 2 years to produce each book, culminating in completion after much trial and error.
The most important thing during the production was to meet the local people and listen to their stories. We carefully researched the customs passed down in the area and the old ways of life, and based on the stories we heard, Mr. Onishi imagined and illustrated them in the picture book.
When asked about the future, they expressed a desire to depict stories related to "water" that are characteristic of Inagi, such as "Omaru Water" and the "Kappa Legend." They said with a smile, "I want to tell all the old tales of Inagi. There are still many stories that are not well known, and I want to spread them to many people." I am looking forward to the next work.

Note: The two picture books are available for viewing at each library, and are also for sale at the Inagi Communication Base Pair Terrace.