A Time to Look Deeply into Myself - The Power of Beautiful Questions and Truthful Answers

This book is a poetry picture book that combines the poetry of Hiroshi Osada, widely known as a famous poem included in Japanese textbooks, with illustrations by Hideko Ise.
It was planned as a beautiful picture book played with two instruments: the instrument called ‘word’ and the instrument called ‘picture.’
As the title, "The First Question," suggests, this article, which is comprised of many questions, gives the reader time.
It's time to take a good look at myself and think about it.

Depending on the question you ask, what you think will change.
If the first question a child receives when he or she returns home is, "What is your homework today?", the child will likely think about homework.
But if you were to ask, "How was the sky today?" wouldn't you find yourself reflecting on what you did and what you thought on your way home? A heartwarming question that touches your heart, reminds you of things you've simply overlooked in your busy life, and allows you to peer into those details and feel the subtlety within.
And those thoughts and feelings will make each day richer and more precious.


This book not only gives you time to think more, but also time to understand and love more deeply.
Many of the questions in the book will have different answers depending on the reader.
When asked, “What is a good day?” a child’s answer will be different from that of a mother or father.
As we share our stories, we can understand and comfort each other more deeply about what makes a child happy and joyful, and what brings joy to mom and dad.


Many of the questions in this book make me look back on who I was yesterday, think about who I am today, and dream about what I will be like tomorrow.
The question at the end of the poem, "Do you believe in words?" ultimately means that we should remember how precious the true thoughts and feelings that lie deep within each of our hearts are in our lives.
I hope that the questions and answers in this book will be remembered by everyone for a long time, and that it is not a book that you just read once and leave behind.
Because every time you look at it, precious thoughts will come to mind.

The echo of a beautiful painting

Hideko Ise's beautiful paintings, painted in clear watercolors, resonate with the viewer with a resonance as powerful as the words themselves.
The beautiful moment when the sound of bells and birdsong echo together, and the images of spider webs filled with raindrops and trembling delicately, beautifully express the images that come to mind while reading the poem, giving the feeling of cleansing the mind.
There are also paintings that make you look at them for a long time and imagine a long story.
What is the little girl thinking as she turns around and looks at her reflection in the water? What is the story of the boy who seems to be crying under the large oak tree? Is that man standing there looking at the snow-covered oak tree the same boy from before?
The paintings, each containing a story, make me look back on the many moments that make up my life, along with the deep thoughts that poetry gives me, and also bring out my own memories.
The first question is that this picture book will be remembered for a long time as a perfect poem with a beautiful blend of text and pictures.