Tokyo Night Parade: An Enchanting Picture Book About Yokai, Japanese Friendship, and Moving for Children

by J.P. Takahashi, Minako Tomigahara (Illustrations)

Spirited Away meets Where the Wild Things Are by way of yokai   mythology in this enchanting picture book by debut author J. P. Takahashi and illustrator Minako Tomigahara. The night parade is about to begin . . . The ground thunders in Tokyo. A gust of wind blows. The pitter patter of paws and claws draws closer. The air is thick with swirling, swooping demons. It’s Eka’s favorite evening of the year, the one night she refuses to miss. But it’s become harder to travel to Japan now that she’s living across the world in New York. Unsure of when she can return next to see her yokai  friends, Eka tries to forget that this could be her last parade for some time. Instead, she’ll march, sing, dance, hoot, and screech until sunrise. Because on this night, there’s no time to waste—the night parade awaits. "This sparkling, Miyazaki-hued story instantly whisked me back to childhood summers in Tokyo."  —Kyo Maclear, author of The Big Bath House and Kumo “An unforgettable story. A remarkable debut that delivers abundantly.”  —Antwan Eady, author of Nigel and the Moon 

Genres: Picture Books, Fantasy, Childrens, Japan, Folklore, Fiction, Cultural

40 pages, Hardcover

First published October 10, 2023

Reviews

[Aiden Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely ENCHANTING book! JP Takahashi’s dreamy illustrations are filled with whimsy, accompanied by sweet, melodic prose. I LOVE this picture book so much!!!

[Erin Osbourn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely stunning and heartwarming!! 💕

[SaraKat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this lovely book and the illustrations were fantastic. But I definitely had no idea what I was reading at first. I should have read the author's end notes first. This is a great Japanese story for kids. And I loved this exchange when some kids in New York are potentially frightened by all the demons she is describing:

"Kappa-san," she asks, "are you all good spirits?"
The kappa leans in real close. "Are you all good humans?"
She thinks about this for a moment, but the kappa does not expect an answer.

I guess the kappa knows that you can't ever say a whole group is good or bad. Teaching the kids not to stereotype or judge by a being's name or looks. :)

[Rereader · Rating 5 out of 5]

November 2023 Reading Challenge
Prompt: read a book written by a BIPOC author

Beautiful, absolutely stunning. As a huge fan of Japanese folklore, this is a picture book I wish existed when I was a child. The prose, the whimsy in the designs and colors, the lovely message, it was all just so, so perfect. I adored this book and would love to see more from this author-artist team. Magnificent, breathtaking, and gorgeous.

[Helena]

A cute story with adorable art!

[pineapple tofu · Rating 5 out of 5]

For young Eka, being part of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons is everything she could dream of. Being back in Tokyo means she can meet her yokai friends again, such as the kappa and raijus. Dancing and singing begin for the one night of the year when all Japanese mythological creatures come together for a spectacle like no other. As lanterns float in the skies, Eka worries she’ll never see her friends again as dawn approaches. But having fun is what it’s all about in this nightly parade of monsters and one lucky girl.
The hues of purples and shades of blues come together in this beautiful picture book about lonely Eka, who gets to be back in Tokyo for one night. The illustrations of the yokai are fascinating, from the cat-like ones to the fox-looking ones and everyone in between. Readers will be mesmerized by the story as the city transforms into a parade of unearthly delights. Follow Eka and her dog as they lead the parade until night comes to an end.

[Jessica Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

In which I read picture books with my middle school-age daughter and we rate them…. We liked the fabulous artwork and some of the big questions that were posed by the characters — like when Eka asked her yokai friend, “Are all demons good?” And the yokai replied, “Are all humans good?” A beautiful book and a fun way to learn more about Japan’s legend of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.

[Aolund · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this. Rich and complex story of connecting with a home culture as a member of diaspora, which simultaneously interrogates the concepts of “good” and “bad” as existing separate from context.

Themes: Japan, Demons/Spirits, Night
Age range: Preschool-elementary

[Nicole D'Souza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tokyo Night Parade is simple yet stirring. Much like the narration style of Winnie the Pooh or The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse, bittersweet notions of life are set against beautiful illustrations that invoke the wonder of Spirited Away.

But Takahashi's uniquely personal story weaved into a child's perspective on dealing with migration changes makes this one-of-a-kind, and surely speaks to others in the Black-Japanese diaspora.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend. Tokyo Night Parade was fantastic.

[Calista · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Crow!, the artwork in this book is superb. It's like Minako Tomigahara use the sunset as a palate to paint this book and then she use twilight and sunup. She just pulled them right out of nature. The colors are stunning. She really shows her range as we have pages at night and twilight and daytime. Then, the characters, all the little demons are so alive with character and cheer. Who doesn't want to go to this parade. I'll say this is a Caldecott contender. I love it.

The story is about a girl in Tokyo. This is her last night in the city before she moves to NYC. It's also the annual Night parade where all the little 'demons' come out for a parade through the city. Our little girl leads the parade. These are her friends and she is worried about not being able to go to another one.

Some big questions are asked in this and lots of life happen in these pages. This is just my kind of story. I would love to own this book. Beautiful, wonderful, hopeful with a dash of sorror thrown in. An incredible read.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eka has returned to Japan from America to visit her grandfather. On her last night there, she dons her kitsune costume that her grandfather gave her years ago. Dressed like a wild fox spirit, she hopes that the monsters will come again this year. And they do! her kappa friend appears in the pond in the back yard and soon they have joined the hyakkiyagyo - the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. She has tried to explain this to her new friends in America but they think the monsters would be too scary and bad. Eka asks Kappa about this and his response is wise - Are all humans good? Eka has no idea if she will be able to return to Japan for another visit so she makes the most of her jubilant Night Parade, dancing with her friends under the full moon.
The Author's Note at the end provides more detail about this wonderful slice of Japanese mythology.

This is a beautiful, bittersweet book that is another great addition to monster books that are not centered around Halloween.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Japanese mythological creatures and a young emotional girl gather on a night parade in Tokyo. (The author explains that Tokyo is where she grew up, not where this mythological event usually takes place.) These creatures are wild much like Sendak's Wild Things. They are stunningly illustrated by the magical work of Minako Tomigahara. I felt like I was on that parade, though I have never heard of it nor traveled to Japan. The child shows no fear, but struggles with the sadness that when her family moves to New York, she will never again witness this Night Parade. In that way, Takahashi mixes so much drama, joy, wonder, and awe into this beautiful story. Thank you, Ms. Takahashi for this lovely book!

I will be sharing it with my Japanese parent volunteers before I share it with students as I want to honor the mythological connections and Japanese culture as much as I can before reading it aloud.

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations in this book are so gorgeous. If you are looking at the cover and wondering if the rest of the pictures are as pretty as the cover, I am happy to tell you that they really, really are. Lots of full bleed spreads are saturated with this purple and pink gouache as well as woodblock printing and cut paper. The result is gorgeous. The story, which tells of a little girl coming home to Tokyo after moving to New York just in time for the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons where yōkai and humans interact. The text is ambitious -- it covers a lot of ground, but I think it manages to keep everything reigned in.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Little Eka loves the Japanese yokai (supernatural entities and spirits) and their night parade in Tokyo, where she is visiting her grandfather. There's even a kappa (frog- or turtle-like spirit) that lives in or visits her grandfather's garden pond. Unfortunately, Eka now lives in New York so it's much harder (and more expensive) to visit her grandfather in Japan. So this may be her last night parade. So she enjoys herself in her cute kitsune costume.
Cute story of a child and her ability to see the supernatural. Lovely illustrations.
So nice to see a story of a culture not American or English or even European.

[Sylvia Chen · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW for TOKYO NIGHT PARADE! With breathtaking scenes, and exquisite night and monster depictions, this book is sure to entertain and astonish. There's so much to celebrate for how this book was created: magical, awe-filled worldbuilding, compelling storytelling with hooks and words of interest throughout, and vivid verbs that all make for a mesmerizing read. And this book has so many standout themes: based on Japanese folklore, how big moves can split your heart between two worlds, treasuring true friendship, dealing with uncertainty, and living in the moment. Don't miss out on a one-of-a-kind picture book experience in TOKYO NIGHT PARADE!

[Jillian]

No Rating

I completely understand why Tokyo Night Parade was nominated for awards. The artwork is stunningly gorgeous. The story is a sweet fantastical one, about a little girl befriending demons. But these demons are not strictly evil or good, just like humans. They just dance around Japan one night a year and occasionally show themselves to humans. I also enjoyed the theme of loving your new home across the ocean while holding a special place in your heart for the old one's culture. And I love that she wore a kitsune costume for the Night Parade. Besides it being cute, I love the wild fox spirits. I also really like the Tokyo Night Parade.

[Abbigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dont usually like digital illustrations, but for the most part I really liked the dark, purple tones in this picture book. A very helpful authors note adds some context to this story.

I felt like it was missing something to connect the reader to the story because the main character felt like a generic little girl. Even if the story is more about the Night Parade than the little girl specifically, I still wanted that connection to a character.

[Starbubbles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I tried to read this with O multiple times, but he was not interested. So, I read it on my own. It was pretty good. I wish there was more explanation on what demons made an appearance in the book. The artwork is beautiful.

The book poses questions and then doesn't answer them. Me being me likes things answered, such as if she gets to go on a future parade. But, I think that was the point. Life doesn't always have clear answers.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eka spends a night visiting yokai friends in Tokyo before she has to go back to New York-- and unfortunately, the yokai can't leave Japan and come with her. Gorgeous, bittersweet, and thoughtful, Tokyo Night Parade asks the question: what makes a good monster? Or better yet, what makes a good human?

[Alyssa Gudenburr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A warm fuzzy story inspired by the author's childhood bouncing between Tokyo and New York. The young child joins her favorite holiday of the year, the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. The child talks about how this might be her last visit but wants to enjoy the night while she can. The illustrations are BREATHTAKING!!! A beautiful story best as a one-on-one.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated. I think the idea of the night parade and all the spirits was a lot to try to explain - felt like there was a lot of exposition and backstory to make it all come together. Not sure how well that works for little ones who may not have a lot of cultural context. I'm sure this would be gobbled up by some manga-crazy teens, though.

[Bekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful picture book with a lovely story about Eka visiting her yōkai friends at the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons, struggling with not being sure if she will ever see them again and her sadness with not being able to talk about them to her American friends because they think the demons are dangerous, and Eka learning to enjoy the moment and hold on to her memories.

[Gabrielle Stoller · Rating 3 out of 5]

I gave this three stars because the illustrations are simply stunning.

But the book is too wordy. Also if you come from zero Japanese background, reading the author's note before reading the book might be a good idea. Because it gave me a better idea of what to expect and understand the whole setting better.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story of a young girl in her kitsune costume participating in a parade with a variety of yokai, along with her friend, a kappa. Because it is night, several of the pages are rendered in dark pinks and reds, making it difficult to make out details. This story will give non-Japanese youngsters a taste of the folklore of Japan.

[Genesee Rickel · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gloriously imaginative and touching story! The illustrations reminded me of walking through the WildLanterns exhibit every year. I loved the bit where the girl asks the monsters if they are all good and then monster asks her the same about humans. The author's note talks about the personal inspiration for this story. This is one I would re-read.

[Brittney Cayford]

This is a book about the Tokyo Night Parade, and the meaning it has for the different culture. This book is great for showing students different holidays and parades in different places around the world. This is a great book to involve students in creating their own "custom" parade or costume and being aware of different kinds of cultures.

[ThisBishReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful book to introduce children to some aspects of Japanese culture! I couldn't get over how gorgeous the illustrations on every page are and found the plot reminiscent of Spirited Away. I loved the whimsical setting and that the author includes a short page to explain the aspects of Japanese culture that were used.

[Courtney Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a sweet book! The illustrations are gorgeous. My family loves anything to do with Japanese culture. This book gives a glimpse of what it’s like to be from two very different worlds. Eka lives in New York, but her family is from Japan, and she doesn’t get to visit often. There’s a sadness in the book that you feel throughout the happy shenanigans Eka and the yokai get up to.

[Katie Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Darling! I loved the illustrations and that this asks big questions about goodness and loss. There was one page where the text was nearly impossible to read, so unfortunate! I want to learn so much more about the night parade now.