Meant for children, this fascinating book will no longer be readable when they turn into adults.
picture books
Mt. Fuji is Japan’s iconic mountain. Known and admired the world over, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site not as a natural site as one would expect, but as a cultural site due to its historical importance as a muse to artists of all kinds.
The snow-capped mountain has been depicted in every artistic medium you could imagine: wood-block prints, photos, video, stories and more. And now it’s been recreated in what may be my favorite form to date: 3D, laser-cut, 360-degree, miniature picture books!
I’m sure as children we all had our favorite picture books that we never tired of looking at, the images on the pages completely mesmerizing us. Well, this is one picture book that is definitely just for adults, and not just in terms of content.
The book, titled Riley the Circus Elephant (“Saakas-zo no Riley” in the original Japanese), apparently contains an uplifting message that is meant for adult readers who have to deal with the pressures of everyday life and work. But what really caught our attention is the fact that there is a “deluxe edition” of the book that comes with a very special trinket — and a price tag of 750,000 yen (US$7,500)!





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