Born in Tokyo in 1935, Eiko Kadono lost her mother when she was five. Soon after, the Pacific War broke out, so she had to be evacuated to the northern side of Japan when she was only ten years old. The experience of war as a child is at the root of Kadono’s deep commitment to peace and happiness.
She studied American literature at Waseda University and after graduation she worked at a publisher. After her marriage, she accompanied her husband to Brazil and lived in San Paulo for two years. On the long voyage to and from Brazil, she was able to broaden her knowledge about the world. This experience brought up her curious and multicultural attitude toward creative activity. Her first book was published in 1970, since then she has penned about 250 books, which were translated into ten languages.
Kadono says “to start reading a book is like opening a door to a different world. It doesn’t close at the end of the story, another door is always waiting there to be opened. People will start to look at the world in a different way after reading a story, and it’s the beginning in a sense. And I think that is the true pleasure of reading. I do hope everyone will start building their own new story from here and now”.
