Picture-Book Series

IDEA INSTITUTE’s annual picture-book project, which we began in 1997, is now in its twenty-first year.

This year’s publication tells the story of Jigoro Kano.

Jigoro Kano is well-known as the founder of Kodokan Judo, but he was also a passionate educator who promoted modern athletics in Japan and was instrumental in Japan’s bid to host the Olympics for the first time.

With the fine showings by the athletes at the Rio de Janeiro Olympics still fresh in our minds, Japan is now embarking on a new path as we look ahead to the Tokyo Olympics. That is why we believe this is a fitting year to share Kano’s varied accomplishments with people around the world through a picture book in Japanese and three other languages.

I hope that this book will offer many readers the chance to learn more about Kano’s life and the philosophy he cultivated through the practice of judo.