Doshinsha Publishing Co., Ltd.

Doshinsha Publishing Co., Ltd. (株式会社童心社) is a Japanese publishing house headquartered in Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo. Founded on March 4, 1957, it began as a publisher of kamishibai — the Japanese picture-card storytelling format performed by a narrator — and is described as one of the earliest specialist kamishibai publishers. In 1960 it published its first children's book, 'Aiueo no hon' with text by Hirosuke Hamada and illustrations by Chihiro Iwasaki, and it has since built a catalogue spanning picture books, children's literature, and kamishibai. The company's business is the publication of kamishibai and children's books. According to its corporate profile, it distributes roughly 450 kamishibai titles and about 900 book titles. Its list includes long-selling picture books such as 'Inai inai baa' and 'Ii okao' (text by Miyoko Matsutani, illustrations by Yasuo Segawa), 'Oshiire no boken', 'Jigoku no sobei', 'Crayon no kuro-kun', and the '14-hiki' series by Kazuo Iwamura, as well as the 'Kaidan Restaurant' series, which has surpassed 8 million copies and reached 50 volumes. It also publishes the monthly magazine 'Haha no hiroba' (Mother's Plaza), first issued in 1963. Doshinsha is a private company. Its representative director and president is Shuhei Goto. The company is based at 4-6-6 Sengoku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, and operates primarily in the Japanese market, selling through bookstores, libraries, and schools. It runs campaigns and events such as picture-book original-art exhibitions, kamishibai performance training courses, and the 'Crayon no kuro-kun' display contest, and it maintains dedicated information channels for bookstores and libraries.

Doshinsha Publishing was founded on March 4, 1957, as a publisher of kamishibai, the Japanese picture-card storytelling medium. It is regarded as one of the earliest specialist kamishibai publishers. In 1960 the company published its first children's book, 'Aiueo no hon', with text by Hirosuke Hamada and illustrations by Chihiro Iwasaki. This was followed by series such as 'Tsubota Joji no hon', the 'Kazu no hon' series, the 'Kagaku no hon' series, and titles including 'Kangaeru no daisuki', 'Kichin to suru no daisuki', 'Ne, ohanashi yonde', and 'Zoku ne, ohanashi yonde'. In 1963 Doshinsha launched 'Haha no hiroba' (Mother's Plaza), a booklet for readers that has been renewed several times and continues today as a monthly magazine that has reached its 500th issue. In 1967 the company published 'Inai inai baa' and 'Ii okao', with text by Miyoko Matsutani and illustrations by Yasuo Segawa, described as the first baby picture books made in Japan and as super-long-selling titles passed from parent to child. The same year it published 'Watashi ga chiisakatta toki ni', edited by Arata Osada with illustrations by Chihiro Iwasaki. Through the late 1960s and 1970s Doshinsha expanded its kamishibai and picture-book list. In 1968 it published the kamishibai 'Otousan' (script by Junichi Yoda, art by Seiichi Tabata). In 1970 came the kamishibai 'Ahiru no ousama' (script by Seishi Horio, art by Seizo Tashima) and 'Taberareta yamanba' (script by Miyoko Matsutani, art by Eigoro Futamata). In 1974 it launched the 'Senakeiko Obake Ehon' series by Keiko Sena and published 'Oshiire no boken' by Taruhi Furuta and Seiichi Tabata, a fantasy adventure noted for its black cover, and in 1978 'Jigoku no sobei' by Seizo Tashima. In 1983 it published the kamishibai 'Ookiku ookiku ookiku naare' by Noriko Matsui, a representative participatory kamishibai work, and the picture books '14-hiki no hikkoshi' and '14-hiki no asagohan' by Kazuo Iwamura. In 1993 Doshinsha published the collected works 'Furuta Tarihi Kodomo no Hon' (13 volumes plus a supplementary volume). In 1996 it launched the 'Kaidan Restaurant' series, edited under the responsibility of Miyoko Matsutani, which gained popularity among elementary school students alongside the spread of the morning reading movement; the series has surpassed 8 million copies and reached 50 volumes. In 2001 it published 'Dondoko Momonchan' by Kazuhiko Toyota and 'Crayon no kuro-kun' by Miwa Nakaya. In 2002 it published the first collection of 'Ookiku Hirogaru Ogata Kamishibai' (3 volumes), and in 2004 'Watashitachi no Asia Taiheiyo Senso' (3 volumes), a collection of war experiences edited from both victim and perpetrator perspectives based on years of reporting. In 2010 it published 'Fuuto to Hana to Ushi', and in 2011 the 'Nicchuukan Heiwa Ehon' series. As of the 2020s Doshinsha remains active, publishing new picture books and kamishibai, running events and exhibitions, and maintaining a corporate website with news, topics, and campaigns. Its corporate profile lists Shuhei Goto as representative director and president and describes its business as the publication of kamishibai and children's books, with about 450 kamishibai titles and about 900 book titles in distribution.

• 2011

  Launched the 'Nicchuukan Heiwa Ehon' series.

• 2010

  Published 'Fuuto to Hana to Ushi'.

• 2004

  Published 'Watashitachi no Asia Taiheiyo Senso'.

• 2002

  Published the first collection of 'Ookiku Hirogaru Ogata Kamishibai'.

• 2001

  Published 'Dondoko Momonchan' and 'Crayon no kuro-kun'.

• 1996

  Launched the 'Kaidan Restaurant' series.

• 1993

  Published the collected works 'Furuta Tarihi Kodomo no Hon'.

• 1983

  Published the kamishibai 'Ookiku ookiku ookiku naare' and the '14-hiki' picture books.

• 1978

  Published 'Jigoku no sobei'.

• 1974

  Launched the 'Senakeiko Obake Ehon' series and published 'Oshiire no boken'.

• 1970

  Published the kamishibai 'Ahiru no ousama' and 'Taberareta yamanba'.

• 1968

  Published the kamishibai 'Otousan'.

• 1967

  Published 'Inai inai baa' and 'Ii okao', described as Japan's first baby picture books.

• 1963

  Launched the reader booklet 'Haha no hiroba'.

• 1960

  Published its first children's book, 'Aiueo no hon'.

• 1957

  Founded as a kamishibai publisher.

A specialist Japanese publisher of kamishibai and children's books, with a long-established catalogue of picture books and children's literature sold through bookstores, libraries, and schools.

• 'Aiueo no hon' (1960)

• 'Inai inai baa' (1967)

• 'Ii okao' (1967)

• 'Watashi ga chiisakatta toki ni' (1967)

• Kamishibai 'Otousan' (1968)

• Kamishibai 'Ahiru no ousama' (1970)

• Kamishibai 'Taberareta yamanba' (1970)

• 'Senakeiko Obake Ehon' series (1974)

• 'Oshiire no boken' (1974)

• 'Jigoku no sobei' (1978)

• Kamishibai 'Ookiku ookiku ookiku naare' (1983)

• '14-hiki no hikkoshi' and '14-hiki no asagohan' (1983)

• 'Furuta Tarihi Kodomo no Hon' collected works (1993)

• 'Kaidan Restaurant' series (1996)

• 'Dondoko Momonchan' (2001)

• 'Crayon no kuro-kun' (2001)

• 'Ookiku Hirogaru Ogata Kamishibai' collection (2002)

• 'Watashitachi no Asia Taiheiyo Senso' (2004)

• 'Fuuto to Hana to Ushi' (2010)

• 'Nicchuukan Heiwa Ehon' series (2011)

• Monthly magazine 'Haha no hiroba'

1. 1紙芝居・絵本・図書 - 童心社doshinsha.co.jp
2. 2会社概要 - 童心社doshinsha.co.jp
3. 3個人情報について - 童心社doshinsha.co.jp
4. 4採用情報 - 童心社doshinsha.co.jp
5. 5Doshinsha Publishing - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6童心社 - 维基百科zh.wikipedia.org