Skip to content
Pragmatic Mom
Menu
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Policies
    • Media Kit
    • Privacy Policy
    • Copyright
    • KidLit Blogroll
  • My Book Lists
    • My List of Lists
    • Multicultural Books for Children: 60+ Book Lists
    • #OwnVoices
    • Summer Reading Lists for Middle School Kids
    • Asian American Children’s Books
    • African American Children’s Books
    • Arab American Children’s Books
    • Latinx American Children’s Books
    • Native American Children’s Books
    • LGBTQIA+ Children’s Books
    • Diverse Books for Kids
    • Best Books for Kids
  • Education
    • STEM/STEAM
    • Math
    • Social Studies
    • Art Projects for Kids
    • Applying to Art School
    • Applying to College
    • Book Club for Kids
    • 70+ Free Educational Games
  • Controversial
    • Sexual Misconduct in Children’s Book Publishing #MeToo #TimesUp
    • Rethinking & Examining Dr. Seuss’ Racism
    • Blood Feud over YA #BloodHeir
    • Tulsa Race Massacre: What They Don’t Teach You in History Books
    • The Chinese Exclusion Act – What They Don’t Teach in History Books
    • Segregation in California Schools: What They Don’t Teach in History Books
    • SCBWI Minnesota Racist Illustration and Gaslighting Response
  • My Books
    • My Book Announcements
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is Carter G. Woodson Book Award Honoree!
    • We Sing From the Heart makes Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year 2025!
    • The Traveling Taco on Reading Rockets’ Summer Reading Guide 2025!
    • The Traveling Taco featured in Booklist
    • Origami French Fries: Activity for THE TRAVELING TACO
    • Book Announcement: A Place to Call Home! {and a new title …}
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE makes Sunshine State Young Readers Award Orange Blossom List for Nonfiction!
    • Cover Reveal of my latest picture book … FORTUNE COOKIES FOR EVERYONE!
    • Picture Book Announcement! BARBED WIRE BETWEEN US, illustrated by Violeta Encarnación
    • We Sing From the Heart gets a few stickers!
    • Book Announcement! Postcards from Malcolm X: How Yuri Kochiyama Became a Civil Rights Activist
    • Kirkus Reviews My Newest Picture Book: THE TRAVELING TACO
    • We Sing From the Heart is a Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People Winner!
    • We Sing From the Heart gets a few stickers!
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART wins California Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is Orbis Pictus Recommended Book
    • WE SING FROM THE HEART is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection
    • Dorktales Podcast: Simon Tam, Hidden Hero of History
    • Food for the Future Wins Nautilus Silver Book Award
    • Food for the Future makes Mass Book Award Long List!
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE Makes Green Earth Book Award Long List!
    • Food for the Future is a finalist for 2023 INDIES Book of the Year!
    • New! Food for the Future Activity and Discussion Guide!
    • FOOD FOR THE FUTURE is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection!
    • ‘Food for the Future’ selected for Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best books
    • Scholastic Purchased CHANGING THE GAME!
    • Starred Review for FOOD FOR THE FUTURE from School Library Journal!
    • Sumo Joe makes Bank Street Best Children’s Books of the Year list!
    • How To Coach Girls wins Silver Award!
    • Posts on My Books
  • My Book Events
    • My Book Events
Menu
Japanese Crest, shogun, daimyo, Japanese american books for kids

Japan: Books for Kids on Shogun, Family Crests, Block Prints

Posted on July 5, 2011June 8, 2024 by Pragmatic Mom

Japan: Children’s Books, Culture, and Art of Shogun Period

I have been thinking of doing a Teach Me Tuesday on Japan for a long time and now, with Japan in the news, I am a little tongue-tied. My mother’s side of the family is from Hiroshima and though we have a cousin who now lives in Tokyo, all are safe and sound. So this post is for everyone who has ties to Japan, either through family or emotionally (and that is probably most of the world as we look on with empathy and try to help). 

The books I’ve chosen reflect a version of my own family history. Yoko’s Paper Cranes by Rosemary Wells is lushly illustrated with nods to Hiroshige’s iconic block prints called ukiyo-e. Allen Say is another favorite author of mine and his chapter book reflects his personal story of a young aristocratic boy who is determined to learn cartooning from a famous artist in The Inn-Keeper’s Apprentice. Both books traverse between two worlds, which I think, reflect the simultaneous push-pulls of the history of Japan with respect to the United States. In the case of Yoko’s Paper Cranes, the two worlds are the distance between the United States and Japan. In The Inn-Keeper’s Apprentice, there are also the two different worlds of pre and post-war Japan.

Yoko's Paper Cranes

 

My Family History (Daimyo versus Samurai)

My own family history is a microcosm of the history of Japan which I studied a bit in college — Chinese history, my other heritage, being so much older was a more daunting academic challenge. My mother thought it important to make sure that we knew that our family was from the Daimyo class, who were feudal lords of vast holdings of inherited land. My mother said that we were distantly related to the emperor not through blood but by marriage. Only the emperor used the chrysanthemum as the royal crest but if your family was related through blood, their family crest (called Ka-Mon)  would include the chrysanthemum.

Samurai, which is a term more widely known, were the military nobility loyal to a particular Daimyo family. I learned from a museum in Japan that there was something like 22 ranks of Samurai, determined by birth. It was possible to become a samurai much like a stable boy in England could be knighted. In the case of Japan, even an exceptional stable boy could make the lowest rank of samurai.

Throughout much of Japan’s history, there were power struggles between the emperor and the daimyo ruling class. When the daimyo class was powerful and united, the leader ruled the country as Shogun (which is a more well-known term thanks to James Clavell).

Shōgun: The Complete Novel

 

To keep the daimyo in check, the emperor required each family to send a contingent to the court as ladies-in-waiting that served to forge ties and as hostages. When Admiral Perry showed up in 1853, he forced Japan to open the country and this is considered the trigger that caused the downfall of the Edo Shogunate. The Meiji Restoration that followed put the emperor back into power and the ruling class was stripped of their land.

This part of history is now personal. My great-uncles and great-grandparents’ fortunes were land-based so with their lands gone, they had no means of income. Worse, part of their lost lands contained sacred burial grounds of ancestors and needed to be purchased back. My male relatives immigrated to Hawaii to work the sugar cane and pineapple plantations — something that was meant to be temporary and turned into forever — in order to earn money. When my great-uncle married in Hawaii, he was disowned for not marrying within his rank. That seems so silly now but that was the way it was back then.

My grandparents immigrated to San Francisco and without knowing English, worked as house servants and also ran a boarding house. Such is the immigrant experience. Other daimyo fared better. The most famous daimyo descendants today in Japan include Morihito Hosokawa, the 71st Prime Minister, and figure skater Nobuari Oda.

The Japanese American story would not be complete without remembering their forced internment during WWII and after that bad experience, the was much effort made to assimilate; much more so, in my opinion, than any other Asian ethnic group here in America. My mother and her family were forced to most of their belongings behind to move to a remote part of Utah where the nukes were tested underground. Their samurai swords were left hidden in their boarding house, hidden between the studs of a wall but never to be retrieved again.

In a final weird twist of fate, my brother married my lovely sister-in-law who is also Japanese American and her sister-in-law is from Hiroshima. It turns out that she was from a samurai that served my family as we all have the same family crest. They had made baseball caps with the crest and when our cousin from Japan sent us a copy of our family crest, it was virtually identical (see above, ours is the second one to the right on the first row). It is, indeed, a small world!

Mia Wenjen Daimyo Crest

Description of Mia Wenjen Daimyo Samurai Crest

Both images from The Book of the Samurai: The Warrior Class of Japan by Stephen R. Turnbull, page 82.

 

p.s. The family crest follows the mother’s side of the family. I thought that was interesting as it indicates a more matriarchal society though I am not sure if this is actually true.

Children’s Books on Samurai Culture

Yoko’s Paper Cranes by Rosemary Wells

Yoko communicates with her grandparents back in Japan by sending them origami cranes as a reminder that she, too, will return to visit just like the cranes in their garden. [picture book, ages 4 and up]

Yoko's Paper Cranes

The Inn Keeper’s Apprentice by Allen Say

A young boy from an aristocratic family follows his own destiny by apprenticing with a famous cartoonist. This is Allen Say’s own story set in post-war Japan. [middle grade, ages 9 and up]

I wanted to add a few more books that I’ve just discovered that fit this theme of Samurai KidLit thought these books appeal more to boys than girls:

Moonshadow series by Simon Higgins

This is a fast-paced, samurai sword-wielding adventure series set in medieval Japan.  Moonshadow is a ninja samurai on a dangerous spying mission whose success will prevent a civil war from breaking out. Both Shogunate Japan and sword fighting come alive. Author Simon Higgins is a martial arts swordsman expert so he really knows his stuff.

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

Newbery Honor winner!

*Starred Review* Manjiro is 14 when a freak storm washes him and his four fishing companions onto a tiny island far from their Japanese homeland. Shortly before starving, they are rescued by an American whaling ship. But it’s 1841 and distrust is rampant: the Japanese consider the whalers barbarians, while the whalers think of the Japanese as godless cannibals. Captain William Whitfield is different—childless, he forges a bond with the boy, and when it comes time for Manjiro to choose between staying with his countrymen or going to America as Whitfield’s son, he picks the path of adventure. It’s a classic fish-out-of-water story (although this fish goes into the water repeatedly), and it’s precisely this classic structure that gives the novel the sturdy bones of a timeless tale. Bracketed by gritty seafaring episodes—salty and bloody enough to assure us that Preus has done her research—the book’s heart is its middle section, in which Manjiro, allegedly the first Japanese to set foot in America, deals with the prejudice and promise of a new world. By Japanese tradition, Manjiro was destined to be no more than a humble fisherman, but when his 10-year saga ends, he has become so much more. Wonderful backmatter helps flesh out this fictionalized version of the same story told in Rhoda Blumberg’s Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy (2001). Grades 7-11. –Daniel Kraus from Booklist

For anyone who wants to read a *free* short story about Manjiro, Barbara Terao is sharing hers here.

The Samurai’s Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard

I had this book in my bookshelves and just uncovered it. It’s another great story that makes 16th-century Japan come alive!

“To enter The Samurai’s Tale is to immerse oneself completely in sixteenth-century Japan when powerful warlords struggled for supremacy. Seldom does a historical novel evoke the mood, color, and soul of an era as skillfully as this one does. . . .THE SAMURAI’S TALE, poetic yet unflinching, is excellent.” Boston Herald

The Samurai's Tale by Erik Christian Haugaard

Samurai Rising: The Epic Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune by Pamela S. Turner, illustrated by Gareth Hinds

My son and I loved learning about this real-life samurai warrior hero, Minamoto Yoshitsune. His life is like a Greek tragedy from Homer’s times. Pamela S. Turner brings Japanese history to life with epic battles, drama, and intrigue.  [young adult nonfiction, ages 12 and up]

Shogun by James Clavell

If you want an enjoyable beach read set amid the turmoil of Shogunate Japan, this is a classic! [adult fiction]

Shōgun: The Complete Novel

 

Ando Hiroshige

I love these iconic block prints called ukiyo-e. My mother bought some a long time ago when she visited Japan and now they are collectible but dependent on condition. There was a time when merchants would use imperfect prints as newsprint and wrap goods with them. If you read Yoko’s Paper Cranes, you’ll notice Rosemary Well’s references to these prints in her gorgeous illustrations. To me, Hiroshige is the most famous Japanese ukiyo-e artist, but he was also influenced by his contemporary, Hokusai, whose works are below. I think Hokusai is a little too old-fashioned for me. What do you think?

mr894hiroshige-navaro-rapids-posters.jpg

Katsushika Hokusai


Japanese Family Crests

These days the Japanese family crests are used by graphic designers to portray “Asian” or “Japanese” motifs. They are beautiful examples of branding though, don’t you think?

 

Post-WWII Japanese Cartoonist

 
I don’t know who the cartoonist was in The Inn-Keeper’s Apprentice, but it could have been Osamu Tezuka who was a Japanese cartoonist, manga artist, animator, producer, and medical doctor, although he never practiced medicine. Born in Osaka Prefecture, he is best known as the creator of Astro Boy, Kimba the White Lion, and Black Jack. He is often credited as the “Godfather of Anime“, and is often considered the Japanese equivalent to Walt Disney, who served as a major inspiration during his formative years. His prolific output, pioneering techniques, and innovative redefinitions of genres earned him such titles as “the father of manga“, “the god of comics” and “kamisama of manga”.

The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga

The Art of Osamu Tezuka: God of Manga
by Helen McCarthy

 

To examine any of the items listed, please click on image of item.

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

 

Follow PragmaticMom’s board Multicultural Books for Kids on Pinterest.

Follow PragmaticMom’s board Children’s Book Activities on Pinterest.

 

My books:

We Sing From the Heart picture book cover reveal of The Slants Simon Tam

 Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Cover Reveal: Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!Amazon / Signed or Inscribed by Me

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

  • ⭐ Starred review from School Library Journal!
  • Junior Library Guild Gold selection
  • Massachusetts Book Award Long List
  • dPICTUS 100 Outstanding Picture Books of 2023
  • Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
  • 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
  • Green Earth Book Award Long List
  • Nautilus Silver Winner, Nonfiction Children’s Picture Book
  • Imagination Soup’s 35 Best Nonfiction Books of 2023 for Kids

 Amazon / Barefoot Books / Signed or Inscribed by Me

cover for Sumo JoeChanging the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia WenjenAmazon / Scholastic / Signed or Inscribed by Me

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide

How To Coach Girls by Mia Wenjen and Alison FoleyAsian Pacific American Heroes

2 thoughts on “Japan: Books for Kids on Shogun, Family Crests, Block Prints”

  1. Marjorie (PaperTigers) says:
    May 23, 2011 at 4:38 am

    I’m so glad you left a commetn over on PaperTigers as I missed this wonderful post last month. So interesting, and my heart goes out to your family for their experiences during the Second World War.

    I’ve said it in my reply at PT, but just to repeat it here, the cartoonist Allen Say apprenticed himself to was Noro Shinpei. I asked about him in my interview with Allen Say in in 2006. There doesn’t seem to be much information about him available in English but I’ve just found this post from a Spanish blog, with some book covers…

    Reply
    1. Pragmatic Mom says:
      May 23, 2011 at 7:38 pm

      To Marjorie,
      Thank you so much for your comment and for solving the mystery of the cartoonist Allen Say apprenticed with. And thank you for sharing the link to your post!!

      I do think that everyone’s immigrant story is so interesting. My mom just wanted us to remember our heritage. She’s very proud of being from a daimyo family but when all’s said and done, my mom is a pretty cheerful person without regrets. I don’t think she’s bitter about her WWII experiences.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Looking for something? Search here.

I’m Mia Wenjen!

Mia Wenjen Pragmatic Mom

Hi, I’m Mia Wenjen. Nice to meet you!

I blog excessively about diverse children’s books (picture books through middle grade). I am also the co-founder of Read Your World Celebrates Multicultural Children’s Book Day on Jan 25, 2024, our 11th year!

I’d love to chat with you. Let’s connect! PragmaticMomBlog (at) gmail (dot) com or through my social media handles.

Free Blog Updates in your Inbox (RSS feed)

Monthly Newsletter with Subscriber Only Giveaways in your Inbox

My Linktree (click for my links & socials)

my linktree

My Websites

  • How To Coach Girls
  • I Love Newton
  • Mia Wenjen (My New Author Website)

Camp Cody: Overnight Camp in New Hampshire

Read Your World LGBTQIA+ Books Save Lives Merch!

https://www.pragmaticmom.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Read-Your-World-FINAL-Merchandise-Video.mp4

Purchase Read Your World Merch

LGBTQIA+ Books Save Lives Merch.

Buy it here!

Search Amazon

Find Children's Books

Newton Children’s Book Festival 2025

Newton Children's Book Festival 2025

Get My Books Signed or Inscribed through my shop (click to purchase)

Mia Wenjen signed books

Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! (click to purchase)

Cover Reveal: Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!

We Sing From the Heart (click to pre-order)

We Sing From the Heart picture book cover reveal of The Slants Simon Tam

FOOD FOR THE FUTURE (click to purchase)

Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World by Mia Wenjen, illustrated by Robert Sae-Heng

CHANGING THE GAME (click to purchase)

Changing the Game: Asian Pacific American Female Athletes by Mia Wenjen

SUMO JOE (click to purchase)

Sumo Joe cover reveal

Asian Pacific American Heroes (click to purchase)

Asian Pacific American Heroes by Mia Wenjen

GNOMES & UNGNOMES: Poems of Hidden Creatures // I have 3 haiku poems (click to purchase)

GNOMES & UNGNOMES: Poems of Hidden Creatures 3 haiku by Mia Wenjen
Read Your World is Multicultural Children's Book Day

ClothingRIC- A Premium Coupon Website!

ThingsFromMars- The Wondrous World of Wacky Gift Products!

How to Get Kids Reading

  • Multicultural Books for Children: 60+ Book Lists
  • Getting Kids to Love Reading
  • Summer Reading Lists for Kids By Grade
  • Summer Reading Lists for Middle School Kids

Heim Nest Kid Mattress Exclusive Deal

Heim Nest Kid Mattress

AdvancedWriters.com is an expert writing service which helps students with academic writing.

educational toys

CEX.IO is a versatile crypto exchange platform where users can buy, sell, and trade cryptocurrencies, as well as access resources and tools to learn how to trade effectively.

MyPaperDone.com
is surely one of the best when it comes to paper writing assistance.

My Custom Essay
will guide you through academic life.

Essay Writing Services

If you ask "write my essay", Topessaywriting can help you with paper writing

TranslationReport can help you to choose the best translation service

If you are looking for the most trusted essay writing service, check this article about best essay writing service reviews at Econotimes

educational toys from dhgate stores

Assignment Writing Services Offer Assignment Assistance In UK Based Company 50% Discount Students

Playing at online casinos can be an exciting and rewarding experience, and you can find the best options at casinoszondercruksonline.com. 

For those seeking a safe and reputable gambling experience, the Meest betrouwbare buitenlandse casino lijst is an invaluable resource.

Archives

Categories

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship (click to purchase)

The Elusive Full Ride Scholarship: An Insider’s Guide

HOW TO COACH GIRLS (click to purchase)

How To Coach Girls silver award winner

Archives

I’ll be sharing WHAT I WISH I KNEW BEFORE I STARTED MY KICKSTARTER CAMPAIGN

HOW TO COACH GIRLS book trailer by Mia Wenjen & Alison Foley

https://youtu.be/j74M0bBxrGg

Recent Posts

  • Changing the Game’s 4th Birthday & 4 Signed Book GIVEAWAY! July 7, 2025
  • Battle of Lexington and Concord: America 250 July 4, 2025
  • WONDER WHY by Lisa Varchol Perron Book Event July 2, 2025
  • 10 STEM Picture Books about Planet Earth & GIVEAWAY! June 30, 2025
  • Thank you to Canvas Rebel for Featuring Me June 27, 2025

Categories

© 2025 Pragmatic Mom | Powered by Superbs Personal Blog theme
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
SAVE & ACCEPT