3/5/2023 0 Comments Usagi yojimbo fan art![]() "It is in many libraries, having won an American Library Association Award as well as many Young Adult Library Services Awards. "I'm also really pleased that Usagi is being used as a learning tool," Sakai adds. I’ve learned that readers all over pretty much react to Usagi with the same enthusiasm." I enjoy traveling, and one of the perks of my job is that I have been invited to events all over the world. It is doing particularly well in Spain, France and Poland. What is really astounding is that Usagi is translated in about a dozen languages, including Czech, Hungarian, Portuguese and Indonesian. "They range from about five years and up, though, judging by the letters I receive, most of them are about 25 to 50. "I am continually amazed at the diversity of my readers," Sakai says. Those themes, Sakai observes, appear to have nearly universal appeal. I’ve also concentrated on loyalty and living your life with honor." Even swordsmanship, archery, and the other martial arts had a lot of spiritual discipline in their training. "I’ve tried to show some of the more spiritual and cultural aspects of their training as well. "Certainly, Westerners see the samurai as just warriors, but there was much more to their training than warfare," says Sakai. If I can also educate the reader about Japan, that is a bonus." "My first concern is to tell a good story with well-rounded characters. "I was not concerned with breaking any stereotypes," Sakai notes. I include Story Notes with bibliographies to expand on cultural aspects in the story." "Since then, I have done stories about festivals, the creation of the Japanese islands, sword making, the tea ceremony, mythology, and other aspects of Japan. "I think it was with the fifth volume that I really started to do research on the history and culture of Japan with The Kite Story," says Sakai. I eventually decided on combining all three, though concentrating more on action and adventure, much like the chambara (Japanese swordfighting) movies I grew up watching." "When I started, I wasn’t sure which direction to take the series-whether a historical drama, comedy, or action. "I have been doing Usagi Yojimbo for more than 22 years," Sakai says. For many fans, Usagi Yojimbo has evolved into a cultural icon-one that enriches readers with nuances of Japanese history as much as it entertains them with its swashbuckling tales. The samurai rabbit has become more than just a cartoon. The character has made TV appearances with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and has enjoyed a long and successful run with the independent comic book publishing powerhouse, Dark Horse Comics. In the years since its inception, Usagi Yojimbo, Sakai's fast-paced comic book series featuring a samurai rabbit as its hero, has attracted a remarkable international following. "My dad went over to the store, but it was so crowded he could not get in." "What really turned them around was my first booksigning in Hawaii," says Sakai.
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