Anno’s Journey: The World of Anno Mitsumasa, Japan House

Anno Mitsumasa, courtesy Anno Art Museum

Enter Anno Mitsumasa, one of Japan's most prolific children's authors and illustrators, whose text-free picture books have captivated the minds of children and adults alike across the globe. The award-winning illustrator is known for his puzzle-style books which predated classic series like Where's Wally?.

Anno's Journey: The World of Anno Mitsumasa, opens at Japan House this August to captivate yet more children for the first-ever display of Anno's work in the UK. Prior to becoming an illustrator, Anno worked as a primary school teacher in Tokyo, before launching his first hit, 1968's Topsy Turvies: Pictures to Stretch the Imagination, which showcased small characters in bizarre positions. He then released another bestseller, Anno’s Journey (1977), which shows a small figure journeying through the cultural and literary landscapes of various countries in Europe.

St. Pauls by Anno Mitsumasa, courtesy Anno Art Museum

Anno works in ink, watercolour and paper cuts to explore themes like folklore, language, maths and science, integrating mental puzzles that require readers to interact with the books: turning them around, or intently looking for specific objects in the scenes (a precursor to the popular puzzle style). The exhibition of 87 works also includes Anno's vision of Britain, with scenes featuring London cityscapes, the Cotswolds and more.

The layout of the exhibition recreates Anno's hometown of Tsuwano, with its undulating hills and valleys, including a reading cove, which provides a welcome retreat for children to get lost in the books and glorious imagery.

The exhibition is free of charge and related workshops and events will be running alongside it.