The Little Picture Book Art Museum is a private museum in Nagano Prefecture dedicated to the art of picture books. Founded by renowned picture-book author Wakiko Sato, creator of the popular Baba-baachan series, the museum focuses primarily on original illustrations from picture books created by artists from Japan and around the world.
It is a place where both children and adults who love picture books can slow down and appreciate the beauty of the original artwork in a peaceful setting. Rather than simply presenting picture books as children’s literature, the museum encourages visitors to discover the artistic qualities, imagination, and stories contained within each page.
The Little Picture Book Art Museum opened in November 1990, when its Okaya Main Building was established near an apple orchard beside Lake Suwa. In 1997, a second branch, the Yatsugatake Museum, opened in Hara Village at the foot of the Yatsugatake Mountains. The museum is now operated through these two locations.
Both museums have periods of closure during the winter, allowing them to remain closely connected to the seasonal rhythms and quiet natural surroundings of Nagano.
The museum’s philosophy is inspired by the words of Swiss picture-book author and editor Bettina Hürlimann: people who genuinely enjoy and take children’s books seriously as adults will eventually come to know one another somewhere along the way.
Inspired by this spirit, Wakiko Sato and her husband Riki Takei, who supported the museum’s operation, created a place where people who love picture books could meet and connect across generations.
Wakiko Sato, whose real name was Kazuko Sato, also known as Wakiko Takei, was born in Tokyo on January 28, 1935, and grew up in Nerima. She became widely known through works such as Sentaku Kaachan, published in 1970, and the hugely popular Baba-baachan series, which began in 1977.
Her picture books are filled with warmth and humor. They draw on the everyday experiences of children while encouraging them to imagine worlds beyond ordinary life. Her distinctive stories have been loved by generations of readers.
Sato’s activities extended beyond her own creative work. She was also passionate about bringing books to local children and promoting a culture of reading. Her connection with Riki Takei began through Oni no Michikusa Bunko, a small private library that he operated at home when he was young. Through this network, the couple developed relationships with many people involved in children’s literature and worked to promote picture-book culture.
The establishment of the Little Picture Book Art Museum grew naturally from these long-standing activities and their dream of creating a place where people could encounter and share the world of picture books.
The Okaya Main Building is located near Lake Suwa, close to an apple orchard. The surrounding countryside provides a tranquil setting where visitors can enjoy the changing scenery of the seasons.
The reading area inside the museum offers views toward Mount Fuji through its windows. On a clear day, the landscape can look like a scene from a picture book itself, creating a gentle connection between the artworks indoors and the natural world outside.
The exhibition rooms display original illustrations by picture-book artists from Japan and abroad. The museum is particularly known for having introduced exhibitions of original works by European masters such as Felix Hoffmann and Hans Fischer to Japan for the first time.
The museum also holds an extensive collection of works by Swiss picture-book artist Ernst Kreidolf. His delicate colors and poetic approach allow visitors to experience the refined visual language of European picture books at close range.
The Yatsugatake Museum is located in Hara Village at the foot of the Yatsugatake Mountains. Surrounded by a quiet forest of white birch trees, it has an atmosphere quite different from an urban art museum.
The sound of wind moving through the trees and birdsong creates an environment that can make visitors feel as though they have stepped into the pages of a story. Inside, the warmth of wood and the calm atmosphere encourage visitors to take their time with each work, almost as if they were slowly turning the pages of a picture book.
In addition to exhibitions of original illustrations, the museum holds picture-book workshops and lectures. These activities allow both children and adults to experience the joy of creating stories and images for themselves.
The museum is appreciated not only by travelers but also by local residents as a peaceful place where they can reconnect with books, art, nature, and their own imagination.
The Little Picture Book Art Museum is active not only in exhibitions but also in publishing. It has published Japanese-language books introducing the picture books of artists such as Felix Hoffmann and Ernst Kreidolf, helping bring the appeal of international picture-book art to Japanese readers.
The museum also contributes to the future of picture-book culture by introducing the works of Wakiko Sato and supporting younger artists. Through these activities, it serves as both a museum preserving the past and a place where new creative possibilities can emerge.
The name “The Little Picture Book Art Museum” reflects the intimate scale of the museum. It is not a large institution, but its small spaces are filled with the warmth and affection of people who have dedicated themselves to picture books.
Standing before an original illustration and seeing the actual brushstrokes, colors, and details can offer a different experience from reading a printed book. Visitors can pause to consider the emotions behind an image and the depth of the story it suggests, leaving behind the noise and busyness of everyday life.
By the time they leave, many visitors may find themselves remembering the fascination they felt as children when entering the world of a story. The power of picture books that Wakiko Sato spent her life sharing lies in their ability to connect people across generations and enrich the imagination.
Through its two locations, the Okaya Main Building and the Yatsugatake Museum, the Little Picture Book Art Museum continues to pass the artistic beauty and warmth of picture books on to future generations.
The museum offers a chance to discover that picture books are not simply books for children. Their illustrations, design, stories, and emotions can also be appreciated as a sophisticated form of art that reflects the experiences of life.
Set amid the beautiful natural landscapes of Nagano, this small museum offers a quiet opportunity to reconnect with imagination and the simple pleasure of storytelling. For families, art lovers, and anyone who still treasures the wonder of picture books, it is a charming place where the light of a story continues to shine across generations.