English translation of the long-awaited follow-up of Tetsuko Kuroyanagi’s 1981 bestselling memoir that sold over 26 million copies is now available; book signings in New York begin November 22.
Japanese pop-culture icon Tetsuko Kuroyanagi, whose bestselling autobiography , first published in 1981, helped set the tone for Japan's postwar culture, has published her long-awaited sequel.The original book, “Totto-chan: The Little Girl at the Window,” which chronicled the writer’s Tokyo childhood and eclectic school life in the run-up to World War II, quickly broke all previous publishing records in Japan; by the end of 1982, it had become the bestselling book in the country’s history with over 8 million domestic sales to date. It has gone on to sell a Guinness World Record-breaking 26 million copies worldwide in dozens of languages.
Now, more than 40 years later, Kodansha USA has just released the first-ever English translation of Kuroyanagi’s recently published follow-up, “Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel,” translated by Yuki Tejima.
And the publisher has shared with AWN an excerpt from the sequel which you can read here.“I’m excited to share that my memoir, ‘Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel,’ will soon be released in English,” said Kuroyanagi.“It has been over 40 in the making and I put my whole heart and soul into it.
I hope you all enjoy it.” Kodansha USA Publishing President & CEO Alvin Lu told AWN, “Kuroyanagi ended her original, seminal memoir with a heartbreaking scene in which her beloved elementary school, Tomoe Gakuen, burned down amidst the air raids of World War II. ‘Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel’ begins with her family’s frantic effort to escape Tokyo and the worst horrors of the war. In it, Kuroyanagi details how little Totto persevered through starvation and suffering to become a trailblazing actress, a champion for the deaf and children the world over, and one of the most successful entertainers in Japanese history. Now in her 90s, Tetsuko Kuroyanagi has said of her motivation for penning ‘The Sequel,’ ‘I wanted to write about the war while I still remember it.’” In 2023, an anime feature based on the original book was released; the film was produced and animated by Shin-Ei Animation, distributed by TOHO, and directed by Shinnosuke Yakuwa, Yuta Kanbe, and Kunio Kato, with Liliana Ono in the leading role as Totto-chan.It was selected for competition in Annecy in 2024, winning the Paul Grimault Award.Kodansha USA has arranged a screening of the acclaimed film at the Japan Society in New York on November 25, 2025.
To commemorate this long-awaited release, the publisher is sponsoring the following book-launch events in New York City:
Book talk with Translator Yuki Tejima at the New York Public Library 53rd Street Branch
Date: Saturday, November 22, 2025
Time: 11:30am - 12:30pm ET
Location: 18 West 53rd Street, New York
Admission: Free
More info: https://www.nypl.org/events/programs/2025/11/22/person-author-talk-yuki-nejima-totto-chan-little-girl-window
Book signing with Translator Yuki Tejima at Kinokuniya Bookstore
Date: Monday, November 24, 2025
Time: 6:00-8:00pm ET
Location: 1073 Avenue of the Americas, New York
Admission: Free
More details coming soon.Screening of feature anime and panel discussion at the Japan Society
Featuring: Yuki Tejima, translator; Alexandra McCullough-Garcia, editor; Nathan Shockey, Associate Professor of Japanese at Bard College
Date: Tuesday, November 25, 2025
Time: Doors 6:00 pm, Screening 7:00 pm ET
Location: 333 E 47th Street, New York
Admission: $16 general admission; $12 students/seniors/persons with disabilities; $8 members
More Info: https://japansociety.org/film/
“Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window: The Sequel” was originally published in Japan on October 3, 2023, and will be published by Kodansha USA Publishing on November 18, 2025. “Totto-chan, the Little Girl at the Window” remains in print with Kodansha USA Publishing.Attached Files
AttachmentSize 1080294-totto-chanthesequelexcerptallaloneontheovernighttrain.pdf104.81 KB
Dan Sarto is Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Animation World Network.
AttachmentSize 1080294-totto-chanthesequelexcerptallaloneontheovernighttrain.pdf104.81 KB
'Memoir of a Snail,' 'Percebes' Take Top Awards at Annecy 2024
Annecy 2024 Feature Films in Official Competition Roundup
