More than four decades after introducing young readers to the fictional witch Kiki, Japanese children’s author Eiko Kadono continues to write daily, maintaining a literary career that has produced around 200 books while advocating the enduring importance of reading and imagination. At the age of 91, Kadono remains active from her home in Kamakura, where she says her commitment to storytelling has remained unchanged despite the passage of time.

Kadono is best known internationally for Kiki’s Delivery Service, first published in Japan in 1985. The novel gained worldwide recognition after its adaptation into an animated feature by Studio Ghibli in 1989 under the direction of Hayao Miyazaki. The story has since become one of Japan’s most recognizable works of children’s literature, introducing generations of readers and viewers to a coming-of-age tale centered on a young witch learning independence while navigating life in an unfamiliar town.

Speaking from her residence in the coastal city of Kamakura, south of Tokyo, Kadono said writing continues to be part of her everyday routine. Although climbing stairs has become more difficult with age, she said her enthusiasm for creating stories has not diminished. She continues to draft ideas by hand before transferring them to a computer keyboard, entering text deliberately one key at a time.

According to Kadono, visual storytelling remains central to her creative process. She explained that she aims to write in a way that enables readers to form clear mental images while reading. Alongside writing, she continues to produce illustrations as part of developing her stories.

Her home reflects many of the personal interests that have become closely associated with her public image. The residence features books throughout its rooms, pink furnishings and a collection of animal figurines. Kadono, who has often described herself as retaining a childlike outlook, continues to wear brightly colored clothing and her signature bold-framed glasses. She said the smocks she regularly wears are designed by her daughter, with practical features such as elastic sleeves that can easily be rolled up while writing.

Kadono spoke openly about aging, acknowledging that she now wears a wig while expressing little concern about discussing it publicly. She also noted that although her writing style has evolved over the years, the fundamental approach to storytelling has remained consistent. Looking back at earlier works, she believes they contain more descriptive language than her more recent writing, which she characterizes as more concise.

The original Japanese Kiki’s Delivery Service series consists of six main books and three related spin-off titles. While the series has been available to Japanese readers for decades, the first volume was published in English translation in 2020 by Delacorte Press. According to the publisher, the books have now been translated into 25 languages, expanding Kadono’s readership well beyond Japan.

The international publication of the series is continuing with the scheduled English-language release of the second volume, Kiki and the New Magic, in August. The edition has been translated by Emily Balistrieri and illustrated by Yuta Onoda, reflecting continuing interest in Kadono’s work among English-speaking readers.

Kadono’s literary career developed through an unconventional path. Rather than beginning as a professional writer, she said she initially focused on family life after marrying a designer and raising a daughter. A two-year stay in Brazil during her thirties marked a turning point. She was invited to write about her experiences abroad, an assignment that introduced her to writing as a creative activity rather than a profession pursued out of obligation.

That experience led to the gradual development of her career as an author. According to Kadono, the enjoyment she found in writing became the primary motivation for continuing to produce books, rather than external expectations or commercial considerations.

The inspiration for her best-known character originated within her own family. Kadono said her daughter created a drawing at the age of 12 depicting a young witch flying on a broomstick toward the moon. The illustration became the foundation for Kiki, whom Kadono developed into a young protagonist embarking on an independent journey accompanied by her black cat, Jiji. The resulting story evolved into one of Japan’s most successful works of children’s fiction.

Kadono’s contribution to children’s literature has received international recognition. In 2018, she was awarded the Hans Christian Andersen Award, one of the world’s most respected honors in children’s literature. The award recognizes authors whose complete body of work has made a lasting contribution to literature for young readers.

Interest in Kadono’s literary legacy has also extended beyond publishing. In 2023, Kiki’s Museum of Literature opened in Tokyo, celebrating both her work and children’s literature more broadly. The museum displays extensive collections of books alongside merchandise inspired by Kadono’s creations, including clothing, mugs and other items reflecting the visual identity associated with her stories. Exhibits also include works by other authors, placing her contributions within the wider tradition of children’s literature.

According to information displayed within the museum, Kadono’s fantasy writing has attracted readers across linguistic and cultural boundaries while receiving international recognition. Museum exhibits emphasize the global reach of her fictional worlds and their appeal to both children and adults.

Visitors continue to engage with her work across generations. During a recent museum visit, five-year-old Tsukiko Fukuda expressed enthusiasm for the books and shared Kadono’s appreciation for the color pink, illustrating the continuing connection between younger readers and the author’s stories decades after their original publication.

Looking ahead, Kadono said she hopes future generations of writers will continue producing high-quality children’s literature capable of inspiring young readers. She believes the current period represents an important moment for children’s reading habits as technological change increasingly shapes leisure activities and entertainment.

According to Kadono, many of the outdoor experiences that previously stimulated children’s imagination, including time spent exploring natural environments, have become less common. At the same time, digital entertainment now competes for children’s attention in ways that were absent when she began writing.

Against that backdrop, she argues that books remain uniquely important in developing creativity and independent thought. Reading, she said, enables people to imagine situations beyond their immediate surroundings while encouraging reflection and original thinking. In her view, those qualities remain essential to human creativity, reinforcing the continuing role of literature even as reading habits evolve in the digital age.

Writer Jasper Peach says the concept of body neutrality provided a framework for challenging decades of shame and social judgment linked to body size, offering an alternative to both traditional weight-focused narratives and the more recent body positivity movement.

Writing about personal experiences spanning childhood to parenthood, Peach described growing up in an environment where body size was frequently treated as a measure of social value. Born in 1981, Peach recalled that being a large baby was initially viewed positively but said attitudes changed as childhood progressed.

According to the author, comments from peers and adults conveyed the message that larger bodies occupied a lower position in social hierarchies.One childhood incident remained particularly significant. At the age of seven, Peach asked to join a skipping game after helping turn the rope for other children.

Another child responded that participation was not possible because Peach was “too fat to skip.” The episode, Peach wrote, reflected broader social attitudes that children absorb from adults and reproduce among their peers.The author argued that these experiences were not isolated. Peach said classmates appeared to learn from adults which physical characteristics were acceptable and which were not.

Even family conversations reinforced those messages. Peach recalled a discussion with a parent who warned that body size could negatively affect personal relationships, employment prospects and social trust. While the statement was intended as guidance, Peach said it reflected assumptions that had already become familiar.As a result, Peach developed strategies aimed at offsetting negative perceptions.

Academic achievement and humor became tools for social acceptance. The author described growing up during a period shaped by influential diet programs, exercise trends and narrow beauty standards. During that era, expectations around appearance often differed by gender and were frequently contradictory, with ideals presented as both highly specific and difficult to attain.

Peach also referred to the widespread use of body mass index, or BMI, as a benchmark for assessing weight and health. The author characterized the metric as flawed and criticized its historical use in discussions of body size and personal worth. More broadly, Peach argued that appearance was often framed as evidence of individual discipline or failure, reinforcing feelings of inadequacy among those who did not conform to prevailing standards.

By adulthood, Peach said those experiences had accumulated into a longstanding sense of stigma. The emergence of the body positivity movement in mainstream culture during the 2010s therefore represented a significant shift. Although the broader fat acceptance movement had existed for decades, Peach said body positivity brought discussions about body diversity to a wider audience.

According to the author, body positivity challenged assumptions that people should be judged according to size, appearance, ability or skin tone. For individuals who had spent years encountering criticism or exclusion, the movement offered an alternative framework that emphasized respect and acceptance. Peach described this period as a relief from earlier experiences in which larger bodies were routinely treated as evidence of personal failure.

However, Peach argued that the movement changed as commercial interests adopted its language and imagery. The author contended that advertising campaigns increasingly incorporated body-positive messaging while continuing to favor conventionally attractive and heavily edited representations. In that process, Peach said, some of the people whose experiences had initially driven the movement became less visible.

It was against that backdrop that Peach encountered body neutrality, a concept that places less emphasis on appearance altogether. Rather than encouraging people to love every aspect of their bodies, body neutrality focuses on describing the body without attaching moral judgments or value assessments.Peach summarized the approach through straightforward observation.

Saying that a body is fat, the author argued, is no different from describing grass as green or a disco ball as shiny. Such descriptions identify characteristics without assigning positive or negative meaning. Under this framework, body size becomes a fact rather than a reflection of character.

The author compared the concept to responding to cold weather. A person who feels cold and puts on a jumper is generally not praised or criticized for doing so. The action addresses a practical need rather than carrying moral significance. Peach said body neutrality applies the same logic to discussions of size, food and physical comfort.

This perspective also aligned with Peach’s experience as an autistic person. The author said literal interpretations of language made it easier to adopt an approach grounded in observable facts rather than social assumptions. Looking back, Peach concluded that many negative judgments directed at larger bodies were rooted in cultural beliefs rather than objective truths.

The shift in thinking later informed a children’s book focused on body neutrality. During the writing process, Peach consulted several people, including scientist and author Emma Beckett. According to Peach, Beckett described how siblings raised in the same household, with comparable diets and levels of physical activity, developed different body shapes and sizes.

Peach said those discussions reinforced the understanding that body size is influenced by multiple factors. Genetics, environment and economic circumstances all play a role, making simplistic explanations based solely on willpower inadequate. The author argued that reducing body size to personal self-control overlooks the complexity of human development and health.

Those ideas have also influenced parenting practices within Peach’s household. The author said conversations with children aim to use neutral language rather than either overt praise or shame related to physical appearance. Bodies are described in the same manner as other observable features in everyday life.

Peach provided an example involving a discussion with a nine-year-old child who asked whether bodies change and become larger as people grow older. In response, Peach explained that bodies develop according to their own patterns and that human wellbeing is shaped by a range of influences, including feelings of safety and happiness alongside nutrition and movement.

The author described a later interaction in which the child commented affectionately on Peach’s upper arms, describing them as comfortable for cuddling. What stood out to Peach was the absence of judgment. The observation was presented simply as a statement about comfort and connection rather than appearance.

For Peach, that exchange illustrated the possibility of approaching bodies without attaching assumptions about virtue, discipline or worth. The author argued that exposure to body neutrality during childhood could have reduced years of self-criticism and helped challenge the belief that body size reflects personal weakness or failure.

Reflecting on experiences across several decades, Peach said body neutrality offered a way to separate physical characteristics from moral evaluation. Rather than requiring admiration or condemnation, the approach treats bodies as realities to be acknowledged, understood and accommodated within everyday life.