Author Event: The Village Beyond The Mist

Japan Society is honored to welcome bestselling Japanese children’s author Sachiko Kashiwaba and award-winning translator Avery Fischer Udagawa for a conversation in celebration of the U.S. release of The Village Beyond The Mist (霧のむこうのふしぎな町 / Kiri no Mukou no Fushigina Machi). 

Originally published in Japan in 1975, The Village Beyond The Mist is a beloved classic of Japanese children’s literature and has been cited by Hayao Miyazaki as one of his inspirations for the Studio Ghibli film Spirited Away. Yonder, a Restless Books imprint, now brings Kashiwaba’s cherished tale to American audiences for the first time through a talented translation by Avery Fischer Udagawa.

Japan Society is proud to feature both Sachiko Kashiwaba and Avery Fischer Udagawa for a discussion about their careers, the process of translation, and the long-lasting impact of The Village Beyond The Mist, a book which has transfixed audiences for 50 years.

About The Village Beyond The Mist

A mountain town that’s not on any map, a messy bookstore with infinite doors and a spoiled prince under a forgetful wizard’s curse…. this summer might hold more than Lina bargained for! When a gust of wind carries off her umbrella, it leads Lina down a secret path between the trees to a strange and incredible world. In the hidden village of Misty Valley, centaurs roam the cobblestone streets and gnomes visit shops stuffed with spellbooks and enchanted desserts. All magic has a dark side, though, and sometimes even sorcerers need a human’s helping hand. Now, 50 years after its debut in Japan, Sachiko Kashiwaba’s acclaimed novel is finally available to delight readers of all ages in English. Featuring illustrations by Miho Satake, best known for illustrating the Japanese editions of several classic children’s books including Howl’s Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones, three books in the Kiki’s Delivery Service series by Eiko Kadono and the 20th anniversary edition of the Harry Potter series.

“Ten minutes after closing the book, I was already wishing to return to the delightful Absurd Avenue in Misty Valley. This is a small, bright gem of a tale about bravery, kindness, care, and community, and wonder after wonder, in the very kind of magical town I adore. May we all, like Lina, be ready to follow when magic beckons, and take a chance on adventure.” – Kate Milford, author of Greenglass House

“Filled with whimsy, wonder and wisdom, Lina’s journey will have all of us looking for magical villages just a step away.” – Wendy Mass, author of The Candymakers

About Sachiko Kashiwaba:
Sachiko Kashiwaba is a prolific writer of children’s and young adult fantasy whose works have garnered the prestigious Sankei, Shogakukan and Noma children’s literature awards. Her works have recently been animated as the films The Wonderland and The House of the Lost on the Cape, and her novel Temple Alley Summer, illustrated by Miho Satake and translated by Avery Fischer Udagawa, won the American Library Association’s 2022 Mildred L. Batchelder Award. She lives in Morioka, Iwate.

About Avery Fischer Udagawa 
Avery Fischer Udagawa grew up in Kansas and studied English and Asian Studies at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. She holds an MA in advanced Japanese studies from the University of Sheffield. She has studied at Nanzan University, Nagoya, on a Fulbright fellowship, and at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies, Yokohama. She writes, translates and works in international education near Bangkok, where she lives with her bicultural family. 

Autographs and Book Sales

Attendees of Japan Society’s talk and signing with Sachiko Kashiwaba and Avery Fischer Udagawa will be able to purchase copies of The Village Beyond The Mist and the pair’s other books at the event for a signing session following their talk.

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Japan Society’s 120th anniversary initiatives and related programs are generously supported by Champion Sponsor, MUFG Bank, Ltd.; Advocate Sponsor, Mizuho Americas; and Friend Sponsor, Mitsubishi Corporation (Americas).

Japan Society programs are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

Additional support for cultural programs is provided by an anonymous donor; Sendon and BuyJapon; the Sandy Heck Lecture Fund; and Anime NYC.

The NYC Japanese Literature Series is supported by a grant from the Toshiba International Foundation.