Issun-bōshi

The story

For years, an older couple wishes for a child. When their son finally arrives, he is scarcely taller than a thumb—and they name him Issun-bōshi, the one-inch boy. Small as he is, Issun-bōshi dreams beyond the edges of home. One morning, he packs the perfect traveling kit: a rice bowl for a boat, a chopstick for an oar, and a needle for a sword.

The river carries him toward the capital through a world transformed by scale. Reeds rise like trees. Raindrops strike like drums. A step that would be nothing to anyone else becomes a climb, a crossing, or a test of balance. Yet Issun-bōshi meets each obstacle with invention rather than complaint.

In the city, his boldness earns him a place in a noble household and the friendship of a clever young woman. Then a journey beyond the gates brings them face-to-face with an oni—a powerful being who sees only an impossibly tiny opponent. Issun-bōshi has no armor and no great weapon, only the tools he brought from home and the courage to use them in an unexpected way.

Drawn from Japan’s otogi-zōshi tale tradition, this playful adventure makes the familiar enormous and asks a thrilling question: how far can ingenuity carry a hero the world keeps underestimating?

Why readers will love it

• Bowl boat, chopstick oar, and needle sword make an unforgettable miniature adventure kit.
• Dramatic shifts in scale turn reeds, rain, and river currents into a world of imaginative play.
• Issun-bōshi approaches obstacles with curiosity and invention rather than waiting to become bigger.
• The journey builds from a gentle departure to a thrilling encounter with an oni.

A good gift for

Small-but-mighty adventurers, imaginative builders, children beginning a new school or journey, and readers who love finding surprising uses for everyday things.

Good to know

Includes an oni and fantasy peril involving a much larger opponent. Caregivers of sensitive readers may wish to preview the confrontation.