Journey to Tomioka by Laurent Galandon, translated by Owen Smith and Anne Smith with illustrations by Michaël Crouzat was read via an online reader copy. In June 2026, however, you can find a copy, which I highly recommend. The publisher, First Second, has become one of those publishers for me that I might not always love something they published, in fact, I might not even like it, but I always respect what happened and the time it takes to make something that can be thoughtful, thought provoking and just down right unique.
Unfortunately I cannot give this a five as there was a small issue I had with the fantasy elements not being described clearly for a Western audience. The yokai (creatures of Japanese mythology) are seen, spoken to, and play a role but I only understand that as I have a very basic background on the subject. Our main male character’s actions relate directly to how these beings help or can hurt himself and family. Also, I was not a fan of the children not having any real consequences for going into the radioactive area when they leave their home after the death of their grandmother.. No, I did not want them punished, but I had hoped they would appreciate the enormity of their actions.
With that said, I enjoyed the story, the images and the overall feeling of it. I like that we are taking contemporary events, even though they are now historical as well, and bringing them back to the forefront of our thoughts. We are not just exploring the tsunami and nuclear meltdown that happened in Japan, but how that affected those who stayed behind afterwards. The family we journey with are a brother and sister and grandmother. They live near the radioactive areas, but are not immediate. As the siblings go to live with a cousin after the death of the grandmother, we see how the rules and regulations and results of the aftermath.
One thing I was a little iffy about, but thought had great potential, was that the toxicity becomes a physical character and interacts with a sibling. Due to the ages of probably 10 and up (though younger, stronger readers would be okay) the author probably did not want to explore too deeply, but there was a story arc that could have been expanded. Again,I liked this book. I will read others by the author if and/or when they are translated into English, and again, I recommend reading it yourself.
