Tomo – An Anthology of Japan Teen Stories

A few weeks ago I had the privilege of attending the launch of a very special and unique book, titled Tomo: An Anthology of Teen Stories.  In it, both Western and Japanese writers contribute stories aimed at teens, about some aspect of Japan.  Some of the stories are quake-focused, but some are about other experiences of teens – both foreign and Japanese – in Japan and some others are about Japanese teens’ experiences abroad.  There is at least one graphic story and more than one prose-poem.  The beauty ofTomo is that all money raised goes to help children in Tohoku affected by the disasters of March 2011.

At the launch, several writers got up to read from their pieces, and all of them who read, did so as if they were reading directly to the affected children. They emotion of their words and their voices, to a man, was palpable in the room.  It was a wonderful night.

The editor of the anthology, writer Holly Thompson, is masterful in her ability to marshal support in the form of creativity, and the authors who wrote for her have produced a prize-worthy collection of pieces designed to explain, inform, and aid teens in their cross-cultural understandings.

Please go to the Tomo website here, and see the details of how to purchase this book.  I assure you that the teens are not the only ones who will appreciate it.