Audrey King's trip to Japan Diary

Meeting My Book Translator - DAY SEVEN

Who is Kenji Kujo?
Kenji Kujo, is my book translator! He came all the way from England to meet me. We’d been e-mailing each other for nearly three years so it was fabulous to meet him at last!

How the Japanese translation happened
Perhaps you’re wondering how “There’s Lint in Your Bellybutton” came to be published in Japanese? Well, it’s a bit of a long story but, in 1994 Kenji was working in Indonesia with Canadian volunteers who showed him a copy of the book. He loved it and wanted Japanese people to enjoy it too. Because Kenji speaks and writes Japanese and English he could make this happen.


Meeting Kenji, who presents me with a lovely gift

But Kenji had a problem. He didn’t know where to find me so he could ask permission. After eight whole years of searching he finally discovered my e-mail address through Adolf Ratzka’s website http://www.independentliving.org/. After that, our e-mail correspondence and translation really began to happen! When the Japanese publishers, Akashi Syoten, discovered I was coming to Japan they speeded up publication so the book would be ready for the JVUN conferences. When Kenji heard about the JVUN conferences, he decided he must come too.
  • Can you find Indonesia and England on the world map?
  • Who travelled the farthest to Tokyo? Kenji from England or me from Toronto, Canada?


Akashi Syoten staff who published my book
Akashi Syoten publisher selling my book

Going to the bookstore and restaurant

After I opened a special gift from Kenji, we autographed copies of “Lint in Your Bellybutton” for each other. Then we all walked to Kinokuniya, Japan’s biggest chain of bookstores (like Chapters or Indigo in Canada). And there on display in the children’s section, were lots and lots of copies of “There’s Lint in Your Bellybutton”. I was so excited, I could hardly believe it!


Kenji & I in Japan’s biggest bookstore

“Let’s celebrate!” said George and Martha, so we found a Japanese restaurant called “Heaven” and had some great Japanese food. Who could ask for anything more than a marvellous meal in “Heaven?”


Celebration in “Heaven Restaurant”!

  • What was the gift that Kenji gave me?
  • What did we eat and drink in “Heaven” restaurant?

What’s the book about?

Are you wondering what “Lint in Your Bellybutton” is all about? Well, it’s about life with a disability. I got the idea to write and draw a funny cartoon book about this in 1985. It was published in English in 1987, then in French in 1991. In 1989 a single copy was translated into Chinese and personally presented as a gift to Deng Pufang, the quadriplegic son of Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, during his visit to Canada. And now it’s been translated and published in Japanese as well. What an honor!!


English, French & Japanese copies of “There’s Lint in Your Bellybutton
Above are pages 30 and 31 from the English edition.


Above are pages 30 and 31 from the Japanese edition.
The front of the Japanese edition of “There’s Lint in Your Bellybutton”.

  • How many languages has the book been published in so far?
  • Can you find an Ability Online computer buddy in one of the pictures? (HINT: Somebody is holding it.)
Send me an e-mail: audrey.king@ablelink.org If you’d like to see more cartoons from “There’s Lint in Your Bellybutton” just write and let me know!

Table of Contents | Next >>