Inspiration Archives - NorikoArt

If I Had an “Anywhere Door”…

nori — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 18:52:45 +0000

When I was a child, I loved watching Doraemon, a classic Japanese anime about a robotic cat from the future who helps a young boy using magical gadgets.

Among all the gadgets Doraemon pulled out of his pocket, the one I wanted most was the “Anywhere Door” (Dokodemo Door).

A door that takes you instantly to wherever you want to go.
Even now, if I could choose just one, that would still be it.

If I could use magic for just one day, I would choose that “Anywhere Door” and visit all the people I long to see around the world.

I left Japan 25 years ago.
It all started when I failed every job interview I took.
I had aimed for a career in the media, hoping to change society; I applied to NHK (Japan’s public broadcaster, similar to the BBC), commercial broadcasters, and newspapers, but the result was a clean sweep of rejections.
My world turned black.

I was at a loss for a while, but then a thought crossed my mind:
“Maybe this might be my chance to go abroad like I’ve always wanted.”
I decided to study English in Ireland for a few months.

I fell in love with Ireland, and after returning to Japan, I decided to become a Japanese language teacher so I could go back. My minor in Japanese language education turned out to be a great help.

I joined an NGO that sends teachers worldwide and requested a placement in Ireland.
However, there were no vacancies in Ireland. Instead, I was sent to Lebanon.

That became the great turning point of my life.

In Lebanon, I met students who were studying art at university.
Watching them pursue their dreams so earnestly sparked something inside me.

—This is what I’ve actually wanted to do all along!

I had loved drawing since I was a child.
But every time I said I wanted to pursue art, I was told,

“That’s not realistic, don’t do it.”

Eventually, I had started to believe those words myself.
But the encounters in Lebanon changed my life completely.

“You only live once. If I don’t do what I truly want, I’ll regret it.”

With that conviction, I decided to pursue art.

More than 20 years have passed since then, and I am now working as an artist and children’s book author in the UK.
Before coming here, I spent four years studying art in Newfoundland, Canada.
There, too, I had irreplaceable encounters.

Wherever I have gone, someone has always helped me.
It feels as if invisible threads have connected each point of my life, guiding me from one place to the next.

If I could use magic for just one day, I would open the Anywhere Door and visit Lebanon, Canada, and all the other places across the globe to see the people I miss.
I would hug each of them and say,

“Thank you.”

Postscript

…But is this really something that requires magic?
I’ve often told myself, “Once I have more money,” or “Once I have more time,” and kept putting it off.
Yet if I wait until both are perfectly in place, I may reach the end of my life without ever seeing the people I truly want to see.

So I’ll start where I can.
Not “someday,” but “now.”
Even just a single message is enough.
If I can take even the smallest step forward, then perhaps I already hold a magic wand in my hand.

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Don’t Say Hurry Up, Hurry Up

nori — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:21:17 +0000

‘Don’t Say Hurry Up, Hurry Up’

Recently, this picture book title caught my eye.
Thump.

I imagine many mums would be startled by these words.
Mums are busy. We can’t always move at our children’s pace.
Before I know it, the words

“Hurry up!”

slip out of my mouth.
I wonder if I say it almost every single day.

The other day, my 13-year-old son said this to me:

“The words I hate most are ‘now’ and ‘right away.’
I want to do things at my own pace.
I hate being rushed and told, ‘Hurry up!’
When I become a parent, I’ll never say that to my child.”

My son has always been slow-paced and easygoing since he was little.
When he woke up and got dressed in the morning, if left alone, it could take over an hour.
That would make him late for school.
The world doesn’t turn at a child’s pace.

When he woke up and got dressed in the morning, if left alone, it could take over an hour. That would make him late for school. The world doesn’t turn at a child’s pace.

But…

Actually, I was just as slow-paced as my son when I was a child.
I was late for school almost every day.
My walk to school was full of temptations for my endlessly curious mind.

If I saw tadpoles in a rice paddy along the way, of course I wanted to stop.
If I found an unusual pebble on the ground, I wanted to pick it up.
At school, I couldn’t finish my assignments on time.
I couldn’t even finish my school lunch on time.

When I was rushed with “Hurry up, hurry up!” my mind would go blank, and I couldn’t move forward.

As the adults around me kept saying, “Hurry up, hurry up!”, I got used to living in a race against time.
And before I knew it, I had become an adult who says “Hurry up, hurry up!” to my own child.

Even though, deep down,
I knew those were the words I hated hearing the most.

In the picture book, ‘Don’t Say Hurry Up, Hurry Up,’ the murmur of a small boat sailing alone on a vast ocean overlapped with my son’s inner voice, and my own voice from childhood.
Tears welled up in my eyes.

“Why are you rushing?
Where are you going in a hurry?”

“When I’m compared to others,
my heart starts to pound.”

“Each one of us is different.
What we can do is different.”

“Please don’t ask,
‘Why can’t you do it?’”

“Don’t pull me.
Don’t push me.”

“Each one of us is different.
What we can do is different.”

“Each one has a different length.”
“Each one has a different time.”

When I was a university student, I met a teacher who changed my life.
I think it was a moral education class in the Faculty of Education.

At the end of every class, he would hand out sheets of A4 paper, cut into quarters, and say,

“Please write what you are thinking right now.”

I was always the last one to finish.
While the other students left one after another, I was always the only one left, writing down “What I am thinking right now.”

I would rush, thinking,
“I shouldn’t keep the teacher waiting because of me,”
scribbling with my pencil, my heart pounding.
But the more I rushed, the less I could think of what to write.

That’s when the teacher said to me,

“You don’t have to rush. I’ll wait, so please take your time.”

I was shocked.
He’ll wait for me?
No teacher had ever said those words to me before.
For the first time in my life, I felt accepted for who I was.

Another time, he said,

“Noriko has Noriko Time.
If you can work within Noriko Time, you’ll surely do good work.”

With my teacher’s words in my heart, I am now working as a children’s book author.
And through another children’s author’s work,
I was reminded of an important message I had almost forgotten.

“I’ll go slowly.
Come along slowly.

Will you wait for me?
I’ll wait for you.”

This is it. The message I needed to hear. And the message my son needed to hear.
To the author, Miri Masuda: Thank you for reminding me of what truly matters.

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Are Tigers Yellow or Orange?

nori — Sun, 26 Nov 2023 08:43:03 +0000

In a recent social media post, I questioned whether tigers are yellow or orange as part of my work on a picture book about colors. Surprisingly, most people said ‘orange,’ but I’ve always pictured them as yellow!

This got me thinking about why I associate tigers with the colour yellow. It might be because of my favourite childhood book, “Little Black Sambo,” where the tigers turn into butter. Could this be why I associate tigers with the colour yellow?

“Little Black Sambo” is a story about a clever boy named Sambo. Sambo encounters four hungry tigers, and he gives up his colourful new clothes, shoes and umbrella so that they will not eat him. The tigers are vain and each thinks that it is better dressed than the others. They have a massive argument and end up chasing each other until they melt into butter.

Despite the popularity of “Little Black Sambo,” it faced criticism for racial stereotypes and was removed from the market in 1988.

The book’s removal prompted the release of new versions in the US, such as “The Story of Little Babaji” and “Sam and Tigers.” (Read an interesting article by The Washington Post about how these two titles came about.)

However, in Japan, the book took a different path. Even after going out of print in 1988, voices clamored for a reprint. In 2005, Zuiunsha decided to republish it in its original form, asserting that there was no discriminatory content or language expression.

While the book remains a subject of debate in the West, especially in the US, where it is widely considered irredeemably racist, in Japan, it’s seen differently due to distinct historical contexts.

In my personal view, labelling something as racist doesn’t eliminate racism. True change requires a shift in mindset, embracing differences, and fostering understanding. Banning a book doesn’t contribute to genuine change; open discussions and empathy are key.

Anyhow, “Little Black Sambo” has had a lasting impact on my life, not due to its name or portrayal but because of the scene where tigers chase each other and turn into butter at the end. This somehow imprinted in me the belief that tigers are yellow! Undoubtedly, it’s a wonderful story.

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Chigiri-e: Drawing Inspiration from Sadako’s Paper Crane for Peace

nori — Thu, 10 Aug 2023 15:34:42 +0000

Have you ever heard the story of a thousand cranes? In Japan, the crane is considered a sacred bird. It is believed that folding a thousand paper cranes can grant a person the opportunity to make a special wish come true.

Recently, I had the opportunity to visit the Oriental Museum, where the exhibition “Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki” was on display. Amidst the exhibits, tiny origami cranes encased in resin caught my eye. These delicate origami cranes were folded by a young girl named Sadako.

Sadako was exposed to the radiation of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima when she was just two years old. A decade after the bombing, she suddenly contracted leukemia. She continuously folded paper cranes, hoping they would help her recover. However, when she saw the other children in her ward were dying, she realised that she might not survive. Her wish shifted to yearning for world peace and an end to suffering.

It is said that Sadako folded 644 cranes before she died. Her classmates continued folding cranes in honour of their friend. She was buried with a wreath of 1000 cranes to honour her dream.

I read Sadako’s story as a child and learned that the paper crane became a symbol of peace because of her.

When the Oriental Museum approached me to host a Chigiri-e workshop centred around the themes of ‘peace’ and ‘hope,’ I decided to create a Chigiri-e piece inspired by Sadako’s paper cranes.

Here’s the process of creating the Chigiri-e crane.

The works below are from the Chigiri-e workshop at the Oriental Museum. Aren’t they amazing?

My Chigiri-e greeting cards are available in my online shop.

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Interview: Destynee Onwochei & Noriko Matsubara

nori — Sat, 13 Nov 2021 19:54:07 +0000

I worked with BBC Children’s for their new Storytime App earlier this year. I illustrated one of their stories called “Olanna’s Super Senses” written by Destynee Onwochei. Prior to the Storytime App launch in July 2021, Destynee and I decided to interview each other and talk about behind the scene of this collaboration.

Watch the video and find out about our back stories and how we ended up working with BBC!

In this interview, we cover:

0:58- Destynee’s background and her journey to become a published author

5:36- Events and people that had a great impact on Destynee’s life

9:27- Destynee’s current/future projects

12:25- Destynee’s tips for aspiring authors

14:13- Noriko’s journey to become an author/illustrator

18:37- What made Noriko want to write children’s books

20:35- Noriko talks about her “Bocchi and Pocchi” picture book character ‘Grandma mouse’

22:30- Noriko’s journey on getting her children’s books published

26:35- How did the BBC reach out to Noriko

29:08- Noriko’s current project

29:56- Noriko talks about her vision for the future

To find out more about Destynee, visit her website: destynee.com

“Olanna’s Super Senses” is free and available via the CBeebies Storytime App (only in the UK)

Download the CBeebies Storytime App to watch the story written by Destynee Onwochei and illustrated by myself (You can find “Olanna’s Super Senses” under the “Bedtime Stories” category).

Click the button below to see all my past cartoons.

PICTURE BOOKS

My picture books (signed & personalised) are available here.

You can also buy my picture books on Amazon.co.uk.

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Reunion with my Year 1 teacher

nori — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 11:55:56 +0000

Last August, I was giving a talk at Hachinohe Book Center in Japan, promoting my newly published book.

When it was time for Q&A, an elderly lady stood up from the audience seat.

That was Mrs Tsuda, my teacher at first grade of elementary school.

I recognised her face right away even though we hadn’t seen each other for over 30 years.

I was the slowest child in the class. It took me so long to do anything. I came to school late because I was dawdling. I couldn’t finish eating school lunch in time so I continued eating while everyone was tidying up the classroom. I was so slow doing work that I continued working after everyone finished and left the class.

But Mrs Tsuda was patient. Rather than looking at what I wasn’t good at, she focused on what I was good at. Although I was slow in writing, she found I was actually good at writing. So she allowed me to work outside the class time so I could finish what I was working on. That year I wrote an essay about a book and won an award, thanks to her patient and continuous support.

Mrs Tsuda said to me when I was seven:

“Noriko, there is shine in your eyes. Many people lose their shines as they grow up. Keep your shine and never lose it.”

Her words resonated with me and still stay with me after 35 years.

I often ask myself in the mirror, “Do I have shine in my eyes?”

Sometimes I answer “Yes.” This is usually the time when I’m doing what I’m passionate about.

When I answer “No,” I’m not enjoying what I’m doing.

I found this question a great indicator to know the state of my heart and helps me keep the right focus.

The impact of events in childhood are great. If I didn’t meet Mrs Tsuda when I was seven, I might never have become a children’s author and illustrator.

I’m very lucky to have met people who helped me to get where I am now. Life is so mysterious. It brings me right people at the right time, although I’m not aware of it at that time.

You can watch my talk at Hachinohe Book Center in Japan below (it’s in Japanese – sorry, no English subtitles!)

Noriko’s picture books are available here or on Amazon.

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Behind the Scene – How I came to do what I do

nori — Wed, 01 May 2019 10:35:28 +0000

I want to talk about why I do what I do – creating children’s books.

Before I started writing and illustrating children’s books, I was doing an art project that focused on issues surrounding nuclear power (see my ‘Nuclear Project’).

I grew up in the area in Japan where a nuclear waste reprocessing plant was being built nearby and the landscape was rapidly changing. I felt compelled to face the nuclear issues through my art. But the more I learnt about the problems of the nuclear industry, and the larger the problems I was dealing with, I felt depressed and powerless. I needed to take a break from it and create something lighter and simpler that I can feel at peace with, so I began writing and illustrating children’s books.

Creating children’s books makes me happy, that’s the reason why I started. But then I came across a quote by Mother Teresa :

“Love begins at home.”

This really sparked me into what I do.

I’d love to create stories that children and parents read together.

I’d love children to experience love and warmth through books and the experience of sharing books with their family.

I’d love to help nurture children’s potential.

Children are our future.

Children determine the future of humanity.

So this is why I do what I do and I love it.

Noriko’s picture books are available here or on Amazon.

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Interview with Children’s Author Pippa Goodhart

nori — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 11:27:13 +0000

I’m curious about how longstanding children’s authors work. How do they get so many ideas? What do they do if they get stuck? Because I have gone through stagnant periods when I couldn’t find any ideas and felt stuck, I’m interested in how experienced authors resolve these issues and keep going.

I interviewed Pippa Goodhart, the author of over a hundred children’s books, including prize-winning picture book You Choose, and the Winnie the Witch storybooks which she writes under the pen name of Laura Owen.

In this interview, we cover:

0:12- Introducing Pippa

1:32- How Pippa, who was slow at learning to read and write as a child, became a published children’s author

4:54- Pippa explains how jobs in a bookshop and as a publisher’s reader led to what she does now

7:40- Pippa talks about writing stories for various age groups and the different challenges she enjoys

9:21- How Pippa finds ideas for her stories

11:26- Pippa explains how she deliberately writes herself into a corner when she is writing and how she resolves it

14:24- Two useful words Pippa gives to children when they can’t find their ideas for themselves

16:22- What Pippa does and what she enjoys in her school visits

17:54- Questions children tend to ask that teachers are longing to know but are too polite to ask

21:05- What enables Pippa to look at things from children’s point of view

22:41- Pippa talks about characters in her stories

26:36- The reason why Pippa uses the pen name Laura Owen for her Winnie the Witch books

29:25- How Pippa works with illustrators

29:49- Pippa talks about her picture book You Choose illustrated by Nick Sharratt

37:20- Publishers and agents

39:21- Who is Pippa’s favourite character?

39:55- Pippa’s favourite book format to work on

41:34- What Pippa thinks are the most important qualities for authors

43:55- Pippa’s advices for aspiring authors

44:40- Pippa’s online courses

45:40- Pippa’s current project

Visit Pippa’s website here

Pippa gives talks and workshops in schools and libraries.

To book her visit, you can contact Pippa directly here

To find out about her online courses, visit the links below:

Institute of Continuing Education (ICE)

Jericho Writers

Noriko’s picture books are available here or on Amazon.

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Interview with Children’s Author/Illustrator Gillian McClure

nori — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 22:53:28 +0000

I love what I do – working as an artist, children’s book author and illustrator. But I have challenges. How can I find more time to work while raising a young family? How can I earn more income from what I do? How can I get more inspiration?

I decided to interview experienced authors and artists to learn from their experiences, and share them with people who might benefit.

I got in touch with Gillian McClure, an author and illustrator whose career spans four decades. Since she started her career in a rather unusual way in 1974, she has had many books published as well as running her own publishing company, Plaister Press, for six years.

In this interview, we cover:

0:11- Introduction

2:31- How Gillian became a published author and illustrator

5:21- Gillian’s artwork and mediums

7:00- Process of creating a picture book

7:40- How Gillian managed to work while raising a young family

9:47- How Gillian gets ideas for her book

10:57- Events and people that had a great impact on Gillian’s life

12:30- Pros and cons of working with big/small publishers

13:50- Gillian’s involvement in typographic design

16:04- What kind of workshops Gillian gives in schools/libraries

18:32- What Gillian enjoys the most amongst all the things she does

20:19- How schools/libraries can get in touch with Gillian

20:48- How authors/illustrators can earn more income using their books

22:06- Gillian’s tips for aspiring authors and illustrators

23:22- Gillian’s current/future projects

Visit Gillian’s website here

Gillian gives talks and workshops in libraries, schools, and at festivals and conferences.

To book her visit, you can contact Gillian directly here or through the links below:

Authors Aloud

Contact an Author

Authors Abroad

Noriko’s picture books are available here or on Amazon.

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Lads and Lasses We Love – Noriko Matsubara

nori — Sun, 25 Nov 2018 00:24:21 +0000

This blog first appeared on Digital Sparkles’ blog article on 12th November 2018. You can read it here.

ORIGINAL POST

Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do
Hello, my name is Noriko. I’m a Japanese artist, illustrator and author based in Consett, County Durham.

I write and illustrate children’s books about a pair of socks; see more at Bocchi and Pocchi. ‘Bocchi and Pocchi: A Tale of Two Socks’ was my first picture book. The inspiration for the story came from my childhood as a I would watch my grandma regularly mending socks and wondering what might happen to them. ‘Bocchi and Pocchi and the Bird’ and ‘Bocchi and Pocchi’s Big Surprise’ are the sequels. I am going to continue with this series as there are so many adventures these woolly socks could have together!

While I illustrate my picture books with coloured pencils, I also practice paper collage called ‘Chigiri-e’ a Japanese art form, traditionally created using hand-torn Japanese paper. Whilst my work is influenced by my Japanese heritage, the material I use today is modern newspaper print which adds a special contemporary dimension to my work.

Before becoming an artist, I taught Japanese in Lebanon, Canada and the UK. As a consequence of my travel I decided to follow my passion and I went on to study fine art. While on my journey, I met an introvert gentle man from Essex – I’m now married to him and we have two children aged six and two.

Tell us about your business
Apart from creating artwork and children’s books, I offer Japanese art (Chigiri-e, Origami) workshops and book reading/craft sessions.

In my Chigiri-e workshops, I teach both adults and children just how easy it is to create beautiful Chigiri-e Art. My Origami workshops give people an authentic experience of learning the art of Japanese paper folding. I deliver tailor made workshops that suit any age over four years old. In my book reading sessions, I read my picture books with puppets and songs, and children enjoy themed craft activities afterwards.

I’ve recently launched my online shop selling my Chigiri-e prints, children’s illustration prints and greeting cards Noriko Art.

What are the most sparkly bits of what you do?
It makes me happy when I’m drawing my wooly sock characters, I often find myself smiling. When I read my stories to children in libraries and nurseries, I like to see the smiles on their faces. I hope my picture books help children go to bed with a smile too.

Creating Chigiri-e Art is a slow process but therapeutic and satisfying, I get so absorbed in the process of tearing newspaper and layering it piece by piece. I love sharing this technique with people and seeing how newspaper is transformed into a piece of art in each person’s hands.

I’m so grateful to be able to share my stories and art with people!

What are the biggest challenges you face running your business?
Time management. It’s challenging to be a business owner and mum of young children at the same time.

I often work too hard and don’t spend enough time with my family, which makes everyone unhappy including myself. So I think it’s important to keep in mind what my priorities are and to balance work with family life.

What have been your biggest achievements and how have you celebrated them?
I have to say getting my first picture book published was my biggest achievement so far. I celebrated it by hosting a book launch event. I felt so proud when I signed a copy of my book for a customer the first time! My picture books are now sold in the UK, Spain, China, South Korea and Vietnam.

What are your goals – for yourself and your business?
My personal goal is to look after myself and my family as best as I can, and help our children thrive.

My business goal for the next few years is to build up the art side of my business while working as a children’s author/illustrator, and bring my whole business to the level that I can support my family, travel and invest in my interests. My ultimate business goal is to use artistic activities to help other people achieve their potential.

What is your favourite place in the North East and why?
There is a walk along River Derwent between Shotley Bridge and Allensford. When we moved up north three years ago, this was the first place we went. It’s still my favourite place in the North East. As a family we sometimes take a walk there and have a picnic by the river. I love the sound of water.

There is a good chance I will give a different answer to this question if I’m asked next time though, as we haven’t explored further afield, we haven’t even been to the Northumberland coast yet!

Who puts a Sparkle in your eye?!
My family.

My children cause so much trouble and make me exhausted, but I can’t imagine my life without them! They give me inspiration for my children’s stories and art projects. My next picture book is about Bocchi and Pocchi, a pair of socks, looking after a very naughty Baby Sock. Guess who inspired me to create this story?

My husband Steve, becasue without him my picture books wouldn’t have been born. He has been very supportive throughout my career as an artist. When I was almost giving up sending my ‘sock’ story to publishers, he encouraged me saying, “You just need to find one person who likes your work. Keep sending your submissions. It’s a better bet than winning a lottery.” He was right! Steve is also a good writer and helps me with story lines. Funny bits of the stories are often his ideas.

I’m so grateful to have my husband and our children in my life.

A final Sparkly thought – what tips would you give to busy, hard-working entrepreneurs?
If you believe in your work, don’t give it up! A person who can become an author is the person who doesn’t give up.

Prepare. If you aren’t prepared, even if an opportunity arises you wouldn’t even notice it.

Think what your priorities are. If you work too hard and neglect your health or your family, it will defeat the purpose of your life.

You can connect with Noriko on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

Noriko’s picture books are available here or on Amazon.

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