HarperCollins / Harper, 2025
Waiting for Hanami
J.P. Takahashi and HifuMiyo deliver the moving story about a young Japanese girl who has eagerly awaited her mixed-family reunion at the cherry blossom festival, but when nerves strike on the day, a cousin helps her learn more about their family tree and together they watch new bonds blossom.
Spring has finally come.
Sai has been waiting all year for the tree’s green buds to turn pink. For the cherry blossoms to finally burst open. For her big family reunion at the sakura festival.
Relatives from far and wide are gathering at last, but there are some family members she recognizes only from video screens and phone calls. Among the crowd, Sai seems to shrink down . . .
Until she meets her cousin Avi. It’s an instant click. And together, they dream up a special way to dive deep into their family history — and honor the blooming of new connections.
"We couldn't be more proud of Waiting for Hanami, a story that brings everyone together in celebration of cherry blossoms. I hope everyone who opens this book feels the same excitement and warmth of this special season meaningful to all of us in the U.S. - Japan space."
— Joshua W. Walker, Ph.D., President & CEO, Japan Society
J.P. Takahashi
Children’s Author
Bio
J.P. Takahashi was born in New York City and raised by a family of readers in the United States and Japan. She loves a good adventure, in real life and in her imagination—especially when it’s as scary as it is magical.Find J.P. online at JPTakahashi.com and @j.p.takahashi.
HarperCollins / Tegen, 2023
Tokyo Night Parade
Barnes & Noble Best Books of 2023
School Library Journal Best Books of 2023
2024 Children's Book Committee Best Children’s Books of the Year
2024 Barnes & Noble Children’s and YA Awards Shortlist
A Black Japanese girl returns to Tokyo to visit her grandfather and celebrate the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons.
The night parade is about to begin…
The ground thunders in Tokyo. A gust of wind blows. The pitter-patter of paws and claws draws closer. The air is thick with swirling, swooping demons.
It’s Eka’s favorite evening of the year, the one night she refuses to miss. But it’s become harder to travel to Japan now that she’s living across the world in New York. Unsure of when she can return next to see her yokai friends, Eka tries to forget that this could be her last parade for some time.
Instead, she’ll march, sing, dance, and screech until sunrise. Because on this night, there’s no time to waste — the night parade awaits.
Praise for Tokyo:
School Library Journal
★ “A glorious night parade through the streets of Tokyo. Offering a glimpse of modern and traditional Japanese culture, this tale will charm a wide audience, including readers unfamiliar with and those enamored of its folklore, fiction, and manga.” (starred review)
Shelf Awareness
★ “J.P. Takahashi's debut picture book is a multilayered story, both jubilant and poignant, that captures a girl's return to the hyakkiyagyō (the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) in her former home of Tokyo… This deeply felt and nuanced story leaves much for child readers to ponder.” (starred review)
Kirkus
“Eka’s questions about whether the yokai are good or wicked offer intriguing food for thought—like humans, the yokai contain multitudes. With its beautiful night palette, the artwork glows and brings the text and monsters to life. A beautiful tale of friendship and living in the moment."
Publishers Weekly
“In this yokai-studded reimagining of Japanese folklore, a child who has “come home to Tokyo” reunites with fantastical friends on her favorite evening—that of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. [A] visually appealing nighttime romp."
Barnes & Noble
“A beautiful blend of the old and new, Takahashi and Tomigahara's storytelling deserves attention across all ages and after you experience it, you'll find yourself admiring the stars, in awe and delighted by the unknowns.“
"A magical ode to the In-Between—to the space between homes, between creaturely and human worlds, between what the heart can hold and what it misses. This sparkling, Miyazaki-hued story instantly whisked me back to childhood summers in Tokyo, to far-out fables and night festivals, reminding me: the supernatural is often the best doorway to the true."
— Kyo Maclear, author of The Big Bath House and Kumo
"Melodic and mesmerizing and thrilling yet tender, this book is a lush sensory and emotional experience.”
— Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow, critically-acclaimed children’s author
“TOKYO NIGHT PARADE will leave readers longing for the worlds we’ve known and curious about the worlds we've yet to discover. An unforgettable story combines with a gorgeously illustrated world, reminding readers that our most magical moments can exist in the here and now. A remarkable debut that delivers abundantly.”
— Antwan Eady, author of Nigel and the Moon
Announcement:
For Educators:
HarperCollins, Feb 4, 2025
Waiting for Hanami
J.P. Takahashi and HifuMiyo deliver the moving story about a young Japanese girl who has eagerly awaited her mixed-family reunion at the cherry blossom festival, but when nerves strike on the day, a cousin helps her learn more about their family tree and together they watch new bonds blossom.
Spring has finally come.
Sai has been waiting all year for the tree’s green buds to turn pink. For the cherry blossoms to finally burst open. For her big family reunion at the sakura festival.
Relatives from far and wide are gathering at last, but there are some family members she recognizes only from video screens and phone calls. Among the crowd, Sai seems to shrink down . . .
Until she meets her cousin Avi. It’s an instant click. And together, they dream up a special way to dive deep into their family history — and honor the blooming of new connections.
Praise for Hanami:
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books
★“Takahashi’s expressive storytelling and HifuMiyo’s digitally textured silkscreen print patterns bloom with delight in this picture book, which follows a mixed Black-Japanese family celebrating the annual Japanese tradition of Hanami, or cherry blossom viewing. When [two cousins] seek solace from one another, they learn and listen to the depth of their family’s stories. The motifs of flowering trees and falling petals symbolize life’s fleeting moments with loved ones, reminding readers to cherish the beauty of being present.” (starred review)
Full Review
Booklist
“Sai waits eagerly all year for this spectacular [cherry blossom] viewing event that is combined with a big reunion of her Japanese American and African American extended family. When she meets her cousin Avi for the first time, the kindred spirits use their creative talents to get to know their relatives and record “all the journeys their history contains.” Elegantly told, this picture book is a joyful appreciation of the beauty of being present in the moment.”
Full Review
Publishers Weekly
"At the heart of this sensitively written story by Takahashi are the discoveries the children exchange about their distinctive ways of delving into creativity. [Sai and Avi] discover that their extended family contains many surprises as they take pleasure in seasonal clouds of cherry blossoms."
Kirkus
“Avi, who uses his pen to tell stories, is an artist just like Sai, who helps her parents connect customers with the perfect kimono fabric in their shop. They draw strength from each other and use their shared talent to uncover and depict their family’s stories in a creative family tree…. The narrative is pervaded by a sense of warmth and love, while the illustrations effectively immerse readers in this flowery world, with the relatives varying in skin tone and facial features. An affectionately drawn tale of family.”
Full Review
"We couldn't be more proud of Waiting for Hanami, a story that brings everyone together in celebration of cherry blossoms. I hope everyone who opens this book feels the same excitement and warmth of this special season meaningful to all of us in the U.S.-Japan space."
— Joshua W. Walker, Ph.D., President & CEO, Japan Society
"A tribute to love and growth, Waiting for Hanami is more than just a children’s book; it honors the cultural richness that shapes our identities. It invites readers to reflect on the power of collecting memories and experiences, celebrating the moments that bring us closer together."
— Gary R. Gray, Jr., Author of I’m From
Contact:
Representation:
Books: Kathleen Ortiz, KO Media ManagementFilm/TV: Mary Pender, WME
Publisher:
TOKYO NIGHT PARADE: HarperCollins Children’s / Katherine Tegen BooksWAITING FOR HANAMI: HarperCollins Children’s / HARPER
Email:
jpt [at] jptakahashi [dot] com
Media Kit:
Photo credit: S. Teer. Reprint permitted for publicity purposes.All info and files downloadable here.
Short Bio:J.P. Takahashi was born in New York City and raised by a family of readers in the United States and Japan. She loves a good adventure, in real life and in her imagination—especially when it’s as scary as it is magical.Standard Bio:J.P. Takahashi was born in New York City and raised by a family of readers in the United States and Japan. She loves a good adventure, in real life and in her imagination—especially when it’s as scary as it is magical. By day, J.P. works in publishing as a literary agent. She’s the author of Tokyo Night Parade (2023) and Waiting for Hanami (2025), and can be found online at jptakahashi.com and on Instagram @j.p.takahashi.Social Media Links:Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/jas-perry.comBuy Links:Tokyo Night Parade (HarperCollins, 2023):HarperCollins ・ Indiebound ・ Amazon ・ Barnes & Noble ・ Target ・ BookshopWaiting for Hanami (HarperCollins, 2025):HarperCollins ・ Indiebound ・ Amazon ・ Barnes & Noble ・ Target ・ BookshopPraise for TOKYO NIGHT PARADE:A 2024 Children's Book Committee Best Children's Book of the Year
A Barnes & Noble Best Book of 2023
A School Library Journal Best Book of 2023
Shortlisted for the 2023 Barnes & Noble Children's & YA Book Awards★ “A glorious night parade through the streets of Tokyo. Offering a glimpse of modern and traditional Japanese culture, this tale will charm a wide audience, including readers unfamiliar with and those enamored of its folklore, fiction, and manga.” — School Library Journal (starred review)★ “J.P. Takahashi's debut picture book is a multilayered story, both jubilant and poignant, that captures a girl's return to the hyakkiyagyō (the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons) in her former home of Tokyo… This deeply felt and nuanced story leaves much for child readers to ponder.” — Shelf Awareness (starred review)“Eka’s questions about whether the yokai are good or wicked offer intriguing food for thought—like humans, the yokai contain multitudes. With its beautiful night palette, the artwork glows and brings the text and monsters to life. A beautiful tale of friendship and living in the moment." — Kirkus Reviews“In this yokai-studded reimagining of Japanese folklore, a child who has “come home to Tokyo” reunites with fantastical friends on her favorite evening—that of the Night Parade of One Hundred Demons. [A] visually appealing nighttime romp." — Publishers Weekly"Debut author Takahashi crafts an enchanting child's-eye view of this night when the worlds of humans and emons overlap, with the significance of this mythology deepended through her personal experience of growing up within family traditions of the U.S. and Japan.” — Booklist“A beautiful blend of the old and new, Takahashi and Tomigahara's storytelling deserves attention across all ages and after you experience it, you'll find yourself admiring the stars, in awe and delighted by the unknowns.“ — Barnes & NoblePraise for WAITING FOR HANAMI:★ “Takahashi’s expressive storytelling and HifuMiyo’s digitally textured silkscreen print patterns bloom with delight in this picture book, which follows a mixed Black-Japanese family celebrating the annual Japanese tradition of Hanami, or cherry blossom viewing. When [two cousins] seek solace from one another, they learn and listen to the depth of their family’s stories. The motifs of flowering trees and falling petals symbolize life’s fleeting moments with loved ones, reminding readers to cherish the beauty of being present.” — Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (starred review)"We couldn't be more proud of Waiting for Hanami, a story that brings everyone together in celebration of cherry blossoms. I hope everyone who opens this book feels the same excitement and warmth of this special season meaningful to all of us in the U.S.-Japan space." — Joshua W. Walker, Ph.D., President & CEO, Japan Society“Sai waits eagerly all year for this spectacular viewing event that is combined with a big reunion of her Japanese American and African American extended family. When she meets her cousin Avi, the kindred spirits use their creative talents to record “all the journeys their history contains.” Elegantly told, this picture book is a joyful appreciation of the beauty of being present in the moment.” — Booklist“The narrative is pervaded by a sense of warmth and love, while the illustrations effectively immerse readers in this flowery world, with the relatives varying in skin tone and facial features. An affectionately drawn tale of family.” — Kirkus"At the heart of this sensitively written story by Takahashi are the discoveries the children exchange about their distinctive ways of delving into creativity. [Sai and Avi] discover that their extended family contains many surprises as they take pleasure in seasonal clouds of cherry blossoms." — Publishers Weekly
