A Japanese children's book that depicts the life of a family as it attempts to move on from the death of a loved one has been translated into English with the help of high school students.
"My Papa's Persimmon Tree" by Machiko Taniguchi, whose husband died in the 1985 crash of a Japan Airlines jumbo jet, revolves around a tree that her husband, Masakatsu planted in their garden in Minoh, Osaka Prefecture, about five years before the accident.
"I hope that people who read the book will come to cherish their daily lives and that others won't have to experience the pain I went through," said Taniguchi, 72.
The persimmon sapling was about 70 centimeters tall when it was planted by Masakatsu, who was 40 years old at the time of the fatal crash. The tree, which is now two-stories tall, bore its first fruit two months after the accident.
The story was written from the perspective of Tanigchi's second son, who was a third-grade elementary school student when his father died. In the book, as the tree grows, the family members regain their zest for life.
The Japanese version, "Papa no Kaki no Ki," was published in 2016.
When Taniguchi was approached by a U.S. company that wanted to publish the book in English, she enlisted the help of eight Senri International School of Kwansei Gakuin High School students whom she had lectured when they were in junior high school.
She visited the students many times to ensure that they understood the background of the story and the emotions the family felt were going through.
Each student submitted their own translations, and as a group, Taniguchi and the children discussed each word to craft sentences that appropriately conveyed the meaning of the original Japanese text.
It took about four months for the translation to be completed.
Taniguchi said the students shed tears and gave her a big hug when she spoke to them about the grief she felt at the time of the accident.
The students, who were not aware of the plane crash before the project began, said it was the first time they had thought about how it feels to lose a loved one.
Taniguchi said the book will include a dedication to Boeing Co., whose repair error caused the accident. She wants the book to be read by people involved in the transportation industry in the hope that others won't have to go through the same thing she has experienced.
The book will also include a letter addressed to the U.S. planemaker, detailing the resentment she felt after the accident and the realization that she wouldn't be able to move forward if she allowed the anguish to continue as her sons grew up.
All over the world, the coronavirus epidemic has brought suffering and changes to our daily lives.
Taniguchi hopes that the message in the book will transcend national borders: "Even in hard times, I want people to think 'I've got to get up and try again.' I want people to go on living with strength."
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