The Japanese publisher of the popular U.S. picture book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" publicly criticized The Mainichi Shimbun after the daily carried a satirical cartoon using the book's character in its May 5 morning edition.
Kaisei-sha Publishing Co. posted a written protest on its website, saying, "We can't help but feel strong discomfort. We want [the newspaper] to reflect hard on its actions."
The cartoon by illustrator Shigi Yokota was drawn in the motif of the book written by Eric Carle, who died in May. It shows three caterpillars with the caricatured faces of International Olympic Committee Chairman Thomas Bach and two other IOC executives about to eat "Olympic fruits" bearing the kanji characters for "broadcasting rights."
Kaisei-sha posted the protest letter in the name of President Masaki Imamura on its website Monday.
In the statement, the company said that while the satirical intent of the cartoon is clear and it is not in a position to protest from the viewpoint of freedom of expression, it still finds the illustration objectionable.
"The pleasure [of the picture book] lies in the caterpillar's endlessly hearty appetite, which is shared by children who themselves have a desire to eat and grow. It is completely inappropriate to satirize this yearning for monetary interests," it said.
The office of The Mainichi Shimbun president commented, "This work is an expression of sarcasm at the bloated IOC. We will take the points brought up seriously and make use of them in future production of our paper."
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