Earth's Secrets to the World - August 15, 1995

Earth's Secrets to the World - August 15, 1995

In the early 1990s, awareness of environmental issues was rapidly growing in Japan. After the collapse of the bubble economy, people were reevaluating how to create a sustainable society, and both companies and citizens were beginning to seek "eco" and "recycling" initiatives. At that time, a picture book entitled "Secrets of the Earth," which was illustrated by Aika Hirata, an elementary school student in Shimane Prefecture, while on her sickbed, was received with quiet shock.

Aika, a sixth grader with a terminal illness, spent two months completing her picture book on environmental issues. The book carefully depicted global issues such as acid rain, ocean pollution, and ozone layer depletion in a way that even children could understand. Only 50 copies of the book were published. The book was self-published by the parents, but its sincerity and appeal spread by word of mouth.

In 1993, the book received the "Global 500 Award" from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). At the time, this was an international award given to individuals and organizations that made outstanding achievements in environmental conservation activities, and Mr. Aiwa became a globally recognized figure. Since then, "Secrets of the Earth" has been translated into English, French, Chinese, Korean, and Arabic, and continues to appeal to many people, from children to adults, about the global environmental crisis.

At the time, environmental education was not yet institutionalized, and the "Environment Agency" was just beginning to make its presence felt. Against this backdrop, "Secrets of the Earth," depicted from a child's perspective, sent the message that "anyone can face environmental issues," rather than "leave the difficult things to the experts.

This picture book can be seen as a symbol that Japanese civil society has begun to view the environment as a "personal matter. It was truly a big question left behind by a small life.