Illustrator and author Momoko Abe on growing up in Japan, her twin passions for baking and art and influences that drew her to life in the UK
Where did you go to school and when?
I was born and grew up in Japan. I went to a primary school in my town from 1988 to 1994, then a junior high school, also in my town, followed by high school (16-18) in the neighbouring town.
What were your schools like?
They were state, co-ed schools. In Japanese schools, even today, students share chores. One of my favourite things at primary school was lunch time. Students took turns to do the lunch service duty. We put on a hair cap and an overall smock and served meals to our classmates. When I felt a bit cheeky, I gave my friends or someone I fancied a big serving. Students also cleaned their own homeroom every day. I remember my friends and I often turned the chores into games such as a mopping race.
Also, my town was a small, farming town so my primary school was surrounded by rice fields and vegetable patches. Growing vegetables and rice was a part of the school curriculum. We planted rice seedlings in early summer, harvested the rice in the autumn, then pounded the cooked rice to make mochi (rice cake) and ate them. It was a great way to learn and appreciate how food reaches our tables. And it was so much fun. You go into a muddy rice field with bare feet to plant seedlings, and to make rice cakes, you pound cooked rice with a giant mallet.
Did you love school, or hate it?
I generally loved school, but school was where I first experienced the complexity of human relationships. I always found it difficult when my friend group dynamics changed; for example, when someone joined me and my best friend or a group of four split into two. Children’s social lives aren’t as simple as you might think. They live in their own, small yet very complex, social ecosystem. And these formative years most likely influence how we handle our relationships in our adult lives.
Probably this is why I like writing for children. It’s like sharing advice or knowledge I didn’t have, but I wish I had when I was younger, with my young readers. If I can help other children navigate their lives slightly easier through my stories, I’d say ‘job done!’.
What were your favourite subjects at school?
Art. But this is a hard question. I liked most of the school subjects except PE and music.
Who was your most memorable teacher and how did they influence you?
I can’t remember his name but one day a science teacher explained the functions of kidneys to the class. He said urine would be clean enough to clean a wound in an emergency because kidneys remove waste. Now I know it’s nonsense, but that was the moment I got fascinated by science. In a very strange (and incorrect) way, he made science less dry and more relatable. Thanks to him, I still enjoy science articles and TV programmes.
Where was your favourite place at school and what did you do there?
At my primary school, my favourite place was the playground. That’s where I spent most of my recess periods.
What beliefs did your time at school give you?
Friendship is fragile. Your best friend today could be someone else’s best friend tomorrow.
What was your proudest school moment?
I wasn’t someone who stood out in school. I hardly won anything (although I won a few art competitions) and I never was leader material. So I can’t remember any proudest moment. However, I made an oil painting during an art class. I painted a watermelon being cooled in a bucket of water by the well in my family garden. It is probably my best work to date. The painting is still hung proudly in my parents’ house.
What was the most trouble you ever got into at school?
The troubles I got into were mostly physical injuries. I was a tomboy/daredevil, always climbing up something and jumping off from there. How I never broke any bones at all is a mystery. Probably the biggest trouble I ever got into was when I got in a physical fight with a boy. I was probably eight or so. I can’t remember what we fought over and what happened after, but I never ever physically hit anyone after that. I guess I learnt a lesson.
Were you ever ‘too cool for school’?
I wasn’t. In Japan, many cool and/or rebellious kids bleached their hair, some to even blonde. I was neither cool nor rebellious, and having school teachers for parents wouldn’t have made it easy even if I wanted to be. But, back in the early ’90s, I was one of the few students who had a mobile phone (I was 14). The phone was chunky and angry, but I must say I felt cool.
What is your most vivid memory, looking back?
I think I was seven or eight. One day a girl joined my best friend and I, and we became a group of three. My bestie and the new girl hit it off more than I liked and I was scared of losing my best friend. One day I shouted ‘SHE IS MINE!’ at the new girl, pointing at my best friend. Obviously, it backfired. It just bonded them even more… I joined another group after that episode.
When and how did your love of words begin?
I was probably ten or so. We were learning poetic techniques in a Japanese class and the teacher asked us to write a poem using metaphor and simile. I wrote a poem about the first snowfall, comparing untouched snow ground to a bread loaf. I got a top mark. I think that was the moment.
On the other hand, I hated music class. I was and still am terrible at singing and playing any musical instruments. Sometimes music teachers made us sing alone in front of our class. It was a torture. I’m pretty sure my phobia of public speaking and singing began there. I hate karaoke.
I fell in love with American and Brit pop music when I was a teenager. Hanson (do you remember them?) came to Japan and sang ‘MMMbop’ and that was it. I was forever converted. I stopped listening to J-pop and I worshipped UK/US pop instead. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration if I say the Spice Girls (along with British films such as Notting Hill, Billy Elliot and Bend It Like Beckham) played a small part in my decision to move to the UK.
“Hanson (do you remember them?) came to Japan and sang ‘MMMbop’ and that was it. I was forever converted”
What other key influences/passions shaped you growing up?
I did classical ballet from five till 18 and in my teenage years, ballet was my life. Ballet taught me the joy of achievement through discipline and hard work and I made many friends for life through shared tears and sweat. However, looking back, I get mixed feelings about my ballet days. Ballet life was really tough on my (and any girl’s) self-esteem. It wasn’t a kind place, especially when it came to body image. Anyway, better or worse, ballet is a big part of what made me who I am today.
My parents introduced me to the world of cinema. That’s where my love for visual storytelling began. Along with my love for art, it paved my path to being a picture book maker.
My grandmother loved baking and she taught me how to bake from the age of four. Baking became my obsession and a lifelong love affair. I often took my baked goods to school and shared them with my friends. Baking has become my go-to tool for connecting with people ever since. I applied for The Great British Bake Off once (sadly I didn’t get in). I’m currently working on a baking-based story, hoping to present to publishers one day.
What projects and challenges are coming up next for you?
This year, I’m illustrating two picture books written by other authors. I’m trying to write a chapter book, which I haven’t done before, in the background, but also thinking about board books. We’ll see how it goes. And Pearl and her Bunch came out in paperback in August!
How would you sum up your school days in three words?
Discipline. Friendship. Curiosity.
Pearl and her Bunch by Momoko Abe is out now (Orchard Books, £12.99) and is also available in paperback. momokoabe.com
Further reading: Author and musician Julian Gough on how he escaped into literature
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