The Happiest Cat in the World follows a homeless dreaming cat who imagines what it is like to live each day in the lap of luxury while in dreamland. What was the inspiration for your story?

In the beginning, I was creating a completely different story in Japanese. I never imagined I would publish a picture book in United States. But one day, when I trying to wrap up the Japanese story, I suddenly got the idea of this book in my head.

What educational aspects were important for you to include in this children’s book?

Freedom. It’s a complicated topic. If someone said “I will give you freedom” then sometimes it ends up being that person subverts your freedom, without you even knowing. Sometimes freedom can create selfishness or careless…. It’s complicated, but personally, I believe freedom and a little bit of restriction are not in conflict and can mean the best version of freedom. I know some people think it’s too early to teach or share important topics with little children, but I don’t think so. I believe little kids understand things much more than we adults know. Also, I think it’s important to let your kids have a habit of contemplating hard or impossible things so they can find the answer. I have a feeling that the materialistic society of today is coming to an end and that a new era will begin in the not-too-distant future. And I believe that it is the generation of today’s young children who will take the lead in taking on the challenge of this new era. I thought I wanted to share my ideas with everyone in the hope of I can help little children in the future even a little bit.

What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing and illustrating?

All the scenes where the cat is enjoying freedom. That is what I want my kids to have in the future and for everyone else in this world to have in the future.

However, the reality is that a lot of people don’t have it right now.

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out and what can your fans expect in the next story?

I don’t think I will make it series. But I’m sure I will share another story when it’s ready.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the publishers, BookBildr and Eliza. They made my first published picture book wonderful.

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