Hikari ni mukatte 100 no hanataba (Toward the light: 100 bouquets)
Kentetsu Takamori (Author)
Total copies sold to date: 650,000

♦The 100 brief stories of successes and failures of historical figures from all walks of life collected here provide insight into how we can achieve happiness and find greater harmony in all our relationships.
READER COMMENTS

Hikari ni mukatte: 123 no kokoro no tane(Toward the light: 123 seeds)
Kentetsu Takamori (Author)
Total copies sold to date: 200,000

♦This approachable work provides perspective and support in times of difficulty at work, at home, or at school. The 123 different teachings pull together the wisdom of great figures from the past and present, East and West, and fall into two categories: brief stories with profound lessons to impart, and short aphorisms to consider at leisure.
READER COMMENTS

Hikari ni mukatte: Kokochi-yoi kajitsu (Toward the light: Delicious fruits)
Kentetsu Takamori (Author)
Total copies sold to date: 120,000

♦The third volume in the series, filled with teachings that will impart strength, transmit energy to live, and help melt away stress. In addition, 120 beautiful color photos reinforce and strengthen the effect of the teachings.
READER COMMENTS

Hikari ni mukatte 100 no hanataba (Chinese version)
Kentetsu Takamori (Author)
Ma Li Ming / Li Yu Hua (Translators)
Li Xin Xin / Liu Ri Dan (Editors)

♦The Chinese version of the long-selling Japanese title, Hikari ni mukatte 100 no hanataba, with 650,000 copies sold to date. The translation has received a good deal of media attention including write-ups in Chinese newspapers. Reading this together with the Japanese original is a good way to study Chinese as a foreign language.

Naze ikiru
Kentetsu Takamori/Daiji Akehashi/Kentaro Ito (Authors)
Total copies sold to date: 630,000

♦How are we to find meaning in our mundane, predictable lives? Who among us hasn’t wondered about this, and about where to find happiness? How to understand human life? A Buddhist teacher, a psychiatrist, and a philosopher explore these essential questions.
READER COMMENTS

Tannisho o hiraku: Unlocking Lamenting the Deviations
-Now in English translation-
Kentetsu Takamori (Author)
Total copies sold to date: 150,000

♦Intended for the layperson, this book is an accessible modern translation and explanation of the classic (in which the author, a disciple of Shinran’s, writes down his recollection of many of their conversations), sure to be of great spiritual help in times of need. There have been many commentaries written on the Tannisho to date, but none that illuminates the meaning of this great text―using Shinran’s own words―this clearly. (read more)

Otoko no tame no jibun-sagashi (For Men: The Search for the Real Self)
Kentaro Ito (Author)
Total copies sold to date: 90,000

♦The new book from one of the coauthors of the long-selling volume Naze ikiru. What does it mean to live according to one’s own true lights? While exploring touchstones such as love, sex, and marriage, this book from the 21st-century field of philosophy of science guides readers toward the true meaning of the search for the self.

Oya no kokoro (Heart of a parent)
Koichi Kimura (Editor)
Total copies sold to date: 190,000

♦Once in a while we need a reminder of what is really important to us as parents or as the children of our own parents. This book combines episodes from world history with stories of the experiences of readers from throughout Japan to come up with an accurate portrayal of the heart of a parent. A very moving tribute.

Oya no kokoro: Omusubi no aji (Heart of a parent: The humble riceball)
Koichi Kimura (Editor)
Total copies sold to date: 90,000

♦The continuation of Oya no kokoro. A collection of moving true stories that together depict the heart of the parent-child relationship. A reminder of the power of this most essential bond.

Kokoro no michi (Path of the heart)
Koichi Kimura (Editor)
Total copies sold to date: 140,000

♦A slight shift in perspective can dramatically alter a person’s work life, home life, and relationships. This book looks back to the lives of well-known historical figures and to fable and aphorism to gather together kernels of wisdom that can remind us, despite all our modern-day stresses, of what is really important.

Kokoro no asa (Morning of the heart)
Koichi Kimura (Editor)
Total copies sold to date: 100,000

♦A single word or teaching can change a life. This book is a collection of words of wisdom gathered from diverse sources like historical episodes involving Japan’s shoguns and the morals seen in Aesop’s Fables. The teachings gathered here are presented in such a way that they remain directly relevant and provide insight into how to live.

Omoiyari no kokoro (Heart of kindness)
Koichi Kimura (Editor)
Total copies sold to date: 90,000

♦Many of us feel at times as if we have lost sight of what is really important in life. This volume collects poignant episodes from modern paraphrases of Japanese classics like Essays in Idleness and from letters received from readers to stitch together a portrait of what "kindness" and thoughtfulness have traditionally meant in Japan.

Kagayakeru ko (Helping kids to shine)
Daiji Akehashi (Author)
Total copies sold to date: 350,000

♦Generally held beliefs about how to raise children include some ideas that are just plain wrong. The author, who has worked for many years as a school counselor, here gives voice to children’s silent cries for help and uncovers many misconceptions. Contains important truths on the raising of children through age 10.

Shishunki ni ganbatteru ko (Helping kids navigate through puberty)
Daiji Akehashi (Author)
Total copies sold to date: 190,000

♦Advice for parents of children age 10 and up from a seasoned school counselor. Helpful tips on what parents can do to deal with young people’s mood swings, be attuned to their cries for help, and navigate through puberty.

Tsubasa hirogeru ko (Helping kids spread their wings)
Daiji Akehashi (Author)
Total copies sold to date: 110,000

♦Why do children lash out? Why do they stop going to school? There is just one root cause of these problems. This book reveals the most important parenting tips you can possibly receive as you set about to raise kids from infancy through puberty.

Kono ko wa kono ko de iin da. Watashi wa watashi de iin da (This kid is okay as-is. I'm ok as-is too)
Daiji Akehashi (Author)
Total copies sold to date: 110,000

♦Anyone looking to protect children needs to support mothers first. More and more children’s problems are now being reevaluated and found to be related to support and encouragement from parents, particularly mothers.

Kodomo no kokoro (Heart of a child)
Katsuaki Futatsugi (Author)
Total copies sold to date: 70,000

♦What can parents do to prevent the tragedy of bullying from occurring in the first place? This book contains 20 powerful, practical suggestions from an attorney experienced in juvenile cases on how to prevent this form of misery from taking over children’s lives.

Kosodate happii adobaisu (Happy child rearing advice)
Daiji Akehashi (Author)/Tomoko Ota (Illustrator)
Total copies sold to date: 970,000

♦Advice and tips on child rearing, with manga and illustrations interspersed throughout. Full color. Designed to lighten the heart of even the busiest mom.

Kosodate happii adobaisu 2 (Happy child rearing advice 2)
Daiji Akehashi (Author)/Tomoko Ota (Illustrator)
Total copies sold to date: 580,000

♦This second volume in the Kosodate happii adobaisu series uses manga and illustrations throughout to support its thoughtful answers to common questions and concerns about child rearing. With its special section for fathers and grandparents, this is a book that the whole family can enjoy.

Kosodate happii adobaisu 3 (Happy child rearing advice 3)
Daiji Akehashi (Author)/Tomoko Ota (Illustrator)
Total copies printed to date: 430,000

♦The third volume in the Kosodate happii adobaisu series. Filled with practical advice on how to raise a happy child who is able to "spread his wings" and who doesn' t need to lash out at others. Supported throughout with manga and illustrations.

Kosodate happii essensu 100% (Happy child rearing essentials)
Daiji Akehashi (Author)/Tomoko Ota (Illustrator)
Total copies sold to date: 170,000

♦Collects the most important 100 points from Kosodate happii adobaisu 1--3. Its small size makes it very portable. Covers all the important points needed to raise a happy child who is able to "spread his wings."

10-dai kara no kosodate happii adobaisu (Happy advice for raising children 10 and up)
Daiji Akehashi (Author)/Tomoko Ota (Illustrator)
Total copies sold to date: 200,000

♦From about age 10, kids can often seem that they’re at the mercy of their own emotions. And they often rebel against their parents ... How can parents best respond at times like this? The practical advice in this book includes tips on preventing bullying and truancy.

Isogashii papa no tame no kosodate happii adobaisu (Happy child rearing advice for busy dads)
Daiji Akehashi (Author)/Tomoko Ota (Illustrator)
Total copies sold to date: 290,000

♦How can busy dads get more involved in the raising of their children? What do wives want from husbands? What do children hope for from their dads? Gentle suggestions of points that even the busiest dad will want to keep in mind.

Kosodate happii seminaa (Happy child rearing seminar)
Daiji Akehashi (Author)/Tomoko Ota (Illustrator)
Total copies sold to date: 30,000

♦This accessible volume—with color illustrations throughout—contains edited talks by the author of the popular Kosodate happii adobaisu series. Includes anecdotes not published in any of the author’s books, and many humorous moments from the lectures. Includes DVD.

Kosodate happii adobaisu: Shitte ite yokatta shonika no maki (Happy child rearing advice: Essential tips from the field of pediatrics)
Tatsuo Yoshizaki/Daiji Akehashi (Authors)
Tomoko Ota (Illustrator)
Total copies sold to date: 230,000

♦Contains in one handy volume all the topics related to children's health that parents (and grandparents!) need to know: illness, eating habits, and toilet training, just to name a few. Read it, and also keep it on hand as a reference.

Naze ikiru (audio version)
Kentetsu Takamori/Daiji Akehashi/Kentaro Ito (Authors)
Read by Atsushi Wada

♦This is a complete audio version of the long seller Naze ikiru, read in its entirety (about 7 hours) by the well-known former NHK announcer Atsushi Wada.

DVD/Book Tannisho o hiraku
Kentetsu Takamori (Author)
Read by Mitsuko Suzuki

♦The classic work Tannisho and its new and accessible explanation are both read aloud on this 5-hour DVD. Listeners will enjoy the beautiful phrasing of this great work.

Audio CD/Book Hikari ni mukatte 100 no hanataba: Besuto serekushon 20 (20 best stories)
Kentetsu Takamori (Author)
Read by Hidekatsu Shibata and Mitsuko Suzuki
Total copies sold to date: 90,000

♦The 20 selected stories in this Audio CD/Book represent the best stories from throughout the Hikari ni mukatte series. The book is done in full color and illustrated throughout with beautiful photos of flowers that add to the overall sense of calm. The reading by two veteran voice actors helps bring out the beauty of the text.

Audio CD/Book Hikari ni mukatte 100 no hanataba: Hana ippai no sanpo michi (Path strewn with flowers)
Kentetsu Takamori (Author)
Read by Hidekatsu Shibata and Mitsuko Suzuki
Total copies sold to date: 30,000

♦This is the second book to select 20 of the best stories from throughout the Hikari ni mukatte series and issue them as an Audio CD/Book.

Audio CD/Book Hikari ni mukatte 100 no hanataba: Niji no wataru umi (Rainbow spanning the sea)
Kentetsu Takamori (Author)
Read by Hidekatsu Shibata and Mitsuko Suzuki
Total copies sold to date: 20,000

♦The third in a series of books to select the most powerful stories and teachings from throughout the Hikari ni mukatte series and issue them as an Audio CD/Book.