A "Miffy" exhibition celebrating the 70th anniversary of her birth, a character that brings warmth to people of all ages.

The "bunny with an X-shaped mouth" is striking with its orange, blue, and yellow outfit and background.
Almost everyone has seen her at least once. Miffy has been loved for a long time, both as a picture book character and as a character in her own right.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the creation of Dick Bruna (1927-2017), a Dutch-born graphic designer and children's book author.

The commemorative exhibition is being held at the Yokohama Sogo Museum of Art from September 13, 2025 to November 4, 2025.
Under the theme of "More and More Miffy," the exhibition features over 200 original drawings and sketches from all 32 Miffy picture books, including original artwork making its first appearance in Japan.
This time, I attended a preview event held one day before the exhibition opened, so I'll share my experience!
But before that, let's review some basic information about "Miffy."

Bruna had already begun his career as a picture book author in 1953 with "de appel (Apple Boy)." In 1955, he published "NIJNTJE (Little Miffy)," which he wrote to tell his son about a baby rabbit he saw while playing on the beach with his family. From there, he created a total of 32 "Miffy" books. (Incidentally, if you include books other than the Miffy series, that's over 120 books!)

"NIJNTJE" is a combination of the Dutch words "konijn" (rabbit) and "tje" (small and cute). While Dutch speakers understand the meaning without any problem, it is difficult for speakers of other languages to pronounce, and the meaning of "little rabbit" varies from language to language. When the English version was published, Bruna himself, together with the translator, searched and thought about whether there was a better way to say it than "Little Bunny," and they arrived at "miffy." In the past, there were other names for the rabbit in various languages, but since 1996, it has been known as "miffy" outside of the Netherlands.
However, in Japan, the first translated book, "Little Miffy," was published in 1964, and in picture books, she is called "Miffy."

Miffy is a female rabbit aged 0-6. The picture books depict her experiences with her family (dad, mom, baby, grandparents, uncle, aunt) and friends at school from various angles and themes.

The commemorative exhibition begins at the coast where Bruna conceived the idea for Miffy.
Next, after passing through zones showcasing Bruna's work as a graphic designer, the exhibition follows a chronological order of the picture books' publications, with numerous original drawings and sketches arranged according to themes such as "The Birth of Miffy," "The Establishment of the Bruna Style," "Family," "To All Children," and "More and More Miffy." Handwritten notes where he jotted down story ideas are also presented, allowing visitors to sense the thoughts and feelings behind the stories. The latter half of the exhibition, in particular, discusses themes that children might want to think about together, such as "death" and "diversity."

Additionally, videos are shown throughout the exhibition, allowing viewers to catch glimpses of "the moment Bruna created Miffy."

And finally, there's a video of Bruna reading "Miffy at the Sea" for the first time in 20 years. The Dutch narration is soothing to the ear, and not only the text itself, but also Bruna's questions to the children listening offer clues to how Miffy's gentle world came to be, leaving you feeling happy as you leave the venue.

Once you leave the exhibition zone, you'll find yourself in the exciting merchandise zone. There are many original goods created specifically for this commemorative exhibition, and you'll want to buy everything!

Whether you're a fan of Miffy, the picture book character Usako-chan, a fan of Bruna, a design enthusiast, a child, or a parent, why not visit this exhibition that's sure to bring a smile to anyone's face?