Celebrating a Legend: Dick Bruna Day

Today, and August 23rd annually, is Dick Bruna Day ディック・ブルーナの日 in Japan. The date of this commemoration was chosen because Dick Bruna was born on this day in 1927. In Japan Dick Bruna needs little introduction. As the creator of Miffy, which is extremely popular in Japan, a lot of people have heard of the Dutch picture book author and graphic designer.

The purpose of the anniversary is to help more people appreciate the charm and value of Bruna's work. His style is known for warm hand‑drawn lines, vivid colors, and simple yet bold compositions that appeal to both children and adults worldwide. He created more than 120 picture books over 60 years before his passing in 2017. Before picture books, he had also designed over 2,000 paperback covers for his father’s publishing company. 

Reportedly, he published his first picture book in 1953 and introduced Miffy in 1955. Miffy celebrated her 70th birthday last year and Japan joined the celebrations with a number of Miffy exhibitions. You can actually still some of those 70th anniversary exhibitions in Japan.  in Japan, Miffy books have sold over 50 million copies since their 1964 release by Fukuinkan Shoten.