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Kuroyanagiauthor

Tetsuko Kuroyanagi

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Tetsuko Kuroyanagi is an internationally famous Japanese actress, a talk show host, and a best-selling author of children's books. She founded the Totto Foundation, named for the eponymous and autobiographical protagonist of her book Totto-chan, The Little Girl at the Window. The Foundation professionally trains deaf actors, implementing Kuroyanagi's vision of bringing theater to the deaf.

In 1984, in recognition of her charitable works, Kuroyanagi was appointed as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, the first person from Asia to hold this position. During the late 1980s and the 1990s, she visited many developing countries in Asia and Africa for charitable works and goodwill missions, helping children who had suffered from disasters and war, as well as raising international awareness of the situations of children in poor countries. 

Kuroyanagi has raised more than $20 million for the UNICEF programs that she has been involved in through television fund-raising campaigns. She also used the royalties from her bestselling book, Totto-chan, to contribute to UNICEF.

In 1997, Kuroyanagi published the book Totto-chan's Children, which was based on her experience working as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador from 1984 to 1996. Kuroyanagi is a director of the Japanese branch of the World Wildlife Fund. Kuroyanagi has twice brought America's National Theater of the Deaf to Japan, acting with them in sign language.

For her involvement in media and television entertainment, Kuroyanagi won the Japanese Cultural Broadcasting Award, which is the highest television honor in Japan. Since then, she has been voted 14 times as Japan’s favorite television personality for the show Tetsuko’s Room. In 2000, Kuroyanagi became the first recipient of the Global Leadership for Children Award, which UNICEF established on the 10th anniversary of the 1990 World Summit for Children. In May 2003, Kuroyanagi received the Order of the Sacred Treasure in recognition of her two decades of service to the world’s children.

Best author’s book

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4.6

Totto-Chan

Ryan Holiday
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