A floating library is bringing books directly to children across the islands of Japan’s Kagawa Prefecture. The Hon no Mori-go began operating on April 24, 2025, traveling through the Seto Inland Sea with about 2,000 books and creating opportunities for children to read, learn, and explore their island communities.
Architect Tadao Ando proposed the project to Kagawa in 2023 and later donated the vessel through his architectural firm. The boat spent roughly 20 years operating as a passenger vessel in the Seto Inland Sea before Ando’s team acquired and renovated it as a children’s library. Kagawa officially received the completed vessel in March 2025.
The name Hon no Mori-go, which translates roughly to “Book Forest,” connects the vessel to Ando’s Children’s Book Forest libraries in Osaka and Kobe. The Hon no Mori-go accommodates up to 12 passengers and includes about 2,000 books, while a rear deck and second-story observation deck extend the reading space outdoors.
The collection was developed specifically around the landscape and communities of the Seto Inland Sea. Its five themes explore life and nature, the wider world, the past and future, courage, and play. The books include picture books, children’s literature, illustrated guides, and other titles that encourage readers to think about the sea, history, nature, and life beyond Japan.
The Hon no Mori-go does more than bring books to port. When it visits an island, children can read aboard the vessel, join cruises and workshops, or take part in activities that connect books with the surrounding environment. The project also organizes reading events and delivers books to island communities.
The first voyage in April 2025 took the boat from Takamatsu to Ogijima, where local preschool and schoolchildren participated in a cruise around the island and a workshop to create an original bookshelf. With more than 6,000 books donated and the final collection selected with help from the Kagawa Prefectural Library and municipal libraries, the project is designed to give children opportunities to experience the sea and islands around them through reading and hands-on activities.
To learn more about the children’s library ship, visit the Hon no Mori-go website.
Renowned Japanese architect Tadao Ando designed and donated a children’s library ship, called Hon no Mori-go, to bring a library experience to children across the islands of Kagawa Prefecture.
The floating library began sailing the Seto Inland Sea in April 2025 with about 2,000 books for children to read and explore.
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The boat travels between island communities with reading programs and activities that connect children with books and the world around them.
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Hon no Mori-go: Website | Instagram
Sources: Tadao Ando Designed & Donated a Floating Library that Delivers Books to Children; About the Children’s Library Ship Project
All images via Hon no Mori-go / Kagawa Prefecture.
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