kenleewrites in 日本

I lurved the Little Prince novel when I was a kid.

With a line like “Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them” on the first page, it really appealed to me when I was 7. ^^.

The Little Prince (French: Le Petit Prince), published in 1943, is French aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s most famous novel. It has been translated into more than 180 languages and sold more than 80 million copies making it one of the best-selling books ever.

The little prince’s home at the entrance to the museum. Asteroid B-612.

There’s also a nice cosy cafe/restaurant too. I remember reading somewhere they open for longer hours during the summer.

Got my ticket and a brochure. If you don’t read Japanese, don’t fret. They got brochures in other languages too. But everything else in the museum is in Japanese though.

Admission fee. If you’re a university student like me, just show your ID and get a ¥400 discount.

The map of the whole museum.

It has a very nice ambience to it. Especially on a sunny day. Unfortunately when I went, it was raining. Still, I’d rather be there on a rainy day than not at all. ^^.

At least on rainy days, the super limited edition little prince umbrellas are available for visitors to use when roaming the museum.

The Lamplighter Square. The statue celebrates Saint-Exupéry’s favorite character and serves as a street lamp in the evening.

You read the little prince? I was surprised when I asked my Japanese friends and most said no. The little prince inbetween his sheep and the fox.

All exhibits throughout the museum are set in the different landscapes of Provence, which surrounded and influenced Saint-Exupéry. Haven’t been to Provence, but hope to visit one day. Is there a little prince museum there too?

The exhibition hall shows pictures and snapshots of Saint-Exupéry’s life leading to the little prince. Although knowing Japanese would be a plus, you don’t have to be able to read to appreciate the exhibits. A concise explanation of everything is in the English brochure. Photos not allowed in the exhibition hall though.

Took a break at a cafe in the park and had some coffee.

Would have loved to laze around on the benches on a sunny day.

More Provence-like buildings.

Great spot for taking photos with him.

A little trivia: The book was first published in English and French by an American publisher. Two years later, French publisher Gallimard wanted to publish it in French, in France. However they didn’t have the original illustrations. So they used the ones in the American edition and brightened the colors up.

The King who can apparently “control” the stars but only by ordering them to do what they would do anyway. He then relates this to his human subjects; it is the citizen’s duty to obey, but only if the king’s demands are reasonable. He orders the Prince to leave as his ambassador.

Do you see a hat or an Elephant in a Boa Constrictor?

There’s also a mini theatre that tells a short story about the book.

The little prince park.

About the Provence-like shops. Most of them are locked. ^^.

The Geographer who spends all of his time making maps, but never leaves his desk to examine anywhere (even his own planet), considering that is the job of an explorer. The Geographer is in any case very doubting of any explorer’s character and would most likely disregard the report. He does not trust things he has not seen with his own eyes, yet will not leave his desk. Out of professional interest, the geographer asks the Prince to describe his asteroid. The Prince describes the volcanoes and the rose. “We don’t record flowers”, says the geographer, “because they are only ephemeral”. The Prince is shocked and hurt to learn that his flower will someday be gone. The geographer then recommends that he visit the Earth.

The Lamplighter who lives on an asteroid which rotates once a minute. Long ago, he was charged with the task of lighting the lamp at night and extinguishing it in the morning. At that point, the asteroid revolved at a reasonable rate, and he had time to rest. As time went on, the rotation sped up. Refusing to turn his back on his work, he now lights and extinguishes the lamp once a minute, getting no rest. The Prince empathizes with the Lamplighter, who is the only adult he meets to care about something other than himself.

The Businessman who is constantly busy counting the stars he thinks he owns. He wishes to use them to buy more stars. The Prince then goes on to define property. The Prince owns the flower and volcanoes on his planet because he cares for them and they care for him; but because one cannot maintain the stars or be of use to them, he argues, the Businessman cannot own them.

The park with Saint-Exupéry Church on my back. Business Man road on the left and Boa Constrictor Lane on the right

A very small church.

Eglise de Saint-Exupéry

People just stop by for a rest and to read the papers.

This museum is in Hakone, a little outside Tokyo. Not a very good idea if you just want to make a trip there. Fortunately, Hakone is also famous for other things too. Onsen for example.

A 2 day 1 night trip would be just nice. 2 days to explore Hakone and 1 night at the Onsen. The Japanese’s idea of a perfect holiday. ^^.

Restaurant Le Petit Prince.

Can you see yourself lying on the bench soaking up the sun?

There’s a souvenir shop right at the exit. The friends I went with haven’t read the book and ended up buying one each. ^^. I watched the crowd while waiting for my friends. No one left empty-handed. I bought some souvenirs back too. The sheep pin is on my Freitag messenger back and goes wherever I go. ^^.

Though ostensibly a children’s book, The Little Prince makes several profound and idealistic points about life and human nature. Saint-Exupéry tells of meeting a young prince in the middle of the Sahara. The essence of the book is contained in the great and famous lines uttered by the fox to the Little Prince: “On ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.” (“It is only with the heart that one can see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.”) Other key thematic messages are articulated by the fox, such as: “You become responsible, forever, for what you have tamed” and “It is the time you have spent with your rose that makes your rose so important.”

Lifted quite a many words from Wikipedia in this post. Thank you Wikipedia.

…think I’ll start reading it again. ^^.