Adults Entranced by Picture Coloring Boom

Japan is now experiencing a picture coloring boom, however, this boom is for adults, not children. The boom was started by a book series called "Otona no Nurie," (published by Kawade Shobo Shinsha) which includes a beautiful flower edition and a Birds of the World edition. Eleven books of the series sold more than 1.2 million copies in total (as of July 18) and they are continuing to sell well. Maybe not surprisingly, coloring books published by other publishers are also selling well.

Behind this boom is a recent boom in activating the brain. Coloring in pictures has been found to have a therapeutic effect. In other words, it has been proven that picture coloring is effective in activating and relaxing the brain. Some books such as "Nou wo refureshu-suru Otona no Nurie" (Refreshing your brain - Adults' coloring book) published by Kiko Shobo, and "Nou ikiiki Otona no Nurie" (Vivid brain - Adults' coloring book) by Take Shobo are emphasizing brain activation. These are also selling well.

Besides these, there are various other coloring books that excite adult fantasies. These range from masterpiece images by famous ukiyoe artists ANDO Hiroshige and KATSUSHIKA Hokusai, pictures by TAKEHISA Yumeji and Alphonse MUCHA, who are known for pictures of beautiful women, to flowers, scenery, animals and mandalas. Drawing pictures can be a somewhat awkward experience for ordinary people, but coloring them in is an easy way to start, and expressing themselves with colors is attractive to many people.

IIMORI Yumiko, who lives in Suginami-ku, Tokyo, launched a website "Nurie-ya-san" in February 2005. You can download original pictures from this site for free. They are not only for adults, but also for children, and they include pictures that you can play with. Yumiko started utilizing her experience gained from produced printing materials for children. "It is very pleasing to hear that people are enjoying playing with their imaginations by coloring in the pictures I drew."

In the beginning her website was targeted for children, but she received many requests for pictures for adults because of the adults' picture coloring boom. Now her pictures are used for elderly peoples' recreation at day care centers. "The concentration involved in coloring pictures helps release my stress," Yumiko says about the attractiveness of coloring pictures. "It is even my healing time as I have loved drawing pictures since my childhood."

"Nurie-ya-san," where you can print pictures one by one, is also convenient to use. Yumiko says seasonal pictures such as those of doll festivals and star festivals are used most frequently and are utilized in child rearing groups, children's events and among circles of Japanese children living in foreign countries. The pictures can also be used to promote events. Yumiko's book of picture postcards have been sold from Singpoosha since July.

Nurie-ya-san
http://nurie.ciao.jp

Adults' Picture Coloring Contest
http://www.otonano-nurie.com

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