The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day

What Is The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day?

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day" (Harapeko Aomushi no Hi) is observed in Japan every year on March 20th. It was established by Cosmo Merchandising Co., Ltd. of Chuo-ku, Tokyo, the licensing agent for "The World of Eric Carle" in Japan, and was certified and registered by the Japan Anniversary Association in 2025. March 20th, which often falls on Vernal Equinox Day, was chosen because the moment the caterpillar becomes a beautiful butterfly overlaps with the joy of spring's arrival. Marking the 50th anniversary of the book's publication in Japan, the day aims to spread the appeal of the picture book and its character and to remind people of the importance of reading.

The Picture Book "The Very Hungry Caterpillar"

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" is a picture book published in 1969 by the American author and illustrator Eric Carle.

• Read around the world: It has been translated into more than 70 languages, with over 55 million copies said to have been published. In Japan it is one of the most widely read picture books by a foreign author.
• Collage technique: Carle created his pictures with collage, cutting out and layering paper he had painted himself. His vivid colors earned him the nickname "the magician of picture books."
• Pages with holes: A signature feature of the book is the holes in the pages where the caterpillar has eaten. At the time, no company in the United States could be found to print and bind the different-sized pages and die-cut holes, so the book was produced by a company in Japan.

Publication in Japan and the Author

The Japanese edition was published by Kaiseisha in 1976 and marked its 50th anniversary in 2026.

• The Japanese translation: The Japanese translation was done by Hisashi Mori.
• Eric Carle: Born in New York State in 1929, he spent his boyhood in Germany. He worked as a graphic designer before becoming a picture book author, and died in 2021 at the age of 91. In 2002 he opened The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, the first museum in the United States devoted to picture books.

Fun Facts About The Very Hungry Caterpillar

• A butterfly's life: The process of going from egg to caterpillar to pupa to butterfly is called "complete metamorphosis," and the book gives children a chance to learn how living things grow.
• "A book of hope": Carle is said to have described the work as "a book of hope," about a little caterpillar that grows into a beautiful butterfly.
• A place to experience it: In Futako-Tamagawa, Tokyo, there is a kids' park themed on Eric Carle's picture books, "PLAY! PARK ERIC CARLE," which holds workshops around the anniversary.
• His debut: Carle's debut as a picture book artist was illustrating "Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?" (text by Bill Martin Jr.) in 1967.

Tips for Enjoying The Very Hungry Caterpillar Day

• Reread "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" and trace the holes in the pages with your finger
• Read it aloud with children or family, counting the foods the caterpillar eats
• Pick up Eric Carle's other picture books and enjoy their different uses of color
• Look for butterflies, caterpillars and other small creatures stirring in a spring park

Opening a Picture Book as Spring Arrives

The story of a little caterpillar that eats and eats and then becomes a beautiful butterfly has been read by generation after generation. On this anniversary around the spring equinox, why not open that familiar picture book once again?