PuniPuni-kun
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about Story and Character
A Picture Book to Learn and Think About Disaster Recovery
Puni Puni-kun and the Market That Gave Hope to the Town
The seaside market was lost in a great earthquake.
But Puni Puni-kun listened to everyone’s dreams
and brought a new market to life.
The market keeps changing little by little?
bringing joy and energy to the town!
Kichi-Kichi
Sesse-Sesse
Gui-Gui
Pappa-Pappa
Neat and tidy. Notices small details and keeps the market clean and organized. “Kichi-Kichi made sure everything was in the right place.”
Doshi-Doshi
Strong and dependable. Can carry and fix heavy things. “Doshi-Doshi lifted the broken walls with ease.”
A good listener and quick organizer. Helps everyone work together smoothly. “Sesse-Sesse listened to the shopkeepers and picked the perfect spot.”
Energetic and confident leader. Always ready to move forward. “Gui-Gui shouted, ‘Let’s rebuild the market!’”
Pika-Pika
Loves to shine and be in the spotlight. Becomes a symbol of the market. “Pika-Pika sparkled at the center of the festival.”
Loves sharing fun news and exciting things with everyone. “Pappa-Pappa told everyone about the tasty new foods.”
Fuwa-Fuwa
Gentle and caring. Notices when someone is sad or needs help. “Fuwa-Fuwa made sure everyone felt welcome.”
We are also developing
Puni Puni-kun related goods!
Please check from the link below.
(WorldShopping)
About
This book was born from a desire to "bring energy to someone" and to "be prepared for emergencies."
Over the past ten years, I have spent time in disaster-affected areas, engaging in recovery support and academic research. Through these experiences, I have gained insights that I hope to share with as many people as possible, in the hopes that they may be useful in some way. This picture book was inspired by the findings of my doctoral dissertation titled “A Study on the Role of Planners through Reconstruction of Livelihoods Led by the Private Business ? A Case Study of the Yuriage Wharf Morning Market in Natori City, Miyagi Pref. After the Great East Japan Earthquake.”
Based on that research, I created these characters and used the world of imagination to illustrate the process from disaster to recovery. Of course, real-world recovery involves many difficulties and challenges. But I hope this book can be a small spark of hope for someone going through a tough time-a gentle nudge to look forward, and a source of encouragement.
Please enjoy the story of Puni Puni-kun and the lively market full of energy!
The full dissertation will be made freely available to the public in 2025.
May 2025
Hirofumi Hizume
doctoral thesis
The doctoral thesis that inspired this project has been made public.
I hope you will read it. I hope it will catch the attention of many people, not just experts.
Please read either the summary or the review report, and if you are interested, I would encourage you to skip over chapters 1, 2, and chapter 7 (the final chapter) of the main text. As it is in Japanese, please use AI or a translation tool.
thesis introduction page
link：Waseda University Repository
Main text (jp)
254 page・60.0 MB
summary(jp)
7 page・0.3 MB
Review Report(jp)
4 page・0.2 MB
Author
Hirofumi Hizume
Awards
2005 - Audience Award, 5th Spiral Independent Creators Festival
2007 - Selected Work, SD Review 2007
2010 - 1st Prize, International Design Competition by Arquitectum
2011 - Ono Azusa Memorial Award ? Arts Division
2017 - Good Design Special Award (Reconstruction Design)
2021 - Architectural Institute of Japan Prize, Special Award for Recovery and Reconstruction
2022 - Commendation by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Science and Technology Award (Public
Understanding Promotion Division)
2023 - Tomon Architects Association Special Meritorious Service Award - Encouragement
2024 - Civil Engineering Design Prize, Japan Society for Civil Engineers - Encouragement Award
Education and Career
2006 - B.Arch., Department of Architecture, School of Science and Engineering, Waseda University
2008 - M.Arch., Department of Architecture, Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University
2011-2013 - Assistant at the Department of Architecture, School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University
2011 - Completed doctoral coursework (ABD), Department of Architecture, Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering,
Waseda University
2013-2016 - Visiting Researcher, Waseda University Research Institute for Science and Engineering
From 2014 - Working at a local architectural firm in Tohoku (Shoichi Haryu Architect & Associates)
2025 - Ph.D. (Architecture), Department of Architecture, Graduate School of Creative Science and Engineering, Waseda University