The research project “Translating Japanese’s Children Literature into Malay and Tamil Language” funded by The Sumitomo Foundation focuses on translating ten popular Japanese children’s moral stories into Malay and Tamil, aiming to enrich the cultural materials available in these languages in Malaysia. These stories were sourced from the Digital Collection of the National Diet Library, Japan, and a renowned 1927 collection of Japanese fairy tales.

The translation effort was divided with different teams handling the translations into Malay and Tamil, and included contributions from experienced educators and translators. Supplementary to the translation, the project also encompassed the development of a website and e-book to make the stories accessible, along with integrating illustrations to enhance the reader’s experience.