Eric Carle Exhibition Opens October 23 at Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art with All the Original Art for “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” Touring to Osaka

“Eric Carle: It All Began with The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” a retrospective of picture book author Eric Carle (1929–2021), will be held from Friday, October 23 to Sunday, December 20, 2026, at the Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art (Chuo Ward, Fukuoka). Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Japanese edition of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” it displays about 180 items, including original art for 27 picture books, dummy books and works from his time as a designer. It tours from the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo and moves to the Abeno Harukas Art Museum in Osaka from Saturday, March 20, 2027.

Why Eric Carle now? A retrospective for the 50th anniversary of the Japanese edition

2026 marks 50 years since the Japanese edition of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” was published. The exhibition is organized with the full cooperation of The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art in Amherst, Massachusetts, and consists of works from its collection. The Tokyo venue at the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (April 25 – July 26, 2026) has already closed, and the exhibition tours to Fukuoka and then Osaka.

According to the official website, Carle was born in the United States and moved to Germany at age 6. He studied graphic design in Germany and after graduating worked as art director of a fashion magazine. In 1952 he returned to New York and became a designer at The New York Times, later becoming an art director at an advertising agency and then a freelance designer. As a picture book author, many of his works draw on his own memories.

Highlights: What can visitors see?

The official website lists five highlights, and the Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art describes the exhibition as one that also sheds light on the book design of picture books.

• Original art for every page of “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”: Also introduced are the dummy book “A Week with Willi the Worm,” which led to the picture book, and editions in other languages, translated into more than 70 languages worldwide.

• Original art for “Friends” (2013), shown in Japan for the first time: A picture book based on his childhood experience of moving from the United States to Germany at age 6 and being separated from his close friend. The protagonist swims rivers and crosses fields and mountains to see a friend.

• Carle as a graphic designer: Design works such as posters, and picture books in a different style that have not been published in Japan, are introduced.

• 12 dummy books: The equivalent of drafts for picture books, including stories and compositions different from the finished versions. According to the official website, this is the largest number ever shown at an Eric Carle exhibition in Japan.

• Picture book corner and special shop: Separate from the galleries, there is a corner where visitors can freely read picture books and try their page-turning devices. Venue-exclusive merchandise is also sold.

Main works include “10 Little Rubber Ducks” (2005), “Mister Seahorse” (2004) and “Walter the Baker” (1995 edition). The poster “Caterpillar Holding a Frame” (2002), made to solicit donations when The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art opened, is also on display and is used as the exhibition’s main visual. The Abeno Harukas Art Museum says it will also display materials such as the colored and patterned papers used for his collages.

Tickets, prices and related events

Same-day admission at the Fukuoka venue is ¥2,000 for adults, ¥1,500 for university and vocational school students, ¥1,000 for junior high and high school students and ¥600 for ages 4 through elementary school. Advance tickets and group tickets for 20 or more are ¥200 cheaper each. Advance tickets are sold through Ticket Pia, 7-Eleven (P-code 996-014) and the museum counter until Thursday, October 22. Children aged 3 and under are free with a guardian, as are holders of a disability certificate or similar and one caregiver. Students must show a student ID.

As tickets with merchandise, tickets with the 224-page catalogue (¥4,770 each) and tickets with an acrylic stand (¥2,900) went on sale in limited quantities on a first-come basis from August 1, sold only through Ticket Pia. A valid exhibition ticket for the day is required to enter the exhibition’s special shop.

Four related events will be held during the exhibition. The workshop “Let’s Make a Caterpillar” is on Tuesday, November 3 (national holiday), with a ¥500 fee. ACROS Music Caravan at the Museum (Saturday, November 7), a Very Hungry Caterpillar greeting (Saturday, November 14) and an Eric Carle picture book storytime (Monday, November 23, national holiday) are free. Some events require registration.

Access to the Fukuoka venue and plans for the Osaka venue

The Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art is a 15-minute walk from Nishitetsu Fukuoka (Tenjin) Station on the Nishitetsu Tenjin Omuta Line, and a 10-minute walk from Tenjin Station on the Fukuoka City Subway Airport Line via Exits East 1a and East 1b of the Tenjin Underground Shopping Center. The exhibition is in the 3rd-floor galleries, open 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30). It is closed on Mondays; it is open on Monday, November 23 (national holiday) and closed the following day, Tuesday, November 24.

The Osaka venue, the Abeno Harukas Art Museum (16th floor of Abeno Harukas), runs from Saturday, March 20 to Sunday, May 9, 2027, open 10:00–20:00 Tuesday through Friday and 10:00–18:00 on Mondays, weekends and holidays (last entry 30 minutes before closing). Prices and sale dates for the Osaka venue had not been announced as of October 20. In Fukuoka, “Indian Chintz: Stories Traveling the World” is also on view at the Fukuoka City Museum.

Overview

Name: Eric Carle: It All Began with The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Dates: Fukuoka venue: Friday, October 23 – Sunday, December 20, 2026 / Osaka venue: Saturday, March 20 – Sunday, May 9, 2027
Hours: Fukuoka venue: 10:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30)
Closed: Fukuoka venue: Mondays (open on November 23, closed on November 24)
Venues: Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, 3rd-floor galleries (5-2-1 Tenjin, Chuo Ward, Fukuoka) / Abeno Harukas Art Museum (16th floor, Abeno Harukas, 1-1-43 Abenosuji, Abeno Ward, Osaka)
Admission: Fukuoka venue: adults ¥2,000, university and vocational school students ¥1,500, junior high and high school students ¥1,000, ages 4 through elementary school ¥600 (¥200 off each for advance and groups of 20 or more). Osaka venue not yet announced
Organizers: Fukuoka venue: “Eric Carle: It All Began with The Very Hungry Caterpillar” Fukuoka Executive Committee (Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, The Yomiuri Shimbun, TVQ, Ticket Pia Kyushu) / Osaka venue: Abeno Harukas Art Museum, The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, The Yomiuri Shimbun, Yomiuri TV
Official website: https://ericcarle2026-27.jp/
*Information as of October 20, 2026. Please check the official website for the latest information.

*Top image: Exterior of the Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, October 2016 (Photo: Soramimi (そらみみ), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons)

*This article was compiled by the TOKYO ART SPHERE editorial team based on information on the official websites of the Fukuoka Prefectural Museum of Art, the Abeno Harukas Art Museum and the exhibition, and announcements by Kintetsu Real Estate (April 14, 2026) and the PR office for the Tokyo venue (April 24, 2026).

Text: TOKYO ART SPHERE Editorial Team