His journey took him from the United States through Europe and on to Asia, where he eventually encountered Japan.

Once Upon a Time is the story of the surprises, discoveries, and unforgettable experiences that followed.

It was a time when it was still relatively uncommon for foreigners to make Japan their permanent home. A young photographer settled in one of Tokyo’s old downtown neighborhoods and began observing the society around him, meeting people from all walks of life along the way.

The stories trace what Bruce has witnessed from those early days to the present—the changing scenes of Japanese society and the many encounters that have shaped his life.

Told in Bruce’s own words, Once Upon a Time is also a personal record of an era.

We hope you’ll enjoy following the story with us.

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At that time, I was living in Osaka, where my husband had been transferred for work.
It was an unfamiliar place, my family was far away, and my husband worked in sales, often coming home late into the night.
It was what you would call a “one-person operation.”
My young son often had fevers.

That day, I was incredibly sleepy.
My husband had come home late the night before, and the housework stretched into the early hours of the morning.
Even though he told me, “You can sleep,” I stayed up, waiting for him to come home.

My son, who had been napping, woke up.
I think he was around three years old.

“Mom, wake up! I want to go on the slide!”
I was too sleepy and replied, “Just a little more sleep,” but he insisted, “Ken-chan isn’t sleepy. Let’s go for a walk.”

I said, “There’s pudding in the fridge,” and my son ate it skillfully, then came back to persuade me again.
I still wanted to sleep, so I said, “My head hurts. I think I have a fever. Watch the Tomica video.”
In reality, I didn’t have a headache or a fever. I was pretending to be sick.
My son became quiet and left my side.

Just when I thought I could sleep for another 20 minutes, I felt something cold on my forehead.
“Mom’s head, ‘Itai no itai no tondeike!’ (Pain, go away!) This will make your fever go down!”

My son had taken a cooling pad from the fridge and placed it on my forehead.
There was a small chair in front of the fridge.
I could picture him saying, “One step, two steps,” as he carefully carried the chair and stretched up to grab it.

Tears quietly fell. The mix of guilt and emotion over his growth moved me deeply.
“Ken-chan, thank you! I’m better now.
Let’s go for a walk. I’ll get ready right now, so wait for me.”

My son, who had been waiting by the door with his shoes on, muttered,
“Mom, you’re so slow! How long are you going to make me wait?”
That was exactly my husband’s tone.
I burst out laughing.

Children observe their parents well.
I held his small hand and we went outside.
My son, who will soon turn 29, is likely to become a father soon.
I’m sure he’ll be a kind father.
But please, take your time while your wife gets ready.

by Masae Matsuda / age: 58 / Tsu City, Mie Prefecture, Japan

#OyakoDay
#OYAKODAY
#Essay
#ThankYouforthePainRelief
#PresentToTheFuture
#MotherAndSon

The post Oyako Day Essay Contest 2025 Award-Winning Essay: “Thank You for the Pain Relief” appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

The relationship between Oyako Day and The Mothers’ Industry Newspaper goes back many decades.

And throughout the years, it has been Bruce Osborn’s photographs of parents and children that have graced the newspaper’s covers.

In the early years, the editors selected images from Bruce’s existing collection of OYAKO portraits. Later, the covers featured photographs of families who had participated in the Oyako Day Super Photo Sessions.

There was also a period when special photo sessions were organized specifically for The Mothers’ Industry Newspaper, with Bruce photographing mothers together with their children.

Today, the covers feature fathers and their children.

Every photograph captures a moment unique to that particular parent and child, and the words that accompany each portrait are just as moving.

Featured on the cover of this month’s issue are Rio Segan and his son, Ka’imi.

Along with their portrait came this beautiful message from father to son.

To Ka’imi, from Dad

To love someone is more than simply being together.

It means giving your time to the person in front of you, being present, and continuing to truly see them.

To me, that is love in its most beautiful form.

I grew up without my father always by my side, and there were many days when I felt lonely.

Now that I am a father myself, there is something I understand more deeply than ever.

What a father can give his son is more than words.

It is the simple assurance of his presence—the feeling that “I will always be here for you.”

And so, I want to make sure you always have a place you can come home to, no matter what happens.

It’s okay to have days when things don’t go well.
It’s okay to be different from everyone else.

Whoever you are, my love for you will never change.

Someday, there may come a time when you choose your friends over me, or when you don’t want to hear what I have to say.

Even then, I will always be your father.

As you grow from a boy into a man, I want to be there beside you for as much of that journey as I possibly can.

The fact that you came into this world is a gift more precious to me than anything else in my life.

Ka’imi, you are the son I always dreamed of having.

All I ask is that you simply be yourself.

I will love you always.

#OyakoDay
#OYAKODAY
#MothersDay
#FathersDay
#PresentToTheFuture
#GladToBeBorn

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Yae | Half-Farmer, Half-Singer / Singer-Songwriter

Our guest for the 51st Oyako Day Online Talk Live is Yae.

Her father was the late Toshio Fujimoto, who devoted his life to taking action and speaking out on issues that mattered to society.

Her mother is singer Tokiko Kato, who has continued to share her messages with the world through music.

Yae has inherited that powerful spirit of expression. As a “half-farmer, half-singer,” she follows two paths—farming and music—while continuing to communicate the values and ideas that are important to her.

Rather than simply preserving what she has received, she nurtures it and passes it on to the next generation.

In this edition of the Oyako Day Online Talk Live, we look forward to hearing about Yae’s way of life and exploring how her journey resonates with the values at the heart of Oyako Day—what we receive from one generation, how we nurture it, and what we pass on to the next.

The post 51st Oyako Day Online Talk Live — September 24, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. (JST) appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

A photograph capturing a precious moment between parent and child.
A story of family told through carefully chosen words.

Through each and every entry, we had the privilege of discovering the many different forms that OYAKO—the bond between parent and child—can take.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who participated.

The judging process will now begin, and the results will be announced at a later date.

The photograph accompanying this post was taken after the Oyako Day Super Photo Session in 2014.

Although we were unable to hold the Super Photo Session this year, the same joyful energy we felt that day continues to live on, nurturing and inspiring Oyako Day today.

Thank you for your continued support of Oyako Day.

#OyakoDay
#OYAKODAY
#PhotoContest
#EssayContest
#OyakoStories
#PresentToTheFuture

The post Submissions for the Photo & Essay Contests Are Now Closed appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their wonderful photographs with us. We truly appreciate all of your submissions!

The post Photo Contest 2026 appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

Thank you to everyone who participated and shared their heartfelt stories with us. We truly appreciate all of your submissions!

The post Essay Contest 2026 appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has entered.

The deadline for submissions is Monday, August 31.

If you’ve been thinking, “I haven’t sent mine yet!”—there’s still time!

You have until the end of today, so please don’t forget to send in your entry.

We’re looking forward to receiving your special OYAKO photographs and stories right up until the deadline.

The photo accompanying this post is one of our own summer memories, taken with our daughter and grandchild when they came home for their summer vacation.

#OyakoDay
#OYAKODAY
#PhotoContest
#EssayContest
#OyakoPhotography
#ParentAndChild
#FamilyStories
#FamilyMemories
#PowerOfPhotography
#PowerOfWords
#PresentToTheFuture

The post Photo & Essay Contests — Today Is the Final Day! appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

This photograph was taken in 1986, when NTT organized an initiative called “Talk Day.” Bruce Osborn was commissioned to create a series of oyako portraits for the project, and photographed Keiko Kishi with her daughter, Delphine.

In this portrait, we catch a glimpse of Kishi not as the glamorous, poised and accomplished professional so familiar to the public, but simply as a mother with her daughter.

We offer our deepest respects and prayers for Keiko Kishi.

#KeikoKishi
#BruceOsborn
#OYAKO
#OyakoDay
#ParentAndChild

The post In Memory of Keiko Kishi appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.

Live Streaming: Monday, August 24, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. (JST)

⁠Watch the Oyako Day Online Talk Live

Guest: Junko Kitazawa — Public Relations Manager, Tsuburaya Productions Co., Ltd.
Moderator: Satoshi Seki — Editor / Producer
Hosts: Bruce Osborn / Yoshiko Inoue
Organizer: Oyako Day Promotion Committee

The guest for the 50th Oyako Day Online Talk Live is Junko Kitazawa, Public Relations Manager at  ⁠Tsuburaya Productions.

Kitazawa joined Tsuburaya Productions in 1996. After working in new business development and licensing, she helped establish the company’s public relations department in 2008 and currently serves as its PR Manager.

She is also a core member of the Ultraman Foundation, established following the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 to support children today and in the future. Through the foundation, she continues to be involved in initiatives supporting disaster-affected communities and children living with serious illnesses.

Kitazawa has also been a longtime and invaluable supporter of Oyako Day, working closely with us over the years and helping the project grow.

This July marked another major milestone: the 60th anniversary of the Ultraman Series, celebrated through a wide range of commemorative projects.

Together with Kitazawa, we’ll look back on the history of Oyako Day, revisit memorable moments, and share some behind-the-scenes stories that only someone who has helped nurture the project for so many years could tell.

We hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a warm and enjoyable conversation!

The program will be moderated by Satoshi Seki, editor, producer, and member of the Oyako Day Promotion Committee. Photographer Bruce Osborn and Yoshiko Inoue, representative of the Oyako Day Promotion Committee, will also join the conversation.

#OyakoDay
#OyakoDayOnlineTalkLive
#TsuburayaProductions
#Ultraman
#UltramanFoundation
#JunkoKitazawa
#BruceOsborn
#OYAKODAY
#PresentToTheFuture
#Ultraman60thAnniversary

The post Online Talk — LIVE on August 24, 2026, from 1:00 p.m. (JST) appeared first on 「親子の日」Oyako Day.