MAYA's picture book 'Masshiro na Choucho' released on Dec 24, 2025, conveys a message of self-acceptance and joy.
January/14/2026 17:34
MAYA's original picture book 'Masshiro na Choucho' was released on December 24, 2025. After debuting in 2020 through the Japan-Korea joint audition 'Nizi Project', MAYA, who has been actively working as a member of NiziU, chose 'picture book' as a new form of expression to mark her 5th anniversary. This work, which contains the message 'It's okay to be yourself as you are' that she found during her five years as a member of NiziU, reflects MAYA's warm heart and is a book that brings comfort. To commemorate the release, a joint press event was held on January 11 at HMV & BOOKS SHIBUYA, where MAYA expressed her overwhelming happiness, saying, 'After preparing this picture book for about a year, it finally got released, and seeing it on the shelves felt like a dream come true.' She shared that her fellow NiziU members had pre-ordered the book and were excited to receive it, which brought her to tears. The book depicts a butterfly named 'Navi' who embarks on a journey to find her true colors, encountering various experiences and moving forward despite uncertainties. MAYA expressed her desire for readers to understand that 'being yourself is enough' and to love themselves. She mentioned the challenges of expressing herself through illustrations and text but felt that her essence was captured in the book. She highlighted her attention to detail in the colors and words, hoping readers would feel warmth and get to know her better through the book. Her favorite page features Navi flying towards a rainbow, symbolizing new journeys ahead. When asked about future projects, MAYA expressed her desire to continue creating and possibly explore animation, sharing her excitement for the future. She concluded with hopes for 2026 to be a year of more challenges and achievements for both herself and NiziU, and she looked forward to meeting fans at the book signing event.
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