Playing Yilan with picture books – Who knew JiMi could be captured like this?

Text & photos / －SanjiNoir－Black Knight’s Reading－
 
“Is this station the end, or another beginning?”  Stepping out of Yilan Railway Station isn’t just the end of your journey to the play area, but also the start of entering the world of JiMi. Thanks to the dedication of Yilan County Government and renowned picture book author JiMi and his team’s hometown sentiment (yes, JiMi is from Yilan), they have collaborated to transform Yilan Railway Station and its surrounding area into the whimsical “JiMi Square Park.”

Not only have popular JiMi creations such as “Turn Left, Turn Right,” “Starry Starry Night,” and “The Sound of Colors” been integrated with their story scenes and characters, but they have also been transformed into tangible artistic spaces in a playful and childlike style—making Yilan more than just hot springs and rainy days, now bursting with vibrant colors instead.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for cities to incorporate works by local authors into landscapes to enhance their charm, especially in anime-loving Japan recently—not only do they place characters along streets, such as “Bleach” and “Detective Conan” in Tottori, “Kochikame” in Kameari, or anime-themed locations like “K-ON!”—but they also represent interesting fusions of life and culture. So the smiling giraffe from the picture book “The Afternoon of Spring” peeks out from the station, squinting at the bustling stream of travelers.

 Where to go next? Let’s head to ThrowThrowForest (the original word couldn't be displayed online, so we use the character “丢” to represent it)!!! The name reminds one of a Taiwanese folk song—the onomatopoeia mimics the sound of water droplets hitting the ground as trains enter tunnels.

 What’s that splash of color on the ground? Look up, and you’ll see the Iron Tree Forest designed by architect Huang Senyuan. With nine iron trees echoing Yilan’s former nickname “City of Nine Fragrant Trees,” while the hanging train slowly brings JiMi’s colors into the square.