# The Circus Fire > Interactive children's e-book with illustrations and music. (iPhone/iPad app by Hokkaido Arbeit Johosha Co.,Ltd..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-circus-fire/id408364844 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Hokkaido Arbeit Johosha Co.,Ltd.](https://appshunter.io/developer/408364847) - Category: Books - Price: Free - Rating: 5.00/5 from 1 App Store ratings · 1 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 8.0 · 38 MB - Languages: English, Japanese - Released: 2010-12-15 - Data updated: 2026-06-10 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-circus-fire/id408364844/reviews.md ## What is The Circus Fire? Joh Sasaki, winner of the 2010 Naoki Award, releases an unpublished poem as an e-book for the iPad. Sasaki received the142nd Naoki Award in January 2010, for his novel Silent Devastation (Haikyo-ni-kou). He is well-known for his police stories and historical novels. He has been creating these in Hokkaido, where he was born. The Circus Fire is his only poem for children. Written a few years ago, it had not been published. Miho Sasaki, an illustrator who is active in Hokkaido, has illustrated this poem, and La Zone, a Hokkaido-based bal-musette band has provided original music. The poem was convented to iPad format and released from Hokkaido to the world. [Message from the author] The Circus Fire was inspired by a personal experience. I'm sure that many people from Sapporo who are older than I am remember the fire. It happened in June 1959. The circus caught fire during the Sapporo Festival. I was right outside the burning tent, and I saw it all. After writing the poem, I thought it might be more for adults than for kids. I'm delighted it's become an attractive picture book for the iPad. It's much greater than I could ever have expected. I'm looking forward to responses from the every corner of the world. [About the author] Written by Joh Sasaki Joh Sasaki was born in Yubari, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan, in 1950. He spent his youth in Sapporo. After working as a copy writer at an advertisement company in Sapporo, he moved to Tokyo and worked as an in-house copy writer for an automobile company. His debut novel earned him the new novelist award of the All Yomimono literary magazine published by Bungeishunju Ltd., one of the largest publishing houses in Japan. Although many of his early works were categorized as mysteries, he later expanded into historical fiction, non-fiction and other genres. He has published more than 50 novels and articles, some of which have been awarded literary prizes. Many of his works have been adapted to TV, movies and the theater. He is a member of the Japanese Center of International PEN, and the Mystery Writers of Japan. Illustrated by Miho Sasaki Miho Sasaki was born in Kitami, a city in eastern Hokkaido. She lives in Sapporo. After working at a design firm for several years, she became a freelance illustrator in1997. She illustrates for many media in Hokkaido, creating art for newspaper ads, magazines, posters, leaflets and TV commercials. She is a member of the Hokkaido Illustrators' Club α, SAPPORO ADC and JAGDA. -- Malfunctions when launching applications have been reported since the OS update to i055. In the event of such malfunction, please uninstall the application and then reinstall it. ## Key features - Award-winning author's unpublished poem - Original illustrations - Original music score - Interactive e-book format - Author's personal inspiration story ## Recent user reviews (1 of 1) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-circus-fire/id408364844/reviews.md ### 5/5 — Moving *2011-08-18, version 1.0.1* I will need to read the poem several more times before sharing it with my son... So that it does not overwhelm me and cause my voice to waver. This seems to me to be a perfect union of motion design and the written word. To be honest, it's effect on me was a surprise. I would love to see more art like this for the iPad. ## Frequently asked questions about The Circus Fire ### What is The Circus Fire about? The Circus Fire is an interactive e-book featuring an unpublished poem by Joh Sasaki, illustrated by Miho Sasaki, and accompanied by original music. It is inspired by a personal experience of a circus fire that occurred in Sapporo. ### Who wrote The Circus Fire? The poem for The Circus Fire was written by Joh Sasaki, a recipient of the 142nd Naoki Award for his novel Silent Devastation. He is known for his police stories and historical novels. ### Is The Circus Fire available on multiple devices? Currently, The Circus Fire is supported on iPads. It was converted to iPad format for its release. ### When was The Circus Fire released? The Circus Fire was released on December 15, 2010, as an e-book for the iPad. ### How often is The Circus Fire updated? The Circus Fire was last updated on August 25, 2017, to version 1.2.0. Malfunctions after OS updates may require uninstallation and reinstallation. ### What is the age rating for The Circus Fire? The Circus Fire has an age rating of 4+, making it suitable for young children. ### Does The Circus Fire have ads? The provided data does not indicate the presence of advertisements in The Circus Fire. ### What is the user rating for The Circus Fire? The Circus Fire has a perfect rating of 5.0 stars based on one review. ## Version history (last 1 release) ### 1.2.0 — 2017-08-25 This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon. bug fixes ## Apps similar to The Circus Fire | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [BOOKSCAN for iPad](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bookscan-for-ipad/id441217648) | 2.3 (3) | Free | Books | | [Bedtime Story Prime](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/bedtime-story-prime/id1616173144) | 3.0 (4) | Free | Books | | [ぎょうせいの電子書籍](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id892624255) | — | Free | Books | | [Kappa Theater](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/kappa-theater/id688788985) | 5.0 (1) | Free | Books | | [The Guardian: Interactive Book](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/the-guardian-interactive-book/id1465202502) | 4.8 (4) | Free | Books | | [スタンプえほん - がんばれ！ルルロロ](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/id594133617) | 5.0 (2) | Free | Books | ## More apps by Hokkaido Arbeit Johosha Co.,Ltd. - [Negapositen](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/negapositen/id443101381) All apps by Hokkaido Arbeit Johosha Co.,Ltd.: https://appshunter.io/developer/408364847 --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*