(Note: I use AI to help me translate my stories from Japanese to English.)
My favorite writer is Kenji Miyazawa, who was born in Iwate, Japan, about 130 years ago. He wrote stories about human beings coexisting with the natural world.
In Kenji’s stories, there are many kinds of living creatures, such as wildcats, crabs, fish, owls, ducks, crows, hummingbirds, bears, mice, and spiders. These animals often play the roles of main characters.
Kenji was a teacher, poet, children’s story writer, and a religious person. He had a strong faith in Buddhism and remained single all his life.
Kenji once said, “Unless all living things become happy, there can be no individual happiness.” He prayed for the happiness of all beings in the world.
A Japanese philosopher once wrote that Kenji Miyazawa was the greatest writer in Japanese history, but that it would take 100 years for him to gain worldwide recognition. He believed that Kenji was far ahead of his time, and it would take the world a long time to truly understand him.
Personally, I think Kenji is a writer on par with Goethe, Dostoevsky, and Andersen.
Kenji’s most famous story is Night on the Galactic Railroad. The main themes of the story are self-sacrifice, death, and true happiness.
Hayao Miyazaki, the legendary Japanese animator, holds great respect for Kenji. Miyazaki once wrote that Kenji’s stories are like jewels — precious and full of brilliance. It is said that The Boy and the Heron, an anime film created by Miyazaki, was influenced by Night on the Galactic Railroad.
Among Miyazawa’s works, my personal favorite is Kenju’s Garden. In this story, Kenju, who had long been thought of as a fool, accomplishes something remarkable. I’m not very good with words, so I feel a deep connection to a character like Kenju.
Kenji was also a gifted poet. His most famous poem is Strong in the Rain. This poem was found in his notebook after his death and is believed to have been written for himself rather than for publication.
Strong in the rain
Strong in the wind
Strong against the summer heat
and snow
He is healthy and robust
Free from desire
He never loses his temper
Nor the quiet smile on his lips
He eats four gō of unpolished rice
Miso and a few vegetables a day
He does not consider himself
In whatever occurs … his
understanding
Comes from observation and
experience
And he never loses sight of things
He lives in a little thatched-roof hut
In a field in the shadows of a pine
tree grove
If there is a sick child in the east
He goes there to nurse the child
If there’s a tired mother in the west
He goes to her and carries her sheaves
If someone is near death in the south
He goes and says, “Don’t be afraid”
If there are strife and lawsuits in
the north
He demands that the people put
an end to their pettiness
He weeps at the time of drought
He plods about at a loss during
the cold summer
Everyone calls him “Blockhead”
No one sings his praises
Or takes him to heart
That is the kind of person
I want to be
（Translated by Roger Pulvers）
Kenji’s heartfelt wish was for the happiness of all living creatures.
I hope more and more people will read his works.
(You can read Kenji’s stories for free at Aozora Bunko, a Japanese digital library.)
How to read Kenji’s stories at Aozora Bunko:
- Go to Kenji Miyazawa’s page on Aozora Bunko. (There is a link attached to this sentence, so please click on it.)
- Use Google Translate to translate the site into English.
- Choose the work you want to read, and translate that page into English again using Google Translate.
- Click the “Read XHTML version now” button in the top right corner of the page. The work will then open in your browser.
- Use Google Translate once more to translate the story from Japanese to English, and you can read Kenji Miyazawa’s works in English for free.