Kenji Miyazawa Picture Book Series by Kenji Miyazawa (International Foundation for the Promotion of Languages and Cultur

Kenji Miyazawa was a Japanese novelist and a writer of children’s books. He was born in Iwate Prefecture in the town of Hanamaki. He is known internationally for his novel Night on the Galactic Railroad which has also been published in English with the title of Milky Way Railroad, Night Train to the Stars or Fantasy Railroad in the Stars.

Kenji Miyazawa Picture Book Series consists of ten  books published by the International Foundation for the Promotion of Language and Culture (IFLC). The mission statement of the IFLC is “to translate and introduce Japanese literature to the world: to translate and introduce outstanding literature of other countries: to aid and encourage excellent translators of various languages: to provide scholarships to students of all nationalities: to sponsor seminars for language learning; and to conduct translation-proficiency examinations.”

To put it more simply, the aim of the IFLC is “to further linguistic and cultural exchange and mutual understanding throughout the world” and is authorized by the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science of Japan. 

At the time of writing this review, the local library in Aomori Prefecture carried only three of the ten titles in the series. I will be featuring Books 1, 5, and 7. The titles of the books are [The Shining Feet], [The Bears of Mt. Nametoko], and [Crossing the Snow]. 

The Shining Feet - originally titled Hikari no Hadashi was published in 1997 and is translated by Sarah M. Strong with illustrations by Miyuki Hasekura. This story centers on three characters. Ichiro, his younger brother Narao, and their father. The setting is the cold harsh winter of northern Japan. The father is making charcoal in the mountains as an extra means of earning income for the family. The boys are visiting their father for the weekend. As Miyazawa was a devout Buddhist, this story is all about karma and the enduring pain and suffering while still holding compassion for others. A little heavy for a picture book if you ask me. 

The Bears of Mt. Nametoko - originally titled Nametokosan no Kuma was published in 1998. It was translated from the Japanese by Karen Colligan-Taylor and illustrated by Maso Idou. This story is about matagi culture. Matagi are traditional winter hunters of Japan’s Tohoku region. They mostly hunt deer and bear. In this story, Kojuro is a matagi and is about to kill a bear, but the bear begs Kojuro to spare her life for another two years as she is pregnant. In return, the bear will willingly sacrifice itself to Kojuro after the two years are up. 

Crossing the Snow - originally titled Yuki Watari and was published in 2000. It was translated from the Japanese by Karen Colligen-Taylor and illustrated by Maso Ido. This story is about the relationship between humans and animals. However, in Miyazawa’s story, it is only children who are less than twelve-years-old as they are still considered quite innocent and pure. Crossing the snow is a metaphor for leaving the human world and entering a world where humans and animals live harmoniously together. 

I always find that children’s books are not only for children but can be enjoyed by adults as well. As a resident of the Tohoku area of Japan since 2016, I have become more interested than ever in the writers from this area. Whenever I find their publications are available in English, I can’t help but buy them or check them out from the library. I believe local writers often give you insights to their hometowns and if you decide to move and live there, what better way to get to know your neighbors if you can discuss stories they are most likely familiar with. ~Ernie Hoyt