Night Train to the Stars

For readers who relish the disturbing material of fairy tale…Kenji Miyazawa’s odd, masterly stories will be a delight * New York Times *
Kenji Miyazawa fables are international-class – David Mitchell, author of Cloud Atlas
Miyazawa moves you to sorrow, to laugh, chuckle, marvel - he makes you live – Hiroaki Sato
A marvelous writer who deserves to be much better known in English * Kirkus *
Miyazawa seems to have been something of a genius * Observer *
A humble and gifted writer * Time *
[Miyazawa] had stories for many of our basic human vices, and for our basic forms of goodness, too. And this only scratches the surface of his work’s appeal… Everything in Miyazawa’s work seethes with life. Each leaf, flower, blade of grass, and berry seems to have its own special action. * Paris Review *
Superb fables… in the prettiest edition of Miyazawa yet * Times Literary Supplement *
Thanks to the blend of pin-sharp, bright-hued backdrops with outlandish happenings and wholesome messages, Ghibli-movie fans should feel at home * Spectator *
This Japanese writer found fame for his poetry and short stories only after his death in 1933. At last, this sublime collection introduces English-speaking readers to his curious and whimsical world * Monocle *

Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933) was born and raised in Iwate, a rural part of Northern Japan. As a boy he was fascinated by glimpses of the modern industrial world and he hoarded scientific information. His stories often contain fantastical descriptions of landscape alongside technological details. He was also deeply connected to the folk tales of Japan and interested in both Buddhism and Christianity.

After graduation from agricultural college, he moved to Tokyo to write and work as a proofreader. When his sister became ill, he returned to Iwate to care for her and remained there for the rest of his life. He devoted himself to the education and protection of the local farming community, even eating the same poor diet in solidarity with his neighbours, contributing to his early death from tuberculosis at the age of 37. Only two of Miyazawa’s works were published during his lifetime. His success and fame as a writer came posthumously, but his poetry and stories are popular in Japan to this day.

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