Author(s): Kenji Miyazawa; Julianne Neville (Translator)

Fiction

Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933) is one of Japans most beloved writers and poets, known particularly for his sensitive and symbolist childrens fiction. This volume collects stories which focus on Miyazawas love of space and his use of the galaxy as a metaphor for the concepts of purity, self-sacrifice and faith which were near and dear to his heart. "The Nighthawk Star" follows an lowly bird as he struggles to transform himself into something greater, a constellation in the night sky; "Signal & Signal-less" depicts a pair of star-crossed train signals who dream of eloping to the moon; and "Night on the Galactic Railroad," Miyazawas most famous work, tells the story of two boys as they journey upon a train that traverses the cosmos, learning the true meaning of friendship, happiness and life itself along the way.