Wildcat and the Acorns and Other Stories

by Kenji Miyazawa, John Bester (Translator)

165 pages, Unknown Binding

First published January 1, 1972

About the author

His name is written as 宮沢賢治 in Japanese, and translated as 宮澤賢治 in Traditional Chinese.

Kenji Miyazawa (1896-1933) was born in Iwate, one of the northernmost prefectures in Japan. In high school, he studied Zen Buddhism and developed a lifelong devotion to the Lotus Sutra, a major influence on his writing. After graduating from an agricultural college, he moved to Tokyo to begin his writing career but had to return home to care for a sick sister. He remained in his home in Iwate for the rest of his life. One of his best-known works is the novel Night on the Galactic Railroad, which was adapted into anime in the late twentieth century, as were many of his short stories. Much of his poetry is still popular in Japan today.

Reviews

[norie moto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bizarre. Short stories all revolved around animals. Personified animals, objects and things. Little moral lessons within them. I liked ‘The restaurant of many orders’ the best.

[Dana Berglund · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quirky set of short stories, mostly about animals in the forest, or people who live near the forest. Some are like fables, some are fairy tale warnings, and some are just a bit odd. I'm told that some of these are often included in anthologies read in Japanese schools, so I was encouraged to read them.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wacky, adorable, odd, classic.