Eriko Kishida (岸田 衿子, Kishida Eriko, January 5, 1929 – April 7, 2011) was a Japanese poet, children's author, lyricist, and translator. She is known for writing the lyrics to popular animated children's television shows like Anne of Green Gables and Heidi, Girl of the Alps, as well as her children's picture books. Kishida was a member of the Kai group and published poetry in the "Kai" literary magazine founded by Noriko Ibaragi.
Contents
Life
Eriko Kishida was born in Tokyo Prefecture (now Suginami Ward, Tokyo) as the eldest daughter of the playwright Kunio Kishida and Akiko Murakawa Kishida. Her younger sister was the actress Kyoko Kishida and her cousin was the actor Shin Kishida. Kishida was educated at Rikkyo Jogakuin Elementary School, then Rikkyo Jogakuin Girls' School. She attended Tokyo University of the Arts in the Department of Oil Painting, where she was classmates with close friend and collaborator, the artist Chiyoko Nakatani. Initially aspiring to be a painter, Kishida suffered from a respiratory disease and turned to writing and poetry as a career.
On October 4, 1954, Kishida married the poet Shuntaro Tanikawa. They divorced in October 1956. In 1963, she married Ryuichi Tamura and divorced in July 1969. She had at least one son.
For most of her life, Kishida lived and worked at the foot of Mount Asama in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Although Kishida herself rarely wrote for adults, starting in her twenties she was active in writing picture books for young children, as well as translating English-language books into Japanese and writing poetry. Over the next fifty years, Kishida gained much respect and recognition as a poet and children's author, in both Japan and in the West. One of her earlier picture books, Kaeritekita Kitsune (1973), was illustrated by her close friend, Chiyoko Nakatani, and won the grand prize at the Sankei Children's Book Awards. Kishida collaborated with Nakatani on many of her children's books, including Kaba-kun.
Kishida published one of her first poetry collections, Wasureta Aki, in 1955, and went on to publish many other poems. Notably, she was a part of the "Kai" group affiliated with the poetry magazine of the same name, founded by Noriko Ibaragi in 1953. Some of Kishida's poetry collections include Akarui Hi no Uta ("Song of a Bright Day) and Sonatine no Ki ("The Tree of Sonatina).
In addition to her published work, Kishida wrote the lyrics for the theme songs of four animated works that aired on the Fuji TV's television show World Masterpiece Theater: Heidi, Girl of the Alps, A Dog of Flanders, Rascal the Raccoon, and Anne of Green Gables.
Kishida continued to publish until she died of meningioma on April 7, 2011, at a hospital in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan at the age of 82.
Selected works
Publications
Trees: A Collection of Poems and Paintings (co-authored with Minoru Nakamura, Eureka) 1954
Wasureta Autumn (Eureka) 1955 - collection of poems
The Lion Story (Shoshi Eureka) 1957 - Poetry collection
Kabakun (illustration by Chiyoko Nakatani, Fukuinkan Shoten) 1966
Japanese Birthplace (Iwasaki Shoten) 1967
A Little Camel Hungry (illustration by Naga Shinta, Komine Shoten) 1968
Uncle Noah's Box (illustrations by Chiyoko Nakatani, Iwasaki Shoten) 1969
Geojio's Birthday (illustration by Chiyoko Nakatani, Akane Shobo) 1970
Baby's Picture Book 5 volumes (illustrations by Shinta Naga, Hikari no Kuni) 1970
Let's Play (Shufunotomosha) 1972
Sleepy Cat (illustration by Seiichi Horiuchi, Shufu to Seikatsusha) 1972
Thank you everyone (illustration by Seiichi Horiuchi, Shufu to Seikatsusha) 1972
The Fox Came Back (illustrated by Chiyoko Nakatani, published by Kodansha) 1973 - Winner of the Sankei Children's Publishing Culture Award Grand Prize
Giogio's Bakery (illustration by Chiyoko Nakatani, Akane Shobo) 1975
Crayon no Uta (Sanrio Publishing) 1976
Lyricist
"Tell me/Wait and see" (composed by Takeo Watanabe) - Opening theme / Ending theme for the TV anime Heidi, Girl of the Alps
"The Path of Dawn/It's Always There" (composed by Takeo Watanabe) - Opening/Ending theme for the TV anime A Dog of Flanders
"Rock River/Come to Rascal" (composed by Takeo Watanabe) - TV anime Rascal the Raccoon OP/ED
"Kikoeru Kazara/Unending Dream" (composed by Akira Miyoshi) - TV anime Anne of Green Gables OP/ED
"Wind and Trees" (composed by Yoshinori Kurosawa) - Set piece for the elementary school division of the 64th NHK National School Music Competition
"Yonde Iru" (written and arranged by Seiichiro Uno) - Theme song for the TV anime Manga Kodomo Bunko
"Little Little" (Terashima Naohiko composition) - Children's song
Translations
The Sand Fairies (translated by Nesbitt and Maeda Toyoji, Gakken) 1968
The Red Balloon (Albert Lamorisse, Kaiseisha) 1968
Look, You Can Hear It (LaVerne Johnson, Kaiseisha) 1969
Doronkokobuta (Arnold Lobel, Bunka Publishing Bureau) 1971
Harold's Mysterious Adventure (Crockett Johnson, Bunka Publishing Bureau) 1971
Children of the Moonlit Night (written by Janice Mae Adley, illustrated by Maurice Sendak, Kodansha) 1972
Harold and the Purple Crayon (Crockett Johnson, Bunka Publishing Bureau) 1972
Harold the Magical Land (Crockett Johnson, Bunka Publishing Bureau) 1972
Lucille is a Horse (Arnold Lobel, Bunka Publishing Bureau) 1974
Monster Mac and the Magic Umbrella (Ellen Bruns, Ann Cook, Bunka Publishing Bureau) 1974
Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter (John Burningham, Holp Publishing) June 1976
How Long Can Rubber Stretches? (Mike Thaler, Holp Publishing) September 1976
My Little Chicken (Alice & Martin Provensen, Holp Publishing) September 1976
Christmas is full of Santa Claus's beard (Roger Duvoisin, Yugakusha) December 1978