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.
Eriko Kishida was born in Tokyo Prefecture (now Suginami Ward, Tokyo) as the eldest daughter of the playwrightKunio Kishida and Akiko Murakawa Kishida. Her younger sister was the actress Kyoko Kishida and her cousin was the actor Shin Kishida.[1] 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.[2] Initially aspiring to be a painter, Kishida suffered from a respiratory disease and turned to writing and poetry as a career.[1]
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.[3]
For most of her life, Kishida lived and worked the foot of Mount AsamainGunma 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.[3] 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).[3]
Blueberry Picking Days: News from a Mountain Hut for Two (co-authored with Kyoko Kishida, Tokuma Shoten) 1988, later renamed News from a Mountain Hut for Two (Bunshun Bunko)
Is Hariemon's medicine delicious? The hedgehog doctor's big success (illustrated by Yasuji Mori, Tokuma Shoten) 1989
Strange Hide-and-Seek: Children's Seasons and Play Songs (Nora Shoten) 1990
What's in Today's Lunch Box? (illustration by Yuriko Yamawaki, Fukuinkan Shoten) 1994
Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter in the Forest: Found in the Oshigippa Forest (Poplar Publishing) 1994
There's no need to rush (Dowaya) 1995
Neko Neko Yanagi (Fukuinkan Shoten) 1996
Who is this snowman? (Fukuinkan Shoten) 1997
I Found You All (Fukuinkan Shoten) 1998
Put on the soap and it's bubbling away (illustration by Yuriko Yamawaki, Fukuinkan Shoten) June 1999
Wild Flower Road (illustration by Kazuho Furuya, Fukuinkan Shoten) March 2000
News from Strawberries (illustrated by Kazuho Furuya, published by Fukuinkan Shoten) June 2001
An Important Day (Rironsha) 2005 - Poetry collection
Gugigasan and Fuhehosan (by Atsukoe Nishimura, published by Fukuinkan Shoten) July 2009
Mojaranko (illustrated by Kazuho Furuya, published by Fukuinkan Shoten) January 2011
Speaking of my father, speaking of my teacher (Kishida Kunio) Published in the July 1977 issue of the Quarterly Art Magazine - A three-way discussion with Kishida Kyoko and Furuyama Takao
