was a

Japanese author This is an alphabetical list of writers who are Japanese, or are famous for having written in the Japanese language. Writers are listed by the native order of Japanese names, family name followed by given name to ensure consistency although some ...

, sometimes known as the

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. Niimi was born in Yanabe, in the city of Handa,

Aichi prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshū. Aichi Prefecture has a population of 7,552,873 () and a geographic area of with a population density of . Aichi Prefecture borders Mie Prefecture to the west, Gifu Prefectur ...

, on July 30, 1913. He lost his mother when he was four years old. His literary skill was noticeable at an early age. During his elementary school graduation ceremony, he presented a

haiku is a type of short form poetry originally from Japan. Traditional Japanese haiku consist of three phrases that contain a ''kireji'', or "cutting word", 17 '' on'' (phonetic units similar to syllables) in a 5, 7, 5 pattern, and a ''kigo'', or se ...

that impressed most people at the ceremony. :''The Dandelion'' :''So Many Days Trampled'' :''Today’s Flower'' At age 18, Niimi moved to

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

to enter the

Tokyo University of Foreign Studies , often referred to as TUFS, is a specialist research university in Fuchū, Tokyo, Japan. TUFS is primarily devoted to foreign language, international affairs and foreign studies. It also features an Asia-African institution. History The Uni ...

. He fell sick with

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...

while in Tokyo shortly after graduating, and returned to his hometown. He worked there, first as an elementary school teacher, then as a women's high school teacher. He died at age 29. Although not prolific, he shows great talent in all of his writings. His works are known for their accuracy and lively depictions of humans. He is also often compared to

Kenji Miyazawa was a Japanese novelist and poet of children's literature from Hanamaki, Iwate, in the late Taishō and early Shōwa periods. He was also known as an agricultural science teacher, a vegetarian, cellist, devout Buddhist, and utopian social acti ...

. There is a ''Niimi Nankichi Memorial Museum'' in his birthplace, Handa.

Works

(Some are given only with the Japanese title) *''

Gon, the Little Fox is a Japanese literature, Japanese Children's literature, children's story about the life of a little fox called Gon. The story is considered the masterpiece of Niimi Nankichi, also sometimes known as the Hans Christian Andersen of Japan. Synops ...

'' (Japanese: ごんぎつね): This is his most famous work, which he wrote when he was only seventeen years old. This story of an orphaned fox that dies young somewhat parallels his own life. *''

Buying Mittens is a short story in children's literature by Nankichi Niimi. It was first published in 1943 after his death. The story talks about a fox child who goes to the nearby town to buy some gloves. Plot When a cold winter comes to the forest, a lit ...

'' (Japanese: 手袋を買いに): This is another famous work of his. *''Grandfather’s Lamp'' (Japanese: おぢいさんのランプ), published 1942 *''Hananoki Village and the Thieves'' (Japanese: 花のき村と盗人たち) *''A Tale of Ryôkan: a Ball and a Child at a Basin'', published 1941 *''Ushi wo tsunaida tsubaki no ki'' (Temporary Translation: ''A camellia tree to which a cow was tethered'') *''Lie'' (Japanese: うそ)

References

External links

e-texts of Niimi Nankichi's works
at

Aozora bunko Aozora Bunko (, literally the "Blue Sky Library", also known as the "Open Air Library") is a Japanese digital library. This online collection encompasses several thousands of works of Japanese-language fiction and non-fiction. These include out-o ...

(in Japanese)
Synopsis of ''Hananoki Village and the Thieves''
(English)

(English) *

Japan Mint The is an Independent Administrative Institution of the Japanese government, responsible for producing and circulating the coins of Japan. The agency has its head office in Osaka with branches in Saitama and Hiroshima. The Japan Mint does not pr ...

2007 Coin Set with the story of Gon, the Little Fox
* * * 1913 births 1943 deaths Writers from Aichi Prefecture People from Handa, Aichi Fabulists 20th-century Japanese poets 20th-century deaths from tuberculosis Tuberculosis deaths in Japan {{Japan-writer-stub

Works

See also

References

External links