Kenji Miyazawa was a Japanese novelist, poet, and author of children's literature in the late Taishō and early Shōwa periods. He was also known as an agricultural science teacher, a vegetarian, cellist, and devout Buddhist social activist. Many of his major works were published posthumously and gained widespread recognition years after his death. His most famous works, including "Night on the Galactic Railroad" and the poem "Ame ni mo Makezu," explore themes of compassion, nature, and self-sacrifice.