Kenji trained as a geologist and did much field work in the mountains, woods, and fields that he loved. As he roamed the countryside he would gather plants and rocks and observe the heavens, drawing inspiration from the stars, wind, and living creatures for the poetry and stories he wrote. Just like the characters in his stories, Kenji must have heard voices whispering in the wind and listened to the rocks conversing as he wearily fell asleep. Kenji felt an emotional affinity with stars and rainbows, the wind and clouds, animals, rocks and a host of other things in nature which were a poetic inspiration to him. As he wrote in An Outline of the Essential Art of the Peasant, "Come and go with the wind, gather energy from the clouds," Kenji was extremely responsive to atmospheric phenomena-the wind, snow, and clouds energized him. The wind is a principal theme in Matasaburo of the Wind , generally regarded as one of Kenji's masterpieces. Other stories like The Origin of the Deer Dance, Sagaren and August, and The Glacier Rat's Pelt all begin with the sound of the wind which acts as a kind of story teller who starts off the tale. Many of the earth-bound creatures in Kenji's stories look with longing on the sun and the stars. These creatures not only converse with each other, but with the sky and the heavens as well, because they recognize that they are an integral part of the universe. This is one of the techniques by which Kenji gives play to the power of his unique, poetic imagination. 
Who is Kenji Miyazawa?
The World of Kenji Miyazawa
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