Rieko Nakagawa facts for kids

Rieko Nakagawa (中川李枝子, Nakagawa Rieko, September 29, 1935 – October 14, 2024) was a famous Japanese writer of children's books and songs. She wrote her first book, Iyaiyaen, in 1962. After that, she wrote more than 30 books! She won many awards for her stories, like the important Kikuchi Kan Prize.

Rieko Nakagawa also wrote the words for songs. These included the opening song for the famous 1988 Studio Ghibli movie My Neighbor Totoro. She wrote over 20 other songs, like "Yūki," which was sung by Mana Ashida for a big school singing contest.

About Rieko Nakagawa's Life

Rieko Ōmura (大村李枝子, Ōmura Rieko) was born on September 29, 1935. Her birthplace was Sapporo, Hokkaido, in Japan. When she was four years old, her family moved to Tokyo. They lived with her grandfather there.

Rieko stayed in Tokyo until she was in third grade. Then, her family moved back to Sapporo for a short time. They had to leave Sapporo at the end of World War II. Her father got a new job in Fukushima. She lived there until her second year of high school. After that, she moved back to Tokyo. She finished her studies at the Tokyo Metropolitan High School Nursery School Academy (東京都立高等保母学院, Tōkyō Toritsu Kōtō Hobo Gakuin).

Rieko Nakagawa passed away on October 14, 2024. She was 89 years old.

Rieko Nakagawa's Writing Career

Rieko Nakagawa worked at a nursery school. While she was there, she wrote her first book, No-No Academy (いやいやえん, Iyaiyaen). This book was published in 1962. It quickly won many important awards. These included the Minister of Health and Welfare Award. It also won the Sankei Juvenile Publications Culture Award.

Her book, Rock the Puppy Is Here (子犬のロクがやってきた, Koinu no Roku ga Yattekita), came out in 1980. This story also won a special award. It was called the Mainichi Publishing Culture Award.

Rieko Nakagawa and her younger sister, Yuriko Yamawaki, worked together a lot. They won the Kikuchi Kan Prize for their children's book series Guri and Gura. They continued to create many more books in this series. They also made other popular books like Sora Iro no Tane and The Peach-Colored Giraffe (ももいろのきりん, Momo Iro no Kirin).

Besides books, Rieko Nakagawa wrote many essays. These are short pieces of writing where she shared her thoughts. She also wrote the words for several songs. Some of her most famous song lyrics are from the 1988 Studio Ghibli film My Neighbor Totoro. These include the songs Sanpo and Maigo. She also wrote the lyrics for the song "Yūki" (ゆうき, lit. "Courage"). This song was sung by Mana Ashida. It was the theme song for a big school singing competition in Japan.

Rieko Nakagawa's Works

Children's Books

The Guri and Gura Series

This popular series of books started in 1967. They are all published by Fukuinkan Shoten. Rieko Nakagawa's sister, Yuriko Yamawaki, drew all the pictures for these books. The first book even credits her by her maiden name, Yuriko Ōmura. Many of these books have been translated into English, Korean, and other languages.

• Guri and Gura (1967)
• Guri and Gura's Surprise Visitor (1967)
• Guri and Gura's Seaside Adventure (1977)
• Guri and Gura's Picnic Adventure (1983)
• Guri and Gura's Magical Friend (1992)
• Guri and Gura's Playtime Book of Seasons (1997)
• Guri and Gura's A-I-U-E-O (2002)
• Guri and Gura's Spring Cleaning (2002)
• Guri and Gura's Songs of the Seasons (2003)
• Guri and Gura's Special Gift (2003)
• Guri and Gura's 1-2-3 (2004)
• Guri and Gura's Good Luck Charm (2009)

Other Children's Books

• Iyaiyaen (いやいやえん) (1962, illustrated by Yuriko Ōmura)
• Kaeru no Eruta (かえるのエルタ) (1964, illustrated by Yuriko Ōmura)
• Sora Iro no Tane (1964, illustrated by Yuriko Ōmura)
• Momo Iro no Kirin (ももいろのきりん) (1965, illustrated by Sōya Nakagawa)
• Raion Midori no Nichiyoubi (らいおんみどりの日ようび) (1969, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Hajimete no Yuki (はじめてのゆき) (1970, illustrated by Sōya Nakagawa)
• Obaa-san Guma to (おばあさんぐまと) (1970, illustrated by Sōya Nakagawa)
• Kaburi-chan (ガブリちゃん) (1971, illustrated by Sōya Nakagawa)
• Kujiragumo (くじらぐも) (1971, a Japanese language manual for first graders)
• Tanta no Tanken (たんたのたんけん) (1971, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Kodanuki 6-piki (こだぬき6ぴき) (1972, illustrated by Sōya Nakagawa)
• Kogitsune Konchi to Okaa-san (こぎつねコンチとおかあさん) (1971)
• Tanta no Tantei (たんたのたんてい) (1975, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Ohisama ha Harappa (おひさまはらっぱ) (1977, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Mori Obake (森おばけ) (1978, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Koinu no Roku ga Yattekita (子犬のロクがやってきた) (1979, illustrated by Sōya Nakagawa)
• Torata to Maruta (とらたとまるた) (1982, illustrated by Sōya Nakagawa)
• Wanwan-mura no Ohanashi (わんわん村のおはなし) (1986, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Mitsuko no Kobuta (三つ子のこぶた) (1986, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Ohayō (おはよう) (1986, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Oyasumi (おやすみ) (1986, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Kenta - Usagi (けんた・うさぎ) (1986, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Nazonazo Ehon (なぞなぞえほん) (1988, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Ohisama Onegai Chichinpui (おひさまおねがいチチンプイ) (1991, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Takataka-yama no Taka-chan (たかたか山のたかちゃん) (1992, illustrated by Kakuta Nakagawa)
• Torata to Ōyuki (とらたとおおゆき) (1993, illustrated by Sōya Nakagawa)
• Takara Sagashi (たからさがし) (1994, illustrated by Yuriko Ōmura)
• Kuma-san Kuma-san (くまさんくまさん) (1995, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Torata to Yotto (とらたとヨット) (1995, illustrated by Sōya Nakagawa)
• Hanehane Hane-chan (はねはね はねちゃん) (1998, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Otegami (おてがみ) (1998, illustrated by Sōya Nakagawa)
• Kobuta Hoikuen (こぶたほいくえん) (2001, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Kuma no Kokumakichi (くまのこくまきち) (2001, illustrated by Kōzō Kakimoto)
• Chiisai Michiko-chan (ちいさいみちこちゃん) (2006, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Nekotora-kun (ねことらくん) (2006, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Neko no Ongaeshi (ねこのおんがえし) (2007, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)
• Itazura Kitsune (いたずらぎつね) (2008, illustrated by Yuriko Yamawaki)

Song Lyrics Written by Rieko Nakagawa

Rieko Nakagawa wrote the words for many songs. Here are some of them:

• "Itazura Koneko" (いたずらこねこ) (music by Hiroshi Hara)
• "Ichinensei no Uta" (一年生のうた) (music by Neko Saito)
• "Castella no Uta" (カステラのうた) (music by Hisako Furuichi)
• "Kirin no Kirika" (きりんのキリカ) (music by Yasuko Kurihara)
• "Kujiratori" (music by Yuji Nomi)
• "Kuma-san no Odekake" (くまさんのおでかけ) (music by Masamichi Takahashi and Mieko Okumura)
• "Guri to Gura no Uta" (ぐりとぐらのうた) (music by Kikuko Kobayashi and Hoick)
• "Gokigen Wani-san" (ごきげんわにさん) (music by Akihiro Komori, sung by Akiko Yano)
• "Te wo Tsunagō" (手をつなごう) (music by Makoto Moroi and Michio Mado)
• Songs from My Neighbor Totoro (music by Joe Hisaishi):
  • "Sanpo" (さんぽ)
  • "Maigo" (まいご)
  • "Susuwatari" (すすわたり)
  • "Okaa-san" (おかあさん)
  • "Neko Basu" (ねこバス)
  • "Fushigi Shiritori Uta" (ふしぎしりとりうた)
• "Tobidase Tankentai" (とびだせたんけんたい) (music by Hiroshi Aoshima)
• "Tonton Taisō" (とんとん体操) (with Michio Mado, music by Joji Yuasa)
• "Haru" (はる) (music by Neko Saito)
• "Mado" (まど) (music by Haruna Miyake)
• "Mari-chan no Komoriuta" (まりちゃんのこもりうた) (music by Masabumi Kikuchi)
• "Yūki" (ゆうき) (music by Takatsugu Muramatsu)