Shuntarō Tanikawa, lyricist for ‘Astro Boy’ and ‘Howl’s Moving Castle,’ dies at 92
By Ryan General
Renowned Japanese poet and lyricist Shuntarō Tanikawa, whose work spanned over seven decades,
Celebrated for his modern and accessible approach to Japanese poetry, Tanikawa was known for his groundbreaking 1952 debut “Two Billion Light Years of Solitude” and his playful “Word Play Songs.” He also contributed lyrics to iconic Osamu Tezuka anime such as “Astro Boy” and “Phoenix,” as well as the theme song of Hayao Miyazaki‘s “Howl’s Moving Castle.”
His prolific output includes over 60 poetry books, translations of Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” and the “Mother Goose” rhymes into Japanese and the screenplay for “The Phoenix: Chapter of Dawn.”
Tanikawa’s work garnered numerous accolades throughout his career, including the American Book Award for his poetry collection “Floating the River in Melancholy.”
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