Ujō Noguchi

Ujō Noguchi (野口 雨情, Noguchi Ujō, May 29, 1882 - January 27, 1945) was a Japanese poet and lyricist of children's songs and traditional Min'yō folk music. He wrote some of the most beloved and familiar pieces for children and youth choirs, such as "Akai kutsu^[] (Red Shoes)". He, along with Hakushū Kitahara, and Yaso Saijō^[] are considered to be the three great poets and children's songwriters in Japan.

Ujō Noguchi was born Eikichi Noguchi (野口 英吉) or 栄吉, in the former town of Isohara, Ibaraki, which is now incorporated into the central part of Kitaibaraki city.

He was the eldest son of Ryōhei (量平), a cargo-shipping wholesaler, and Teru (てる). Eikichi was born into a prestigious family that claimed its descent from Kusunoki Masasue^[], the younger brother of Kusunoki Masashige.)

After completing his 4-year elementary and 4-year senior elementary schooling in his home town, the teenage Eikichi moved to the capital in 1897, where he attended Tōkyō Middle School. It was there he began composing haiku. He continued on to Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō, the precursor of Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō, where he was mentored by novelist Tsubouchi Shōyō. In 1901, he became captivated by the Shintaishi or "New form poetry" movement. He quit college after one year to concentrate on writing poetry.

His father's business failure and death in 1904 forced him to return to his hometown as head of the family.

The family had earlier arranged a marriage for Eikichi to the daughter of a wealthy financier from as a way to salvage the languishing family fortune. Eikichi's married Hiro Takashio (高塩 ひろ) in 1904, when both were 23. The marriage was a reluctant one, and was ultimately doomed.

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