Kenji Miyazawa was born in 1896 in Hanamaki Town, the Hienuki District (currently known as Toyosawa Town, Hanamaki City) in Iwate Prefecture.
His family operated a used-clothes outlet and pawnbroker business.
In the year Kenji was born, many lives were lost in the prefecture through heavy rains, mass flooding, the Great Riku-u Earthquake and the Great Sanriku Tsunami (Tidal Wave).

In his sixth year, Kenji spent two weeks in hospital with dysentery.
In that year the Tohoku area suffered from bad crop failure due to low temperatures and heavy rains.

Kenji was admitted to the Hanamaki Kawaguchi Primary School.
In 1903 the Tohoku area suffered from famine as a result of the crop failure of the year before.

Kenji graduated with honors from the Hanamaki Kawaguchi Primary School.
He entered the Iwate Prefectural Morioka Junior High School (now known as the Morioka Daiichi High School).
Kenji left his parent's home to stay at the Jikyoryo Dormitory.
From then on, Kenji began to compose Tanka, (Japanese poems of thirty-one syllables) and also became absorbed in collecting minerals.

Kenji was expelled from the Jikyoryo Dormitory, and he found lodgings at the Kitayama Seiyoin Dormitory (of the Soto Sect).

Kenji graduated from Morioka Junior High School.

In April 1915, Kenji was admitted to the Morioka Agricultural High School as the top student in his year.
(This school is now known as the Iwate University Agricultural Department).

From this period onwards, Kenji published many Tanka in publications such as the 'Azaria' and 'Koyukai Kaiho'.

Kenji graduated with honors from the Morioka Agricultural High School, and he remained at the school as a research student.
He became a vegetarian. His younger sister Toshi became sick and Kenji traveled to Tokyo to look after her.
From then on, Kenji started writing fairytales.

Kenji returned to his parents' house with his younger sister after Toshi recovered from her illness.
Kenji assisted with the family business.

Kenji completed his research studies with the Department of Geology Research.
He was admitted into the Chigaku Tanaka's sect of Buddhism where he became an ardent believer of the Hokkekyo Sutra.

In January 1921 Kenji traveled to Tokyo where he worked at the Koshinsha Publishing Firm.
He developed a close friendship with Katoji Fujiwara and became absorbed in music.
In December he started teaching at the Hienuki District Agricultural School.

Kenji begins writing 'Harutoshura' and becomes more engrossed in his poetry.
Kenji's younger sister Toshi dies on the 27th November 1922.

Kenji publishes 'Harutoshura' and 'Chumon no Oi Ryoriten' at his own expense.

Kenji joined the coterie of the Poetry Magazines - 'Kao' and 'Dora'.
He starts to teach himself how to play the organ and cello.

In March Kenji resigned from the Hanamaki Agricultural School.
He began to live off the land while staying at a detached house in the Shimoneko district of Hanamaki.
In August Kenji established the Rasuchijin Society.
This society held lectures about rice planting and science, as well as joint music concerts with the local youth.

In February a feature article and photo caption of Kenji Miyazawa was published in the 'Iwate Nippo' Newspaper.
He became active in planning effective fertilizer use, and advising on rice planting.
Kenji continues to compose poetry.

Kenji suffers from acute pneumonia brought on by overwork and malnutrition.
From this time on, Kenji's works were regularly published in a variety of magazines.

Kenji is employed as an engineer at the Tohoku Quarry Facility.
He traveled to Tokyo to promote sales of coal but became sick with fever, and returned home.
Once again, Kenji was confined to his bed due to sickness.
On the 3rd of November he wrote 'Ame ni mo Makezu'.

Still sick, Kenji begins studying Higher Mathematics.
His piece 'Gusukobudori no Denki' - is published in 'Jido Bungaku'.

Kenji publishes many poems in a variety of publications.
On the 20th September Kenji contracts acute pneumonia.
He died on the 21st September 1933, at 37 years of age.