Kenji Miyazawa’s Night on the Galactic Railroad: 5 Deep Lessons That Will Stay With You Forever

Kenji Miyazawa’s Night on the Galactic Railroad is one of those books that’s both beautiful and terrifying in the way it grips your soul.

It’s like riding a train to the edge of the universe, and you’re not really sure if you want to get off when you reach the end.

You’re stuck in it, feeling it, and questioning everything you thought you knew about life.

The world Miyazawa creates is dreamy, but it also feels like a cold slap in the face.

Let’s get this out of the way: if you’re looking for a light bedtime story, Night on the Galactic Railroad is not it.

You’re in for a ride through the stars, and you might not know what the hell just happened when you get off.

But, hey, that’s why it’s worth reading. This book is alive, with lessons that stick with you long after you finish it.

Who is Kenji Miyazawa?

Kenji Miyazawa (1896–1933) was a Japanese poet and author known for his enchanting stories, but don’t be fooled—his works often carry a deep, almost existential weight.

He was a man of contradictions: deeply spiritual but also immersed in the harsh realities of life.

His works have been praised for their striking blend of folklore, Buddhist philosophy, and humanism.

Night on the Galactic Railroad, his most famous work, was written toward the end of his life and reflects his deep questioning of human suffering, death, and the meaning of life itself.

The Plot

Night on the Galactic Railroad tells the story of Giovanni, a young boy who embarks on an otherworldly train journey.

With his friend, Campanella, Giovanni travels through the galaxy, encountering strange creatures and witnessing scenes that reveal the complexities of life, death, and the meaning of human existence.

Along the way, he is faced with difficult truths about his own life, his relationship with his family, and the world around him.

5 Deep Lessons That Will Stay With You Forever

1. Life Is Short, But the Ride Can Be Beautiful

Giovanni’s journey across the stars doesn’t give him all the answers.

It’s like life itself—full of uncertainty, confusion, and beauty all at once.

Miyazawa doesn’t sugarcoat it; he shows that the beauty of life is in the small, fleeting moments.

Giovanni realizes that in the vast universe, even the smallest life has meaning.

Life may be short, but every second holds a lesson—whether we’re ready for it or not.

2. Suffering Is Part of the Deal

Suffering hangs over Night on the Galactic Railroad like the shadow of something that doesn’t want to be ignored.

Giovanni and Campanella’s journey isn’t all stardust and peaceful landscapes; no, it’s filled with encounters that weigh heavy on the heart.

The characters they meet, each carrying their own burdens, aren’t always visibly wounded, but the pain is there—lingering, unspoken, a weight in their eyes.

Some of it’s self-inflicted. Some of it’s simply the result of life’s cruelty, like a storm that doesn’t care if you’ve prepared or not.

What Miyazawa makes clear in the quietest, most brutal way is that suffering isn’t something you outrun.

It’s not something you can dodge or pray away. You can’t go looking for answers without facing it.

There’s no shining moment where you can say, “Well, that was the end of that.”

Night on the Galactic Railroad doesn’t offer relief in the conventional sense.

It offers the idea that suffering is part of the deal. It’s the universe’s way of making sure you’re paying attention.

Miyazawa doesn’t give us a magical escape from pain. Instead, he offers something better: a chance to find meaning within it.

To see something in the midst of the hurt, like a light breaking through the cracks in a wall. It’s in these raw moments—when the pain is almost unbearable—that Giovanni begins to understand the deeper workings of life.

You can’t grow without facing your darkness. You can’t blossom in the sun without first being buried in the soil.

And if you’re really paying attention, sometimes the beauty shows up in the strangest places, in the people who’ve suffered most.

It’s like the famous line from the book, “We can’t return to the past, and we can’t escape the future. But that doesn’t mean we should stop moving forward.”

So, no, suffering doesn’t stop.

But when you learn to face it without running, you find something stronger than answers. You find the kind of beauty that sticks with you long after the pain fades, the kind of beauty you can’t see from the sidelines.

That’s where growth happens, not in a place of comfort, but right in the middle of the mess.

3. The Universe Doesn’t Owe You Shit

Giovanni gets a taste of the vast universe and the coldness that comes with it.

No one hands you meaning on a silver platter. If you want to find it, you have to search, dig deep, and figure it out for yourself.

Life doesn’t care about your sob story. The universe is indifferent, and that’s a tough pill to swallow.

Miyazawa doesn’t give us answers wrapped in a nice, tidy bow. Instead, he offers a journey—a search for meaning that might not lead you to an answer, but it’ll make you think twice before you dismiss the importance of your own existence.

4. Death Is Not the End, Just a Shift

One of the most striking parts of Giovanni’s journey is how he encounters death in all its forms.

Yet, death isn’t the end. It’s a shift—a continuation of the journey. The universe keeps moving, even after death.

It’s not a tidy conclusion; it’s just another turn in the train ride. Night on the Galactic Railroad doesn’t paint death as something to fear.

Instead, it presents it as something inevitable and even natural. It’s just part of the ride. We all get off the train at some point, but the question is: What did you see along the way?

5. True Friendship Can’t Be Taken for Granted

Campanella’s relationship with Giovanni is at the heart of the story.

Their friendship represents loyalty, selflessness, and the idea that you’re not alone in this world—despite the cold, vast universe.

Yet, as the story unfolds, Giovanni realizes that he may not have appreciated their bond as much as he should have.

Friendship, like everything in life, requires effort, understanding, and sacrifice.

If you don’t take care of it, you might miss its full value. The way Giovanni learns this lesson is one of the most bittersweet parts of the book.

Table Summary

Lesson	Explanation
Life Is Short, But the Ride Can Be Beautiful	Life is fleeting, but its beauty lies in the moments, however small.
Suffering Is Part of the Deal	Suffering is inevitable, but it offers opportunities for growth.
The Universe Doesn’t Owe You Shit	Life doesn’t hand you meaning; you have to seek it yourself.
Death Is Not the End, Just a Shift	Death is just another part of the journey, not a final destination.
True Friendship Can’t Be Taken for Granted	Friendship requires effort and should be appreciated before it’s gone.

Conclusion

Night on the Galactic Railroad isn’t about answers. It’s about questioning.

It’s about realizing that you’re on this damn ride through the stars, and you’re going to face all sorts of stuff—life, death, love, loss, suffering—and none of it makes any damn sense until you just sit with it and let it burn a hole in your gut.

Life doesn’t owe you answers. It doesn’t even owe you happiness.

But in the midst of it all, there’s meaning if you’re willing to look for it. Giovanni’s journey is not just his own; it’s yours too.

So, take the damn ride. But be prepared—by the end, you’ll wonder if you were ever really on it to begin with.