In Tokyo’s upscale Azabu-Jūban district, a sculpture of a young girl, called Kimi-chan, bears a tragic backstory. “The Red Shoes” is a popular children’s song known for its hauntingly bittersweet melody and lyrics. Written in 1922 by Ujo Noguchi and Nagayo Moto’ori, the song tells the story of a girl who wore wearing red shoes and was “taken away by a stranger” in Yokohama. (It is unrelated to the Danish fairy tale of the same name.) Although the first part makes it sound like it’s about abduction, the singer goes on to…
