Miyoko Matsutani was a highly influential Japanese author of children's picture books and a dedicated researcher of folktales, whose literary works frequently served as the source material for animated films and television specials. Born in Tokyo on February 14, 1926, Matsutani was the youngest child of a lawyer and politician. Following her father's death when she was eleven, her family could not afford to send her to college. After graduating from high school in 1943, she worked at a bank and the Japan Travel Bureau. During the Bombing of Tokyo in 1945, her family relocated to Nakano city in Nagano prefecture, where she met writer Joji Tsubota, who became her mentor. She married Takuo Segawa in 1955, and together they collected traditional legends from the Nagano area, research that would deeply influence her future writing.

Matsutani's career as a published author began with a collection of short stories titled Kai ni natta kodomo, which won the Children's Literature Association New Face Award. She is best known for her 1960 book Taro the Dragon Boy, which was inspired by the couple's folklore research and won the Hans Christian Andersen Award. This story was later adapted into a movie, demonstrating the early translation of her work to the screen. Another major success was Little Momo-chan (Chiisai Momo-chan), published in 1964, which won the Noma Prize for children's literature. Over her long career, she wrote more than 300 stories and founded the Miyoko Matsutani Folklore Research Center, underscoring her commitment to preserving and retelling traditional Japanese tales.

In the world of anime, Matsutani is credited as an original creator for several notable productions. The 1979 television special Maegami-Taro, an adventure story about a boy questing for the Water of Life to save his village, is directly based on her work. For this production, her original story was adapted into a screenplay by Akira Miyazaki, with direction by Hiroshi Saitou and character design by Yoshiyuki Momose. Another significant adaptation is the 1975 short film Mizu no Tane (The Water Seed). This 19-minute movie was a unique animation directed by Tadanari Okamoto, created for the Oceanic Culture Museum at Expo '75 in Okinawa. The story is based on Matsutani's retelling of a traditional Okinawan folk tale about a young farmer who rescues a snake and is rewarded with a magical journey to an undersea realm. Mizu no Tane won the Oofuji Noburou Award in 1975. These adaptations highlight how her extensive body of folktale retellings and original children's stories provided rich, culturally significant material for animators.

A recurring theme throughout Matsutani's work is the relationship between humans and nature, which is particularly evident in her stories based on folktales. Her books for younger readers often focused on the tender bond between mothers and children, while her works for older audiences did not shy away from addressing social issues. This thematic range, from the gentle baby book Inai Inai Baa to the folkloric adventures of Taro the Dragon Boy, demonstrates her versatility as a writer. Matsutani also edited the popular Kaidan Restaurant horror anthology series, further showcasing her broad appeal across different genres and age groups.

Miyoko Matsutani passed away from natural causes in Tokyo on February 28, 2015, at the age of 89. Her significance to the Japanese animation industry lies not in direct production work, but as a foundational source creator. Her respected retellings of Japan's folk tales and her award-winning original stories gave animators like Tadanari Okamoto and studios like Nippon Animation a wellspring of authentic, meaningful narratives to adapt, thereby connecting the modern medium of anime with traditional Japanese storytelling. Her legacy endures through her vast literary catalogue and the animated works she inspired.