Yoshiko Umeda is a Japanese writer recognized as the original creator of the story that inspired the anime short film Shiranpuri. Information identifies her as a writer, born in 1947 in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. She collaborated extensively with her husband, Shunsaku Umeda, on picture books that address difficult social issues facing children.

Umeda is best known for the picture book Shiranpuri, which she co-authored with her husband. Originally published in 1997, the book became a long-selling work with a total of two hundred thousand copies in print. The story was later adapted into an anime short film of the same name, produced as part of the 2011 Young Animator Training Project, also known as the Anime Mirai 2011 project. The animated version was directed by Shinpei Miyashita and produced by the studio Shirogumi. The film focuses on a young boy who is bullied at school while his classmates remain passive observers, a narrative that examines social responsibility and the consequences of indifference.

The central theme running through Umeda’s work is the emotional turmoil of childhood, specifically the pain of bullying and the feeling of not wanting to attend school. Her picture book Shiranpuri was one of several projects through which she explored the conflicts and courage of children suffering from bullying. Her final work, a picture book titled The road around to Ashita, continues this focus, following a child who refuses to go to school and a girl who has been displaced from a disaster area. Beyond her writing, Umeda actively gave lectures and workshops across Japan, speaking directly with parents and children affected by bullying. Yoshiko Umeda passed away in December 2020.