Kitou, Aya

Personal Information

Aya Kitou (July 19, 1962 – May 23, 1988) was a Japanese girl who documented her personal struggles with spinocerebellar ataxia in a diary. Known as 1 Litre no Namida (1リットルの涙 Ichi Rittoru no Namida, literally "1 Litre of Tears"), her work was first published in her native Japan on February 25, 1986, over two years prior to her death at the age of 25. Kitou fought the incurable condition for a decade, enduring significant emotional and physical suffering that also placed immense stress on her family. Following her passing, her mother, Shioka Kitou, ensured the diary was made public so that those in need of the spirit to continue living could find encouragement in it.