die of natural causes

先生が取り上げておられたのでその後、まどさんの関連記事を読みました。飾らずに素直に思いを言葉に移される「名人」だったことがよく分かりました。

Renowned Japanese Poet Michio Mado Dies at 104

Japanese poet Michio Mado, who is well known for a number of works for children, died of natural causes at a Tokyo hospital Friday. He was 104. 
   

Born in the western Japan prefecture of Yamaguchi in 1909, Mado, whose real name was Michio Ishida, moved to Taiwan when he was an elementary school student. After graduating from a technical university in Taipei, Mado started to work at the office of the then Japanese governor-general in Taiwan in 1929.
   

While working for the office, Mado contributed his poems to a children's magazine called "Kodomo no Kuni." He devoted himself to writing children's literature after his works were praised by renowned Japanese poet Hakushu Kitahara in the 1930s.
   

He was in Singapore when World War II ended in 1945, and then he returned to Japan in 1946.
   Mado became known nationwide in Japan for a song called "Zo-san" (Little Elephant), for which he wrote lyrics in 1951. He also wrote lyrics for many other songs that are still beloved by children.

http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2014022800631

死亡原因は老衰と発表されました。natural causes、１０４歳での大往生だったのですね。（Ume）