“Treasures of Haiku”
Itsuki Natsui,
Ambassador of Haiku Capitol Matsuyama
M
atsuyama was declared a Haiku Capital in 2014.
We in Matsuyama are eager to share the treasures
of haiku with domestic and foreign haiku fans.
What are the treasures of haiku? First, to appreciate
the blessings of nature; second, to be healed by nature;
and third, to develop imagination and sympathy. We haiku
poets of Matsuyama think that if all the peoples of the world
have these three treasures in hand, we will all be healthier,
happier, and kinder to each other.
To know each season, to receive a blessing from the
seasons, and to be thankful for nature was normal for our
ancestors. Thanksgiving Day is evidence of this, but is it
enough to feel gratitude for nature only once a year? Please
explore and enjoy the natural world, make haiku, and heal
your mind and body.
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W
hen you compose haiku, observation is necessary,
but your own imagination is the most important
element. If you imagine the close relationship between the
natural world and human beings, your haiku will teach your
heart to grow in love.
The effect of haiku is enormous, but the method is
very simple. Anyone can write good haiku easily with this
guidebook.
Haiku is like a gift box into which you put your seasonal
pleasures.
L
et’s choose a season-word and enjoy
composing haiku.
Dogo Onsen Honkan
3
Why is Matsuyama
a haiku capital?
M
atsuyama has produced great haiku poets such as
Shiki Masaoka, Kyoshi Takahama, and many others.
Matsuyama was the place where the wandering Zen Monk
and master of free-verse haiku Santoka Taneda settled in his
late life. Haiku lovers visit Matsuyama just as music lovers
visit Vienna to trace the footsteps of Mozart, Schubert and
Beethoven.
The Shiki Museum
The goals of this museum are
to show the development of the
modern Japanese short-form poetry
known to the world as haiku and
tanka, and to study Matsuyama’
s traditions and history through
the life of the great Meiji-era
poet Shiki Masaoka.
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Who were Shiki Masaoka
and Kyoshi Takahama?
S
Shiki Masaoka
hiki Masaoka reformed the modern
form of Japanese poetry - which is a fixed form of
seventeen syllables on the subject of nature - in the Meiji
period, naming it ”Haiku” (”Hai” means ”play”, ”ku”
means ”word”). He breathed new life into haiku by creating
literary sketches of real life subjects, derived from realistic
paintings in Western art. Sadly, Shiki spent much of his short
life in the sickbed.
K
yoshi Takahama practiced Shiki’s
reformation of haiku and promoted
it throughout Japan with his famous haiku
and His poetic philosophy.
Kyoshi Takahama
According to Kyoshi, Haiku is a 'kyakkan
shasei' (an objective portrayal) and a 'kacho fuei' (the beauties
of nature and the harmony between nature and man.)
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What is a haiku tour
in Matsuyama?
Part 1. Ginko: composing haiku while strolling in nature.
Visiting the birthplace of famous haiku will help give you
the inspiration to compose one of your [Link] are many
monumental stones with haiku of Santoka, Shiki and Kyoshi
in Matsuyama. Once you have written your haiku, you will
have the option to use the ”Haiku Post" (a mailbox only for
haiku) on the streetcar and many other places in town.
Wisteria of Koshin-an
Haiku Post
Monument to Matsuyama high
school haiku championship at
Okaido street
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Kukai
Part 2. Kukai: sharing haiku
In Matsuyama, there are some great places to share
haiku, such as ”Isso-an”and ”Koshin-an”. The suffix ”-an"
indicates a hermitage that is the dividing line between the
secular and the poetic world.
”Isso-an” is also known as the place of Santoka's
peaceful death.
How to share your haiku:
(three or more participants are required)
[Link] all Haiku without naming the author
[Link] your favorite haiku
[Link] the reason you chose it
[Link] the author's name
[Link] each other a pat on the back
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How does one
compose a haiku? (1)
1.
Take a walk in nature with
your pen and guide book.
2.
Find kigo (season word).
Observe the moment
of meeting between kigo, your
imagination, and someone
(including yourself) or something
you detect with your five senses.
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Text: Chizu Rosen
English translation: Adam Ali
3.
Sketch the scene as a painter
would and take notes with
your own words. (If you can phrase
them with five, seven, or twelve
syllables, it will be easier to shape
the haiku form later.)
4.
Compose your haiku using your notes. Haiku
is written in three lines, with five syllables in the
first line, seven syllables in the second line, and five
syllables in the third line. While the number of syllables
per line is standard, it does not need to be strictly
adhered to. Create a painting in the reader's mind.
9
How does one
compose a haiku? (2)
5.
Read some haiku
critically and with your
[Link] the meeting
between kigo and someone or
something in the haiku.
white peony
a reddish tinge on a petal
nobody noticed
By Kyosi Takahama
(peony: summer kigo)
how much snow?
again and again I asked
in my bed
By Shiki Masaoka
(snow: winter kigo)
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silent dog
carrying a shoe in his mouth
Shiki's deathday
By Itsuki Natsui
(Shiki's deathday: autumn kigo)
Three Major Kigo
snow
moon
flower
(cherry blossoms)
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A list of kigo for spring
pleasant tides of spring spring day
be keenly cold
spring breeze
Spring clouds
hazy moon
spring rain
spring rain
yellow sand
spring mountain
pleasant tides of spring
pleasant tides of spring
spring hat
Valentine's Day
pilgrim
cherry-blossom viewing cherry-blossom
viewing
12
swallow
nightingale
swallow
tweet
cat in heat
frog
butterfly
cherry blossoms
camellia
budding season
fresh grass
spinach
camellia
cherry blossoms
13
A list of kigo for summer
sunset
heat
high noon
cool
rainy season
summer moon
thunder
sunset
cumulonimbus, cloud nine
summer ocean
waterfall carp streamer
carp streamer
fireworks
nap
beer
yacht
cherry
beer
sweat
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little cuckoo
snake
lizard
cicada
ladybug
cicada
sunflower
fresh green leaves
strawberry
lily
rose
sunflower
broad bean
tomato strawberry
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A list of kigo for autumn
lingering summer heat fine autumn day
fine autumn day
moon
full moon
shooting star; meteor
fog
typhoon
lightning
full moon dewdrop
clear autumn water
harvest
new rice
scarecrow
new rice
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deer deer
boar
migratory birds
sardine
salmon
dragonfly
cricket chirping
silver grass
autumn leaves
chrysanthemum
cosmos
acorn
cosmos
silver grass
autumn leaves
acorn
17
A list of kigo for winter
freeze
new year's eve freeze
snow
drizzling rain
orion
cold wintry wind
withered field
snow
withered field
hot pot cooking
heating
hot sake
sweater
muffler
muffler, scarf
overcoat
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waterfowl
hibernation
yellow tail
wild duck
waterfowl
bare wood whale
fox
wolf
owl
bare wood
fallen leaves
mandarin orange,
fallen leaves tangerine
chinese cabbage
carrot
mandarin orange, tangerine
narcissus
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A list of kigo for new year
sunrise on
new year
new year's day
new year's day
sunrise on new year's day
visiting a shrine of the new year
new year’s calligraphy
new year's foods( in nest of boxes)
first bath of the new year
new diary
top
top
rice cake
seven spring herbs
rice cake
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L
et's combine photographs and
haikus, and decorate them!
Setouchi Matsuyama Photo Haiku Contest
Prize-winners
summer dusk
fishing boats set their nets
around the sun
Marietta Jane McGregor
(Canberra, Australia)
Photo Haiku Contest Guidelines for Writing Haiku
[Link] three lines
[Link] or without a season word
[Link] fixed number of syllables
Setouchi Matsuyama Photo Haiku Contest Web Site
[Link]
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MEMO
22
haiku 1
haiku 2
haiku 3
haiku 4
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MEMO
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haiku 5
haiku 6
haiku 7
haiku 8
25
MEMO
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haiku 9
haiku 10
haiku 11
haiku 12
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MEMO
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haiku 13
haiku 14
haiku 15
haiku 16
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観光庁 2015 年度・地域資源を活用した観光地魅力創造事業
「松山・俳句＝ＨＡＩＫＵ」ブランディングに関する企画および
市場調査事業
Tourism and International Exchange Division, Industrial Economy
Depertment, Matsuyama City
4-7-2 Nibancho, Matsuyama 790-8571
32 Phone +81-89-948-6556(089-948-6556)
