| CARVIEW |
Satake Yoshinobu
Before and after the Battle of Sekigahara
The Battle of Sekigahara took place on September 15th, 1600. Satake Yoshinobu took a passive stance in the battle and did not participate. Why did he take a bystander stance? What kind of situation developed after the battle as a result?
1600
This year marked the 11th year since Toyotomi Hideyoshi granted Yoshinobu the right to rule Hitachi Province, which had a fief of 540,000 koku, in 1590. During these 11 years, Yoshinobu unified Hitachi Province and made Mito Castle his residence.
Yoshinobu had returned to Mito in September of the previous year, and by the New Year of 1600, the castle’s repairs and the expansion of samurai residences and townscape had progressed greatly, and the samurai and commoners of Mito were living peaceful lives in the newly renovated castle town.
However, in July of that year, two years after Toyotomi Hideyoshi’s death, war clouds began to gather between Tokugawa Ieyasu’s Eastern Army, which was plotting to seize power, and Ishida Mitsunari’s Western Army, which was plotting to overthrow Ieyasu in order to protect the Toyotomi government.
Yoshinobu immediately gathered his family’s veteran generals to discuss his future, but there were conflicting opinions between those who supported Ishida and those who supported Tokugawa, and it was difficult to make a decision. Yoshinobu said that he would decide on his course of action after determining for a while whether Ishida or Tokugawa were the rightful soldiers for the Toyotomi family, and decided to observe the situation.
Yoshinobu kept in contact with Ishida Mitsunari, with whom he had a close relationship, and promised his cooperation, but his senior vassals understood that this cooperation was not for his own ambition, but was entirely for the continuation of the Toyotomi clan, and that he would not stray from moral principles, and that his attitude toward Ieyasu was up to Hideyori. He kept this determination to himself and outwardly adopted an attitude of waiting to see how things would turn out.
On September 15th, the Battle of Sekigahara ended with a victory for the Eastern Army. Yoshinobu immediately dispatched a congratulatory message to Tokugawa Ieyasu and Hidetada, who were stationed in the Kamigata region. The Uesugi army suffered the most casualties in the Aizu battle, which constituted the eastern front of the Battle of Sekigahara. The Mogami and Date armies followed, with the Satake army the only ones to suffer no bloodshed. In other words, the Hitachi samurai avoided even a single casualty in the battle. The peasants who had been conscripted as military laborers were also able to return safely to their hometowns. Around October, the tension of the past few months had eased and people’s minds were calm within Mito Castle and its surrounding areas. However, within the Satake clan, a heavy mood hung over the Tokugawa’s future course of action.
1601
On April 15th, 1601, Yoshinobu’s father, Satake Yoshishige, concerned about the position of the Satake clan, went to Kyoto to meet Ieyasu, who was staying in Fushimi. By the end of the year, the post-war political situation had stabilized, and the Tokugawa clan’s hegemony was assured. Most of the daimyo on the Western side were stripped of their titles, while those on the Eastern side who had distinguished themselves in the war received increased stipends.
1602
On January 2nd, 1602, Yoshinobu announced to his vassals that he would begin construction on Mito from the 20th. This was not to fortify the castle’s fortifications and prepare for a crisis, but because the clouds of war from the Battle of Sekigahara had finally cleared, he began work on expanding and improving his residence and the castle town.
On March 7th of that year, Yoshinobu arrived in Fushimi and met with Ieyasu, who was already in Kyoto, and Toyotomi Hideyori at Osaka Castle. Ieyasu was also in a good mood at the time, and the meeting went well. Yoshinobu was very pleased, and in April he received the funds for the construction of his Fushimi residence from his home province, and he was not worried at all about his own situation.
However, on May 8th, two emissaries from Tokugawa Ieyasu came to the Satake residence in Fushimi and announced that Yoshinobu’s territory had been confiscated and that Yoshinobu would be given land in Dewa Province instead. Yoshinobu replied, “I have no grudges or complaints, and it is all a matter of wisdom.”
On November 26th, Mito Castle was given to Tokugawa Ieyasu’s fifth son, Takeda Nobuyoshi, who succeeded Yoshinobu. Since Masayoshi, the grandson of Seiwa Genji’s Shinra Saburo Yoshimitsu, settled in Satake, Kuji County, and took the Satake surname, the history of the Hitachi Satake clan, which had lasted for 19 generations up to Yoshinobu, and spanned nearly 500 years, came to an end. Satake Yoshinobu would open a new chapter in history in Akita.
薬医門
Yakuimon
This is one of the few remains of Mito Castle that has been relocated and restored on the site of the castle’s main keep.
The building is believed to have been built by Satake Yoshinobu before the Battle of Sekigahara.
1602
Satake Yoshinobu and his vassals had to start over from scratch in an uncharted territory with a completely different climate and natural features. Dewa Akita was both a place of hope and a place of trials. The first important decision was to select a base. Yoshinobu entered Minato Castle in Akita on September 17th and finally decided to build a new castle on Shinmeiyama in Kubota, near the mouth of the Omono River and the important port of Tsuchizaki Port, and almost in the center of his domain.
With the Battle of Sekigahara marking the end of the era of military conflict, Yoshinobu believed that in the coming age of peace, the domain’s power would depend not only on military strength but also on economic power, especially on controlling commerce and distribution. He believed that Kubota, which could become the center of governance and information for the entire domain, was a suitable base for the new era.
1603
Two construction magistrates were appointed and construction began. Shinmeiyama, the site chosen for the castle, was a hilly area, and this topography was utilized in the overall design of the castle, known as “nawabari.” It is said that Yoshinobu personally designed the nawabari around Matsushitamon Gate, a vital entrance to the castle. This demonstrated his extraordinary passion for the project and his profound knowledge of castle construction.
The moat
left in silence
thin ice
Up the hill
staggering up and down
the snowy slope
Kuboto Castle
formed into
a snowy castle
The main gate
above the snowy slope
a pleasant break
This was a grand design choice that placed the Satake clan on the future of the domain, one in which they would no longer rely on the military might of the past, but would instead place commerce and distribution at the core of their domain’s governance as rulers of a new era.
Under Yoshinobu’s determination, construction of a new castle and capital in Kubota proceeded with astonishing speed. This was a sign of the Satake clan’s strong determination to establish a governing base in their new territory as quickly as possible.
In May, full-scale construction work began on Shinmeiyama, where the local lord’s Yadome Castle once stood. In parallel with this construction, the castle town was rezoned and the Ushu Kaido, part of the major trunk road network that the Tokugawa shogunate was developing nationwide, was also underway. This was an extremely modern and planned urban development that integrated not only the castle but also urban infrastructure and a wide-area transportation network.
1604
The main enclosure, the heart of the castle, was completed in the astonishing speed of just over a year and three months from the start of construction on August 28th. This was the result of the advanced civil engineering skills the Satake clan had cultivated since their time in Hitachi and the powerful execution skills of all their vassals. Upon the completion of the main enclosure, Yoshinobu moved his residence to the new castle, named it Kubota Castle, and designated it as the official main castle of the Satake clan.
Heavenly!
Snowy main enclosure
around pine trees
Snowy road
leading to a storehouse
along the trees
1605
Even after the main castle was completed, construction of the new capital continued. In particular, the formation of the castle town was a long-term project that took several decades to complete, and was carried out in stages. As a result, Kubota Castle and the castle town, which were built by skillfully combining military defense functions with economic development functions, flourished as the base for the Satake clan’s rule of Akita for approximately 270 years until the Meiji Restoration.
The construction of Kubota Castle and the surrounding castle town, which began in 1602 and continued over the following decades, is not simply a record of civil engineering work. It is a grandiose record of the creation of the prestigious Satake clan, who, after the Battle of Sekigahara, devised a national strategy to survive in a new era.
The construction of Kubota Castle is a valuable historical testimony that shows how one feudal lord and his vassals overcame a crisis and built a foundation for the future at a major turning point in history. It is the story of the indomitable Satake Yoshinobu, who created new value after the Battle of Sekigahara and built the foundation for 270 years of peaceful rule.
千年の計
A Thousand-Year Plan
On May 8th, 1602, two emissaries from Tokugawa Ieyasu came to the Satake residence in Fushimi and announced that Yoshinobu’s territory had been confiscated and that he would be given land in Dewa Province instead. Yoshinobu replied, “I have no grudges or complaints, and it is all a matter of wisdom.”
At the time, Yoshinobu was the 19th head of the Hitachi Satake clan, a clan that had been in existence since Masayoshi, the grandson of Seiwa Genji’s Shinra Saburo Yoshimitsu, settled in Satake, Kuji County, and took the Satake surname.
The family served as the guardian of Hitachi Province during the Muromachi period, and Yoshinobu himself assisted Toyotomi Hideyoshi in his efforts to unify the country, and was the lord of Mito Castle in Hitachi, with a fief of 540,000 koku, but left Hitachi Province and was transferred to Dewa.
However, Yoshinobu vowed to demonstrate the high aspirations that had been the pride of the Hitachi Satake clan for approximately 500 years in the new land of Dewa, and to make them bloom into magnificent flowers.
It is said that when Yoshinobu left Hitachi, a large group of hatahata, or Japanese sandfish, swarmed into Dewa Akita, following him. Hatahata could no longer be caught in the Hitachi Sea, and instead they began to be caught in Akita’s Hachimori Port, Kitaura Port and so on. Over 420 years have passed since Yoshinob’s coming to Akita, and due to changes in the natural environment and global warming, hatahata are no longer flocking in as often, but we hope to see their return.
神明山
Shinmeiyama
Shinmeiyama is an undulating plateau about 40m above sea level, consisting of three highlands. The Miura clan, subordinate of the Ando clan (Akita clan), was based on Shinmeiyama, and worshipped Shinmei Shrine, the mountain’s name derived, as their clan deity.
The Miura clan’s castle was called “Yadome no Shiro,” which is the origin of Kubota Castle’s other name, Yadome Castle. “Yadome” means to stop shooting arrows and to temporarily cease hostilities, so Kubota Castle was truly a castle during a truce.
Pine trees
spreading roots in snow
Yadome Castle
太平山
Mount Taihei
Mount Taihei has been an object of worship since ancient times. It is said that En no Gyoja of Mount Yoshino was the first to reach the summit in 673.
From the main enclosure, we can get a panoramic view of Mount Taihei in the eastern sky, and in spring it appears as if it is smiling in the sunlight, and in winter it appears as if it is asleep; it shows different faces throughout the seasons.
New snow
Mount Taihei seen from Yoshinobu
a new outlook
Green all over
Yoshinobu’s Dewa shining
in glory
Senshu Park
with a vibrant view
mountains in laughter
Cherry blossoms gone
their lingering emotion
left behind
Mount Taihei
dreaming of no wars
under the sun
Hidenori Hiruta
Akita International Haiku Network
蛭田 秀法
秋田国際俳句ネットワーク
]]>Five English Haiku
(1)
moving sun
a tree visits my garden
with its shadow
動く太陽
木が私の庭を訪れる
その影とともに
(2)
800 meters
two opportunities to
take her pictures
800メートル
2回の機会
彼女の写真を撮る
(3)
church day
all the stakes are
occupied with reins
教会の日
すべての杭は
手綱で塞がれている
(4)
lily of the valley
a gentle breeze makes
unheard melodies
スズラン
そよ風が
聞こえない旋律を奏でる
(5)
humming bees
the fresh garland on
the bride’s head
ハチの羽音
花嫁の頭に飾られた
新鮮な花輪に
Two Japanese Haiga
こどものひこいなびいてるきょうふうに
どのたまがうちにこようとしているか
Two Chinese Haiku
深院锁清秋
无言独自上西楼
西天月如钩
when the chill autumn
is locked in the depths of
the courtyard, I ascend alone
to the top of the west tower
where a pale crescent moon
sharp as a sickle’s edge
comes into my sight
冷たい秋が
中庭の奥深くに閉じ込められると
私は一人で
西の塔の頂上へ登る
そこで
鎌の刃のように鋭い
淡い三日月が
私の視界に現れる
NOTE:
This haiku is based upon a poem written by Li Yu, a Chinese poet of the tenth century, and an emperor as well, who was imprisoned after his kingdom was overthrown.
日暮寻遗老
竹里闲窗不见人
门前生青草
I went to visit my
old friend at dusk, and
saw nobody at his leisure
window behind the bamboos
where he used to be sitting
what came into my sight
was the grass growing
all over in front of
his house
夕暮れ時に
旧友を訪ねたのですが
友人が暇な時に座っていた竹の陰の窓辺には
誰もいませんでした
私の目に入って来たのは
彼の家の前一面に
生えている草だけでした
NOTE:
This haiku is based upon a poem written by Gu Kuang, a Chinese poet of Tang Dynasty.
－Translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta
Happy New Year 2026
The Year of the Horse
午年や天馬も祝ふお正月
umadosi ya tenma mo iwau o-shōgatsu
The Year of the Horse
Heavenly horse celebrates too
New Year’s Day
It’s been seven years since I started writing haiku about the zodiac animals. This year’s zodiac animal is the horse. I was born in 1942, the Year of the Horse, so I’m a lucky horse year man this year. Looking back on my memories of horses, I remember being deeply moved by a snow horse. I opened an album from 12 years ago and looked for photos of the snow horse. I also remember the title “Heavenly Horse.”
The three photos I found are shown below.
From February 15th to 16th, 2014, I participated in a haiku walk at the Yokote Kamakura Festival in Akita Prefecture, organized by the Japanese haiku group “Ten’I (Providence),” led by Dr. Akito Arima (1930-2020).
We composed haiku and held a haiku meeting after viewing kamakura in the 15th evening and theKamakura Festival in the 16th morning.
The zodiac sign for 2014 was the horse, and Dr. Arima was born in 1930, the Year of the Horse, so he was a lucky horse year man that year. Me too.
That heavenly snow horse melted away and gone, but the marvelous snow horse image remains in my mind even today after 12 years.
秋田国際俳句ネットワーク
蛭田 秀法
Hidenori Hiruta
Akita International Haiku Network
]]>
令和八年 元旦
Reiwa 8 New Year’s Day
“謹賀新年” is pronounced “kinga shinnen” and is a greeting that is written at the beginning of a New Year’s card as a greeting to celebrate the New Year. “Kin” expresses respect, and “ga” means to celebrate, so together they form a polite expression meaning “I would like to offer my sincere congratulations.”
初日の出富士の裾野に駆ける馬
hatsuhinode fuji no susono ni kakeru uma
First sunrise of the year
a horse galloping
at the foot of Mount Fuji
The Year of the Horse
2026年「丙午」
The Chinese zodiac sign for 2026：“Bingwu”
“Bing（丙：ひのえ: hinoe）” belongs to the “fire” element of the five elements/five elements that make up the world: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water, and represents intense heat like the sun.
“Wo（午：うま:uma）” in the Chinese zodiac is the character “仵” which represents the original state of a plant, and represents the time when plants that grew in the previous year of the Snake (the character that represents the state of a plant is also “Mi（巳：み: mi ）” stop growing.
If we combine these two words, we can interpret this as a year in which we will put all our efforts into striving for maximum growth and achieve it.
As mentioned above, the Fire Horse year, which achieves maximum growth with the strength of fire, has the momentum to burn everything down if one mistake is made.
If we tighten the reins, set our sights firmly on our goals, and move forward, 2026 could be a year in which we can ride the momentum and make a final sprint to reap the next great rewards.
The guardian deity of the Year of the Horse is Bodhisattva Seishi, who illuminates the world with the light of wisdom. It is said that this light will free people from confusion.
This year is likely to be one in which we will energetically escape from chaos, cast aside doubts, and forge ahead toward our dreams.
秋田国際俳句ネットワーク
蛭田 秀法
Hidenori Hiruta
Akita International Haiku Network
]]>
(1)
windy autumn day
I sweep away the leaves
of my neighbor’s tree
風の強い秋の日
隣の木の葉を掃き払う
(2)
blind night
even the shadows
become invisible
何も見えない夜
影さえも
見えなくなる
(3)
vast plain
the river’s far end
lost in clouds
広大な平原
川の向こう端
雲に消えた
(4)
side-sleeping
my left eye’s tears roll
to my right one
横向きに寝る
左目の涙が
右目に流れ落ちる
(5)
long long kiss
he gets on the train
as it is starting
長い長いキス
彼は電車に乗り込む
発車する
Three Japanese Haiga
げんとうにみずがんきょうにたちあがる
かせいではふたつのつきがみえている
ちょうちょうやぐずぐずしてるかさのはな
Two Chinese Haiku
江南春将尽
萍满汀州人未归
斜日杏花飞
when spring is coming
to its end in the south of
the river and the pond is
already full of floating weeds
you are not yet beheld to be
back home, all I can see is
the apricot petals fluttering
in the setting sun
NOTE:
This haiku took its inspiration from a poem written by Kou Zhun, a Chinese poet of Song Dynasty.
春が訪れ
川の南側では春が終わりに近づき
池はすでに浮草でいっぱいになっている
あなたはまだ家に帰っていない
目に見えるのは
夕日に照らされて
ひらひらと舞う
杏の花びらだけ
夜静春山空
月出惊飞山间鸟
时鸣春涧中
in the depths of
the mountains and
the still of night, some
birds are scared into flight
by the rising moon making
twittering sounds now
and then that fill the
spring mountain
streams
NOTE:
This haiku is based upon a poem written by Wang Wei, a Chinese poet of Tang Dynasty.
山奥の夜の静寂の中
鳥たちは
昇って来る月の光に驚いて飛び立ち、
時折
春の山の渓流に
鳥のさえずりが響き渡る
－Translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta
1.>
banana basket …
those questions I serve
with a smile
(previously published in The Mamba, September 2024)
バナナのかご…
そんな質問に
笑顔で答えます
2.>
meditation music …
a kitten’s purr slips
into incense
(previously published in THF Haiku Dialogue, November 2025)
瞑想音楽…
子猫の喉を鳴らす音が
お香の香りに溶け込む
3.>
picnic by the river …
duck snatches a piece
of dad’s excuse
(previously published in the Leaf – Journal of The Daily
Haiku, December 2025)
川辺でのピクニック…
アヒルがパパの言い訳を
一口奪う
4.>
soft ripples …
the fisherman’s sigh
floats with stars
(previously published in the Chrysanthemum, April 2025)
柔らかなさざ波…
漁師のため息
星とともに浮かぶ
5.>
crowded matatu…
in a passenger’s pocket
mango scent
(previously published in The Mamba, September 2024)
混雑したミニバン…
乗客のポケットに
マンゴーの香り
6.>
worn toy soldier …
a toddler’s chuckle
stirs the dust
(previously published in the Espacio Luna Alfanje, March 2025)
使い古されたおもちゃの兵隊…
幼児のくすくす笑い
土埃を巻き上げる
7.>
lavender perfume …
just son’s teddy bear
at her feet
(previously published in the Enchanted Garden Haiku Journal, April 2025)
ラベンダーの香水…
息子のテディベアだけ
彼女の足元に
8.>
nettle tea …
the taste of her
whisper
(previously published in The Heron’s Nest, September 2023)
イラクサ茶…
彼女のささやきの味
9.>
melting candles …
the way she whispers
surprise
(previously published in the Leaf – Journal of The Daily
Haiku, December 2025)
溶けるキャンドル…
彼女のささやき声
サプライズ
10.>
moonless sky …
those bright stars
in mum’s lullaby
(previously published in THF Haiku Dialogue, March 2023)
月のない空…
あの輝く星々
お母さんの子守唄の中で
－Translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta
BIO SKETCH
Samo Kreutz (1975 -) is a poet, writer, and haikuist from Ljubljana, Slovenia.
He has published eighteen books in both English and Slovene, including his recent English haiku collections Not Empty-Handed and Cat and a Dawn, both published in India by Cyberwit.net.
Here is the cover image of his first haiku collection in English, published in 2021, which is still available on Amazon.com.
His haiku have appeared widely in international journals such as The Mamba, Chrysanthemum, THF Haiku Dialogue, Leaf –Journal of The Daily Haiku, The Heron’s Nest, Modern Haiku, Creatrix Haiku and Poetry Journal, The Pan Haiku Review and on Akita International Haiku Network.
Between 2021 and 2023, he was ranked among European Top 100 Haiku Authors. Kreutz’s poetry often captures everyday moments with sensitivity, humor, and empathy, reflecting his belief that literature should connect people rather than divide them.
PERSONAL DATA
Samo Kreutz
Bilecanska ulica 4
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
]]>
Keynote Lecture:
“Registering Haiku as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage”
2014
Let Haiku be on UNESCO’s List!
The 370th Anniversary of Matsuo Basho’s Birth:
Campaign to Register “Haiku, Haikai, and the World of Basho”as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
On February 24, 2014, Mayor Sakae Okamoto of Iga City, Mie Prefecture, announced his intention to seek inclusion of haiku and haikai, which were elevated to artistic quality by the master haiku poet Matsuo Basho (1644-1694), born in Iga City, as an intangible cultural heritage of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
This year marks the 370th anniversary of Matsuo Basho’s birth, and preparations are underway for “Haiku, Haikai and the World of Basho,” which will include his literature and spiritual world. He is calling on 36 local governments and academic organizations across the country to cooperate in the “Oku no Hosomichi Summit.”
E-mail from Croatia
Ms. Djurdja Vukelić Rožić was delighted to learn about the news of haiku’s movement on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list on the asahi.com website, and is looking forward to the day when it will be registered together with her fellow haiku poets in Croatia.
The 3rd Japan-Russia Haiku Contest
Guidelines
The Results of the 3rd Japan-Russia Haiku Contest
The third Japan-Russia Haiku Contest was in celebration of the 29th National Cultural Festival in Akita, Japan, from May 1 to June 30, 2014.
A total of 1,130 haiku from 46 nations were submitted for the contest.
The 1st International Haiku Forum in celebration of the 29th National Cultural Festival in Akita, Japan
Guidelines
The 1st International Haiku forum was held on October 25th, 2014, at the Akita International University, celebrating the 29th National Cultural Festival in Akita. This event marked a significant moment in the international haiku community, promoting the exchange and celebration of haiku across different cultures. The conference was part of a broader effort to integrate haiku into the international culture landscape with the aim of making it a shared cultural heritage.
Program
Keynote Lecture:
“Registering Haiku as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage”
by Dr. Akito Arima, HIA President
On October 25, 2014, Dr. Akito Arima, the president of the Haiku International Association, addressed academics in an effort to convince them that haiku should be added to UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage list at the Lecture Hall of Akita International University.
Dr. Arima reassured students in the audience that haiku can be composed by everyone, from the man in the street to the likes of Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer, the Nobel laureate of literature in 2011 who penned at age 23: disappearing deep in his inner greenness/ artful and hopeful.
Later in his career he penned in Swedish:
My happiness swelled
and the frogs sang in the bogs
of Pomerania
By stressing that haiku can deepen mutual understanding and enjoyment of different cultures between those people who read or compose the poem, he garnered support for his idea that “haiku can help make the world peaceful.”
Keynote Lecture
Haiku, or 俳句 is a short poem that describes nature. It is composed by people of all ages and genders in Japan, which is a globally valuable culture.
一 詩歌と自然
1 Poetry and Nature
古代 ギリシャ 自然と共存 サフォー-
Ancient Greece:
Coexistence with Nature SAPPHO (7th century BC)
Selected Poems of SAPPHO
translated by PAUL ROCHE
Star of Evening
Hesperus
you bring
home everything
which light of day dispersed:
home the sheep herds
home the goat
home the mother’s darling
The song’s pastoral tone and gentle repetition of words give it a feel that is perfectly suited to a small village on Lesbos surrounded by countryside.
古代 ローマ
Ancient Rome:
C. VALERIUS CATULLUS (80 BC)
C. ヴァレリウス・カトゥルス C. VALERIUS CATULLUS
カトゥルス詩集(羅和対訳)
引用、参照した和訳は呉茂一訳詩集『花冠』(紀伊国屋書店）
Influenced by Greek poetry, Catullus pioneered the field of love poetry in early Latin literature with his sophisticated rhetoric, playful writing, and light-hearted poetry that sings of romantic feelings. The fifth canto of his “Cana” is particularly famous, beginning with “My Lesbia, let us live and love together.”
「私のレスビア、共に生きよう、そして愛し合おう」で始まる『歌集』の第5歌はとりわけ有名である。
XLVIII. ad Iuventium
XLVIII. to Juvenal
XLVIII. ユウェナリスへ
四十八、蜜みたような
Mellitos oculos tuos, Juventi,
si quis me sinat usque basiare,
usque ad milia basiem trecenta
nec numquam videar satur futurus,
Your sweet eyes, Juventus,
if anyone allows me to kiss them,
up to a thousand three hundred kisses
and I will never seem to be satisfied,
ユヴェントス、君の優しい瞳よ、
もし誰かが私にキスを許してくれるなら、
千三百回キスしても
私は決して満たされないだろう、
non si densior aridis aristis
sit nostrae seges osculationis.
not if the crop of our kisses is denser than dry ears.
私たちのキスの収穫が乾いた麦の穂よりも濃いなら、そうではありません。
ローマ 以後 人間中心
Rome: later human-centered
Human emotions, such as joy, anger, sorrow, love, sadness, and hymns to God, became central to poetry.
Dr. Arima thought this was because Christianity became the state religion of Rome, but even before that, Roman poetry had been centered on humans, as shown in the poem by Catullus above.
Roman Emperor Theodosius I,
Christianity made the state religion in 392 AD
中国 自然詩が王維あたりで成立
China: Nature poetry was established around the time of Wang Wei
王維（７０１－７６１）
鹿柴
空山人を見ず
ただ聞く人語の響き
返景深林に入り
復た照らす青苔の上
Wang Wei (701-761)
Rokusai: A fenced area for keeping deer
Not a soul in sight on this quiet, deserted mountain
The only sound you can hear is the sound of people talking from somewhere
The red light of the setting sun shines into the deep forest,
illuminating beautifully on the dark green moss
杜甫が人間の心情の美しさを歌う詩人であり、李白が人間の行為の美しさを歌う詩人であるとすれば、王維は主として自然の美しさを歌う詩人である。中国における自然詩の歴史は、そんなに古くはない。
If Du Fu is a poet who sings of the beauty of human feelings and Li Bai is a poet who sings of the beauty of human actions, then Wang Wei is a poet who primarily sings of the beauty of nature. The history of nature poetry in China is not that long.
日本 万葉の時代 自然詩の成立
Japan
The Manyo Period: The Creation of Nature Poetry
万葉集（５C-８C）
Manyoshu (5th-8th century)
東の野にかぎろひの立つ見えてかへり見すれば月かたぶきぬ
柿本人麻呂
In the eastern sky
the rays of the dawning sun shining
turning to look west
the moon setting
in the western sky
Kakinomoto no Hitomaro
ぬばたまの夜のふけゆけば久木生ふる清き川原に千鳥しば鳴く
山部赤人
As the night deepens,
the chirps of plovers can be heard
singing loudly
on the clear riverbank
where the long leaf trees grow
Yamabe no Akahito
In the Manyo period, as well as the Kokin and Shin Kokin periods, poems were written about not only nature but also joy, anger, sorrow, pleasure, love, and hate. As the period progresses, the lyricism becomes stronger.
しかし新古今以後も自然詠が続いた
However, nature poems continued even after the Shin Kokin era.
江戸時代にも自然詠叙景詩が続く
Descriptive poetry of nature continued into the Edo period
俳句は自然が中心
Haiku: Nature-centered
五月雨を集めて早し最上川
the summer rains
gathering into swift flows –
Mogami River
Basho
閑さや岩にしみ入る蝉の声
Such stillness –
The cries of the cicadas
Sink into the rocks
Basho
四五人に月落ちかゝるをどりかな
the setting moon
down on four or five people –
Bon Odori dance
Buson
白梅に明くる夜ばかりとなりにけり
the night dawning for
white plum-blossoms
all around me
Buson
六月を綺麗な風の吹くことよ
beyond June
a refreshing breeze
blowing
Shiki
桐一葉日当たりながら落ちにけり
A single paulownia leaf
illuminated by the sunlight
slowly to the ground
Kyoshi
１２世紀―１８世紀頃まで
ヨーロッパの詩は人間中心であった
From the 12th to the 18th centuries
European poetry: Human-centered
フランス（１２世紀半）
France (mid-12th century)
聖母はたたずみ居たまひぬ、悲愁に満ちて、
十字架のかたへに、涙にくれつ、
The mother stood still, filled with sorrow,
Toward the cross, overwhelmed with tears,
御子がかかりたまへる間。
while the child was afflicted.
吐息を洩らし、悲痛のきはみを
嘆かせたまふ そのたましひを
剣こそ 突き徹したれ。
May the sword pierce
through the soul
that sighs and laments in deep grief.
以下略（花冠）
The rest is omitted. (Flower Crown)
その後恋愛詩が中心
After that, love poetry became the focus.
The discovery of natural beauty in Western poetry began around the same time as the emergence of landscapes in Western painting, from the 17th century onwards, particularly around the time of the rise of Romanticism. The leading figure of Romanticism in England was Wordsworth (1770-1850). However, in the West, human beings remained central.
My Heart Leaps Up
-William Wordsworth
My heart leaps up when I behold
A rainbow in the sky.
So was it when my life began;
So is it now I am a man;
So be it when I grow old,
Or let me die!
The Child is father of the Man;
And I could wish my days to be
Bound each to each by natural piety.
1877年東京大学文学部教授バジル・ホール・センバレンは日本伝統詩を批判、また、明治初期に坪内逍遥が『小説神髄』において日本伝統詩を批判した。
しかしながら、正岡子規は「俳句は短詩であり主として自然を詠う叙景詩であるという」認識により反駁を展開した。
In 1877, Basil Hall Chamberlain, a professor at the Japanese language at Tokyo Imperial University, criticized traditional Japanese poetry, and in the early Meiji period, Tsubouchi Shoyo also criticized traditional Japanese poetry in his book “Shosetsu Shinzui” (The Essence of Novels).
However, Masaoka Shiki countered by recognizing that haiku is a short poem that is primarily a descriptive poem that describes nature.
正岡子規は日本伝統詩と西欧詩の違いについて次のように認識した。西欧詩は人事中心で長くて複雑であるが、和漢の詩は自然中心で短くて平明である。
Masaoka Shiki recognized the difference between traditional Japanese poetry and Western poetry as follows: Western poetry is human-centered, long, and complex, while Japanese and Chinese poetry is nature-centered, short, and simple.
日本敗戦直後にも同じように日本文化への否定があった。
「人生そのものが近代化しつつある以上、いまの現実的人生は俳句には入り得ない」
「かかる第二芸術は、江戸音曲と同様、教育からは締出して貰いたい」
「芭蕉が今日もなお尊重されていることの中に、封建制、世外的、隠遁的な風雅の道とのつながりがあるとし、それらが民主化を妨げるとした」
（俳文学大辞典）
There was a similar rejection of Japanese culture immediately after Japan’s defeat in the war.
“As life itself is becoming modernized, the reality of today’s life cannot be included in haiku.”
“Such secondary arts should be banned from education, just like Edo music.”
“The reason why Basho is still respected today is because of his connection to feudalism, the secluded, reclusive way of elegance. These are obstacles to democratization.”
(Hai Literature Encyclopedia)
３－３
俳句は短いから、自然を中心に詠うから、世界中の人々が短詩に親しめるようになった
例えば三単語＋四単語＋三単語ぐらいで英語ハイクが作れる
これは世界の一般の人々には革命的なことであった
また詠うことも、人生観、哲学、恋愛など専門詩人のテーマでなく、自然や自然と共生する生活を詠えばよいからやさしい。
詩を専門詩人から解放した
Because haiku are short and nature-centered, they have become accessible to people all over the world. For example, an English haiku can be written in three lines of three words, four words, and three words. This was revolutionary for ordinary people around the world. They are also easy to write, as they do not have to focus on themes such as outlook on life, philosophy, or love, which are the subject of professional poets, but can instead focus on nature and our lives in harmony with nature.
In this way, haiku liberated poetry from professional poets.
４－３
トーマス・トランストロメル
2011年ノーベル文学賞受賞者の俳句
Haiku by Tomas Tranströmer,
2011 Nobel Prize Winner in Literature
蘭の花の窓
すべり過行く油槽船
月の満ちる夜
orchid flower window
a tanker gliding past
a full moon night
掲句のように、トーマス・トランストロメルの俳句には自然を中心に詠っている作品が多い。真に俳句の精神を理解している。
Like the haiku above, many of Tomas Tranströmer’s haiku are nature-centered. He truly understands the spirit of haiku.
６
俳句を支える精神は自然との共生の基礎にある思想であるアニミズムである。
俳句はアニミズム（Animism）的である。自然界の万物を大切にすべての生物と親しみ、自然と人間との共生を大切にする精神である。
The spirit that supports haiku is animism, the philosophy that underlies coexistence with nature.
Haiku is animistic. It is a spirit that cherishes all things in nature, cultivates close ties with all living things, and values coexistence between nature and humans.
Conclusion:
Haiku-like short poems began to be written among ordinary people. Then, even top poets began to write haiku.
Finally, a poet who wrote haiku won the Nobel Prize.
The second art form was recognized.
Haiku’s short poetry and nature-centered depictions have become a global phenomenon. Anyone can compose haiku, create haiku that are enjoyable to read, and deepen mutual understanding between people of different cultures, leading to world peace.
Hidenori Hiruta
Akita International Haiku Network
蛭田 秀法
秋田国際俳句ネットワーク
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Second Japan-Russia Haiku Contest
Haiku Lectures, Talk, and Report in Vladivostok
2013
The Second Japan-Russia Haiku Contest
Akita International Haiku Association held the 2nd Japan-Russia Haiku Contest and accepted haiku submissions from May 1st to June 30th.
Each haiku writer was only allowed to submit one haiku, and there were three categories: Japanese, Russian, and English. To write and submit a haiku, writers had to choose one of the three languages: Japanese, Russian, or English.
As a result, 624 haiku were submitted.
Japanese Haiku Category
304 haiku were submitted for the Japanese haiku category from 4 countries: Japan, Russia, Romania and Ukraine.
選者
武藤鉦二・舘岡誠二・和田仁・手島邦夫・工藤一紘・石田冲秋・
五十嵐義知・内村恭子・矢野玲奈
秋田県国際俳句協会賞（AIH Association Award）
ミモザ咲く森に小さな埴輪館 和田留美（秋田県）
mimosa blooms
in the woods
a little Haniwa house
Rumi Wada (Akita prefecture, Japan)
JAL財団賞（JAL Foundation Award）
月涼し右手でつくる望遠鏡
大池梨奈（大阪府立吹田東高等学校）
The moon is cool
made by my right hand
the telescope
Rina Oike (Suita East Senior High school,Osaka, Japan)
Russian Haiku Category
62 haiku were submitted for the Russian haiku category from 8 countries:
Russian, Japan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Lithuania and Serbia.
Judges: Alexander Dolin, Aida Suleymenova
秋田県国際俳句協会賞（AIH Association Award）
Шум прибоя
стихает на миг…
Ну давай, сверчок!
Андреев Алексей （Россия）
波の音
一瞬止まった
今やあなたの番、コオロギよ！
アンドレーヴ アレクセイ （ロシア）
JAL財団賞（JAL Foundation Award）
С неба на землю
или с земли на небо –
вьются пушинки…
Анастасия（Россия）
空から地へ
あるいは地から空へ－
渦巻いている雪片．．．
アナスタシャ （ロシア）
English Haiku Category
258 haiku were submitted for the English haiku category 39 countries: Japan, Croatia, USA, India, Romania, Serbia. Germany, New Zealand, France, Poland, Russia, Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Indonesia, Philippines, UK, Austria, Brazil, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Mongolia, Montenegro, Bangladesh, Belarus, Colombia, Ghana, Hungary, Jamaica, Macedonia, Malaysia, Netherlands, Latvia, Lithuania, Switzerland, and Ukraine.
Judge: Fay Aoyagi（青柳飛）
秋田県国際俳句協会賞（AIH Association Award）
how little
I know of bird calls
distant thunder
Kala Ramesh (India)
なんて分かりにくいんでしょう
鳥の鳴く声が
遠雷
カーラ ラメシュ （インド）
Prize-winners of Honorable mentions in Vladivostok
Date: October 12, 2013
Venue: The Library of Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia
Haiku Lectures,Talk, and Report in Vladivostok, Russia
Date and Time: Saturday, October 12, 2013, 1:30 PM – 5:00 PM
Venue: Far Eastern Federal University, Vladivostok, Russia
Purposes:
1) To create meaningful opportunities for citizens and students studying Japanese language and literature through lectures on Japanese literature and haiku poet Ishii Rogetsu, and research presentations and reports on Japanese language learning that focuses on haiku and international haiku.
2) The aim is to increase interest in haiku in Russia and to further increase the number of haiku fans.
Organizer: Akita International Haiku Association
Cooperations:
Vladivostok Japan Center, Vladivostok Japan Center’s Japanese Culture Club, Primorsky Krai Government, Far Eastern Federal University, Yosano Akiko Memorial Literature Society
講演
「玄関」と「観音様」は英国にはない：遠藤周作文学を英訳してみて
マーク・ウィリアムズ（国際教養大学副学長）
Lecture:
“Genkan” (Entrance Hall) and “Kannon” (Buddhist Statue of Mercy) are Not in the UK: Translating Shusaku Endo’s Literature into English
Mark Williams (Vice President, Akita International University)
First of all, Dr. Williams showed the following haiku to commemorate President Nakajima.
Dr. Williams is not particularly knowledgeable about haiku—he read Matsuo Basho’s “Oku no Hosomichi” (The Narrow Road to the Deep North) as an Oxford student, and was introduced to the haiku of Kobayashi Issa, a famous poet from neighboring Nagano Prefecture, while working in Gunma Prefecture, Japan—but since then, his main research focus has been 20th-century Japanese novels, particularly postwar novelists with Christian themes, such as Endo Shusaku.
However, after Dr. Williams returned to Japan in 2011 to work at Akita International University, two events sparked his interest in haiku. First, he was appointed Honorary Vice President of the Akita International Haiku Association, which reaffirmed his recognition of the importance of understanding haiku in order to better understand Japanese culture. Second, he lost Dr. Nakajima Mineo, founder and first president of Akita International University. Akita International University was founded on Dr. Nakajima’s ideal of “international education,” so his sudden death in February of this year came as a great shock to everyone.
Shortly before Dr. Nakajima’s funeral, his wife showed him a haiku that she had received from a poet friend. The Japanese haiku reads as follows:
敬はれ
凛と飛翔や
雪の槍
Mrs. Nakajima then asked him to translate this haiku into English. He realized just how difficult it is to translate just 17 letters into English, and at the same time, his admiration for those who translate poetry suddenly grew stronger. He also began to sympathize with poets like Robert Frost, who have always preached that poetry is “untranslatable” (although this is not always the case). Anyway, he somehow managed to translate this haiku as follows:
‘His revered spirit
is now soaring in awesome heights.
The shards of snow’.
He hopes that this translation captures at least some of the complexity of the haiku in the original Japanese.
He began by saying this, and as he is not a haiku expert, he based his talk on his experience translating Japanese literature, many of which he has produced in collaboration with haiku translators.
Translation is, of course, the act of rewriting an original text. Regardless of the purpose, every rewriting reflects a particular ideological form and poetic sentiment, and therefore manipulates a text to function in a particular way in a particular society.
Dr. Williams went on talking further as below.
Because translation is an essential element of intercultural exchange, the study of the act of translation is an important component in the study of intercultural interaction.
However, despite the subconscious decisions implied by the act of translation itself, the translator must make a series of conscious decisions before putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard.
The translator must choose between leaving the author as intact as possible and moving the reader toward the author, or leaving the reader intact and moving the author toward the reader.
In technical terms, this is a choice between “domestication” and “foreignization.” The former involves transforming a foreign text into the cultural values of the target language, while the latter involves exerting “ethnic transgression” pressures that motivate the reader to embark on the source culture, that is, that makes the readers want to visit the source culture.
Antoine Berman, a critic who has devoted himself to studying the decision-making process of whether to adopt the “domestication” or “foreignization” approach, points out that every translation involves at least 12 changes.
Based on Berman’s paper, Dr. Williams reflected on his own experience translating Shusaku Endo’s novels, “Foreign Studies” and “The Girl I left behind,” and talked about these 12 ‘deforming tendencies’ of translation in the order that Berman lists them: rationalization, clarification, expansion, ennoblement, qualitative impoverishment, quantitative impoverishment, destruction of rhythms, destruction of underlying networks of signification, destruction of linguistic patterns, destruction of vernacular networks or their exoticization, destruction of expressions and idioms, and effacement of the superimposition of languages.
Dr. Williams talked clearly, vividly and persuasively with proper examples from his own experiences of translating Shusaku Endo’s literature into English. His lecture was also of great help and of much value to the translation of Japanese haiku into the other foreign languages.
In addition, his lecture was translated into Russian and shared on the website of the Japan Center in Russia.
講演
俳句の国際化と石井露月研究の進展
工藤一紘（秋田工業高等専門学校非常勤講師）
Lecture:
The Internationalization of Haiku and the Advancement of Ishii Rogetsu Research
Kazuhiro Kudo (Part-time Lecturer, Akita National College of Technology)
On March 25, 2014, Akita Sakigake Shimpo (秋田魁新報, Akita Sakigake Shimpō) published the article on the lecture by Mr. Kazuhiro Kudo in their newspapers as follows.
Here is part of his lecture shown from the article in the newspapers.
Russian translation of haiku lectures
The haiku lecture consisted of two lectures, a research presentation, and a report, all of which were delivered with Russian interpretation. What impressed us most was that the Russian translation had been prepared by a volunteer team of over a dozen undergraduate and graduate students. My paper alone was over 10,000 characters long, and included over 20 haiku by Ishii Rogetsu.
Associate Professor Suleymenova Aida, a Russian of Central Asian descent and a researcher of Yosano Akiko, supervised the translation. When I gratefully expressed my gratitude, she firmly replied, “The Russian translation is for our own study.” I was deeply moved when I saw the humble gaze behind Aida’s glasses.
Ishii Rogetsu & Anton Chekhov
In my lecture, I pointed out that the dramatic leap in Rogetsu’s haiku style was achieved through his confrontation with life. As an example, I gave a haiku titled “Ferry Terminal” written while on a house call in the middle of a heavy snowstorm: “Those crying out / all have their lives / even a blizzard.”
Olga Smarokova, assistant director of the Japan Center, expressed strong empathy, saying, “Rogetsu is the link between the culture of Vladivostok in the Far East and Japan (Akita).” She then compared him to the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov and stated clearly, “Rogetsu will become a symbol connecting Russia and Akita.” Perhaps she was recalling Anton Chekhov’s dedication to fighting the Great Famine of 1891 and the cholera epidemic that occurred the following year. After parting ways with Shiki, Rogetsu returned home to a village without a doctor and was welcomed as a village doctor. However, what awaited him was the poverty-stricken villagers and the rampant spread of infectious diseases such as dysentery and cholera.
Students on the new campus
The entirety of Russky Island, known as the venue for APEC, was the campus of Far Eastern Federal University. During my courtesy visit to the university, I was fortunate to observe a Japanese language class and interact with the students. Of the 41,000 students, 200 are majoring in Japanese language, literature, economics, and history. I was touched by the students’ cheerful and proactive attitude toward their studies. The students hope to work for Japanese-related companies after graduation, but the reality is that there are very few Japanese companies in Vladivostok. Despite this, the students were diligently studying the curriculum, which requires Japanese and English.
研究発表
日本語教育と俳句－授業での取り組みと今後の可能性－
相場いぶき（国際教養大学日本語プログラム非常勤講師）
Research Presentation:
Japanese Language Education and Haiku – Classroom Approaches and Future Possibilities
Ibuki Aiba (Part-time Lecturer, Japanese Language Program, Akita International University)
Although Mrs. Ibuki Aiba is not a haiku expert, she is very interested in using haiku in Japanese language education. She spoke about the potential of haiku in Japanese language education, introducing several classroom examples.
She first gave a brief introduction to haiku education at Akita International University (AIU), then explained what haiku means in Japanese language education. She then introduced her own efforts in classroom examples 1 and 2, and finally spoke about future possibilities.
Haiku education at AIU is primarily taught in the “Japanese Literature” class, taught by Professor Alexander Dolin, a native of Russia.
Since all classes at AIU are taught in English, international students generally compose haiku in English, while Japanese students compose haiku in both Japanese and English, and then present them in class. The purpose of the class is to learn about haiku and, through that, to further their understanding of Japanese literature.
Here are some of the student works.
This is a haiku written by a student studying at AIU from Germany.
This ink-wash-like painting is also her work.
It’s wonderful.
This is a haiku written by a Japanese student.
The haiku is written vertically in Japanese, with its English translation.
The photograph is beautiful, too.
This is a very rare case, but it’s a haiku written by a foreign student who can speak Russian. What do you think?
Haiku itself is the subject of study in Japanese literature classes, but the role of haiku in Japanese language education is a little different.
The purpose of Japanese language education is to improve learners’ Japanese language ability, and haiku is merely a means to that end.
Therefore, it can be said that what is important for us Japanese language teachers is for learners to acquire excellent Japanese language ability, rather than for them to become excellent haiku poets.
First, Mrs. Aiba introduced three practical examples of partial instruction, along with some common concerns that learners have.
The first is about the sense of rhythm in Japanese. A beat is a unit of pronunciation represented by a single kana character, also known as a mora.
In Japanese, each kana character is roughly the same length (isochronism), but for many learners, pronouncing words while maintaining the length of the beat seems quite difficult.
Therefore, she used the haiku pattern of “5-7-5” to acquire a sense of rhythm in Japanese and practice pronunciation that is closer to that of the Japanese language.
There are a few things to keep in mind.
First of all, the short sounds “ya,” “yu,” and “yo,” known as “yo-on,” make up one mora when combined with kana in the I-row.
For example, “gyu/u/nyu/u” look like they have six characters, but when broken down by the length of the sound, they make up four mora.
On the other hand, the special mora – the short “tsu” sound, the glottal stop (“n”) and the long vowel (a long sound) – each make up one mora.
Many learners tend to shorten the length of special mora due to the influence of the pronunciation of their native language.
Conversely, if you can properly maintain the length of special mora, your pronunciation will sound more Japanese-like.
The next topic to learn is onomatopoeia (onomatopoeic words and mimetic words).
Japanese is said to be a language that makes heavy use of onomatopoeia, and you’ll often see them not only in everyday life but also in manga and anime these days.
However, understanding their usage and meaning seems to be difficult for learners.
Seasonal words (kigo) are also an item to study.
Haiku must always include one seasonal word.
However, the sense of the seasons that seasonal words express is by no means universal.
For example, the image of winter that a Russian person has is very different from that of an Australian person.
Understanding that each person’s sense of the seasons, and therefore their view of nature and aesthetic sense, differs will enable a deeper understanding of different cultures.
This is an example of an intermediate-level Japanese reading class at AIU. The students are nine international students (two Taiwanese, two Norwegians, one Australian, one German, and three Americans), and they have been studying Japanese for between one and a half and three years.
First, as a pre-reading activity, we took time to learn about the rules and background knowledge of haiku. Since most of the students had no experience studying haiku, we explained the 5-7-5 format, main seasonal words, kireji (cutting words), and the history of haiku.
When asked “Do you think haiku is useful for learning Japanese?” 6 people answered “Yes,” 3 answered “Neutral,” and 0 people answered “No.”
Many of the people who answered “Neutral” gave their opinion that haiku falls into the category of art, history, or culture.
On the other hand, some of the people who answered “Yes” said that they learned not only the language but also Japanese history and culture.
A major challenge for the future will be whether to completely separate Japanese language education from specialized education (art, history, and culture), or to integrate them.
Next, we asked, “Do you think haiku is useful for learning Japanese?” 6 people answered “Yes,” 3 answered “Neutral,” and 0 people answered “No.”
The reason given by many of those who answered “Neutral” was that they believe haiku falls into the category of art, history, or culture.
On the other hand, some of those who answered “Yes” felt that haiku allows them to learn not only the language, but also Japanese history and culture.
A major challenge for the future will be whether Japanese language education and specialized education (art, history, and culture) should be completely separated, or if they should be integrated.
報告
国際俳句について
蛭田秀法（国際俳句交流協会会員）
Report:
International Haiku
Hidenori Hiruta (Member of Haiku International Association)
I hope that haiku will board the Trans-Siberian Railway at Vladivostok Station and spread further and further. As the haiku carrying peace boards the Trans-Siberian Railway, prayers for peace will alight at each station along the line, and the prayers will reach the local people, leading to the realization of peaceful living all over the world.
１．ウラジオストクでの俳句紹介
As part of the activities under the Comprehensive Friendship Agreement concluded between Akita Prefecture and the government of Primorsky Krai, Russia, in March 2010, a “Cultural Exchange through Haiku” event was held in Vladivostok from September 25 till October 2, 2011. Haiku was introduced to children, students, and members of Japan Center tea ceremony club.
A seated tiger statue welcomes travelers on the street. The tiger is a symbol of Primorsky Krai and is used on the state flag and coat of arms, symbolizing the region’s culture and history.
- Haiku lessons at Eastern School
Interpreter: Ilya Dyakov (Far Eastern Federal University Student)
Kindergarten: Two Japanese Elective Classes
・Teaching the word “haiku”.
・Presenting a picture drawn by Russian children from the ‘Chikyuu Saijiki, Seasons on the globe（地球歳時記）’ published by the JAL Foundation, along with one haiku in both Japanese and Russian.
・Teaching the word and game **「Rock, Paper, Scissors」**.
・Introducing postcards made from haiku paintings and poems by international students at Akita International University.
・Playing **「Rock, Paper, Scissors」** with a child next to you, and the winner can choose their favorite postcard.
Elementary School (7-9 year old pupils): One elective Japanese class
・Presenting several drawings and haiku by Russian children from the JAL Foundation’s ‘Chikyuu Saijiki, Seasons on the globe（地球歳時記）’ in Japanese and Russian.
・Presenting haiku and haiku drawings by elementary school students in Akita Prefecture.
・Presenting postcards made from haiku and haiku drawings by international students from Akita International University.
・Haiku writing in Japanese and haiku writing in Russian, and presentation.
- Haiku Workshop for 4 classes at Far Eastern Federal University School of Regional and International Studies
Aida Suleymenova, associate professor of FEFU and President of the Yosano Akiko Memorial Literature Society, and Ilya Dyakov, a FEFU student interpreter, showed Hidenori around FEFU School.
- About haiku
Students are interested and pleased with haiku that are humorous or ironic,
and Basho’s haiku was well received and elicited laughter from the students.
・About haiku in foreign languages
・About haiga and haiku
・Introducing haiku and haiku drawn by junior high school students in Akita Prefecture. Recitation practice, translation into Russian, and presentation.
・Recitation practice in Japanese using postcards made from haiga and haiku drawn by international students at Akita International University, translation into Russian, and presentation.
・Writing haiku in Japanese
・Writing haiku in Russian
・Presentation
- Talk at the Vladivostok Japan Center
Hidenori Hiruta was treated to tea at the beginning of the talk, “Haiku and the Tea Ceremony.” He talked about how the tea ceremony seeks the true present within the microcosm of the tea room.
He talked about how haiku seeks the eternal present within a microcosm.
The Japan-Russia Haiku Contest was held in May 2012 as part of the cultural activities under the Comprehensive Friendship Agreement between Akita Prefecture and the Primorsky Krai government, as an event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the sister city relationship between Akita City and Vladivostok City, and as 140th Anniversary of Ishii Rogetsu’s Birth. Haiku forums were also held in both cities in September of the same year.
This year 2013, the 2nd Japan-Russia Haiku Contest was held, with a new English category added.
HIA President Akito Arima concluded in the symposium on November 28, 2009, and predicted as below.
Haiku will spread out to the world more because of its brevity and its coexistence with nature. More and more young people will get interested in haiku for its brevity, and enjoy writing and reading haiku. More poets will share haiku with each other in their blogs on the Internet. Global haiku contest or festival will increase on the Internet too.
As Dr. Arima predicted, the Japan-Russia Haiku contest has been held as a global haiku contest.
Last of all, here is a photo of a party who visited Vladivostok from Akita.
Hidenori Hiruta
Akita International Haiku network
蛭田 秀法
秋田国際俳句ネットワーク
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(1)
cloudy day
the skyscraper stands
without a top
曇りの日
高層ビルが立っている
頂上のないまま
(2)
road tunnel
the music stops and
resumes again
道路トンネル
音楽が止まり、
また再開する
(3)
long tunnel
a faint light at last
comes into view
長いトンネル
ついにかすかな光が
見えてきた
(4)
crescent moon
I see the shadow
of our earth
三日月
地球の影が見える
(5)
subsiding rain
the circles in my pond
become countable
雨が弱まる
池のが
数えられるようになる
Three Japanese Haiga
あめあがりすみきったみずいしのあな
かみのうえたこはいたすみわからない
窓の外ちょうちょう乗って散りゆく葉
Two Chinese Haiku
天涯若比邻
歧路无为伤别离
莫使泪沾巾
thought we are
going to be far apart
from each other, our souls
will always remain close, so
please do not be too grieved
while we are taking departure
and going our separate ways
and do not make wet our
sleeves with tears
[NOTE]
This haiku is based upon a poem written by Wang Bo, a Chinese poet of Tang Dynasty.
私たちは
遠く離れてしまうだろう
けれど、私たちの魂は
いつまでも近いままです。
だから
別れの道を歩むときも
あまり悲しまないでください
そして
涙で袖を濡らさないでください
流响出疏桐
居高蝉鸣声自远
非是藉秋风
the chirping sounds
of the cicadas spread
far away due to the great
height of the Chinese parasol
tree they are perching on
instead of the autumn
wind that is blowing
[NOTE]
This haiku is based upon a poem written by Yu Shinan, a Chinese poet of Tang Dynasty.
蝉の鳴き声が
とまっているアオギリの高い木のおかげで、
吹いている秋風の代わりに
遠くまで響き渡ります。
－Translated into Japanese by Hidenori Hiruta
Пляж опустевший…
Шаги твоих ног помнят
Голые дюны.
Plyazh opustevshii… Shagi tvoikh nog pomnyat Golye dyuny.
***
Thedeserted beach…
The bare dunes remember
Your fading footsteps.
思い出す砂丘の浜辺君の足
omoidasu sakyū no hamabe kimi no ashi
***
Бабочки крылья
Под вечер расправлены,
Путь мне укажут.
Babochki kryliya Pod vecher raspravleny, Put’ mne ukazhut.
***
And towards evening
A butterfly spreads its wings
And shows me the way…
夕暮れに蝶羽広げ道示す
yūgure ni chō hane hiroge michi shimesu
***
Солнце в зените…
Со льдом над стаканами
Зонтиков много.
Solntse v zenite… So l’dom nad stakanami. Zontikov mnogo.
***
The sun is scorching…
Above the nice icy drinks
Lots of umbrellas.
炎天下冷涼飲料傘の下
entenka reiryōinryō kasa no shita
***
ardent sun –
an umbrella
on the ice cup
Sarra Masmoudi (Tunisia)
“The Mamba” Journal of Africa Haiku Network, Issue 6, September 2018 с. 8
***
Ах, целую ночь
Разговор у костра наш
Не затухает.
Akh, tseluyu noch’. Razgovor u kostra nash. Ne zatukhayet.
***
Ah, all night long
Our talking by the fire
Does not fade away.
火のそばの徹夜の話消え失せず
hi no soba no tetsuya no hanashi kieuse zu
***
Весна… Колобком
Солнце в город вкатилось,
Кошкам приятно.
***
Like a round bun
The sun rolled into the town…
It feels good to cats.
太陽に猫も路上に日向ぼこ
taiyō ni neko mo rojō ni hinataboko
***
Взгляд равнодушный…
В могиле молчания16,
Правду хоронят.
***
Indifferent look…
In the grave of dumb silence*
They’re burying the truth.
無関心沈黙の墓に真実埋め
mukanshin chinmoku no haka ni shinjitsu ume
* “Lies and silence are two grave sins that have become especially rampant in modern human society. We really do lie a lot—or remain silent.” (Murakami Haruki. Listen to the Wind Sing)
***
Что это? Снегом
Вдруг припорошило двор…
Белый трилистник.
Chto eto? Snegom Vdrug priporoshilo dvor… Belyi trilistnik.
***
What’s this? Suddenly,
The yard is dusted with snow…
A white clover bloomed.
摩訶不思議シロツメクサが雪庭に
makafushigi shirotsumekusa ga settei ni
***
В открытом окне
Пустоты много… мысли
В нескольких окнах.
V otkrytom okne Pustoty mnogo… mysli V neskol’kikh oknakh.
***
The open window—
So much emptiness inside…
I’ll fill it with words.
***
開いた窓空虚を埋める言葉かな
aita mado kūkyo o umeru kotoba kana
***
Творчества поле —
Просторы бескрайние…
Пашут и пашут*.
Tvorchestva pole – Prostory beskrainie… Pashut i pashut.
***
Boundless open space —
Field of creativity…
They plow and plow on*.
限りない創造の地を耕さむ
kagirinai sōzō no ji o tagayasamu
* “As long as there is plough land, as long as there is human mind, there must be a book.” (Victor Hugo. VOLUME 15. ACTES ET PAROLES. The Freedom of Teaching).
***
Note: About drawings
Bitary Subirin made drawings using Wombo Dream AI based on his photos.
Bitary Subirin’s Photo
Brief Bio
Vitaly Svirin, 55 years old.
Bitary Subirin is his pen name (Japanese pronunciation)
St. Petersburg (2016-2025)
He graduated from the Pedagogical University.
He has been a karate coach since 1995, and since 2009 he has been teaching chess to children.
In 2007 he was certified for 2 dan WSKF (karate).
In 2008, he passed the JLPT exam (Japanese) with 5 kyu. he has been writing haiku, senryu, and tanka since 2016.
He has also been writing rhyming poems since March 2020.
Laureate of the international Haiku competition The R H Blyth Award, WHR March 2019.
Winner of the Japanese Embassy Haiku Competition, 2020.
Laureate of the national literary award “Golden Pen of Russia – 2021” for the book “In the open Window”.
Laureate of the haiku contest “Sharpening the Green Pencil — 2022” (Romania).
Winner of the national competition among foreign haiku authors in 2022 “Светлината на Зимата” (Bulgaria).