Posted in writing and poetry, haiku on Aug 8th, 2006 No Comments »
by wintry blasts
the rocks are sharpened
through the cedars
kogarashi ni | iwa fukitogaru | sugima kana
Basho
Basho visited Horaizan in 1691, after his long trek to northern Japan and his subsequent stay in Shiga Prefecture to recuperate. As usual, he was accompanied by a group of local haiku enthusiasts, led by one Hakusetsu. At noon they reached […]
Posted in writing and poetry, haiku on Aug 7th, 2006 No Comments »
yellow roses
fragrance of Uji tea
coming from the drier
yamabuki ya | Uji no hoiro no | niou toki
Basho
Tea leaves give off a nice fragrance when they are being dried or roasted. Basho is in the tea producing area of Uji and while he looks at some yamabuki roses, the fresh smell of tea on the drier […]
Posted in writing and poetry, haiku on Aug 2nd, 2006 No Comments »
taking off one garment
I sling it over my shoulder
clothes changing day
hitotsu nugite | ushiro ni oinu | koromogae
Basho
There were (and are!) fixed days in Japan for changing into lighter clothes when the weather gets warmer (April 1 in the Edo period) and changing back to thicker clothes in autumn. This is called koromogae, but such […]
Posted in travel and places, Japan, writing and poetry, haiku on Aug 1st, 2006 No Comments »
For haiku fans, the quiet former castle town of Kurobane in northern Tochigi is an important pilgrimage place, as Basho spent two weeks here in 1689 on his way to the Deep North. It is indeed a great place for a leisurely walk, there is a fabulous temple (Unganji) and a Basho museum… and the […]
Posted in writing and poetry, haiku on Jul 30th, 2006 No Comments »
leaving the Temple Gate
there is Japan!
songs of teapickers
sanmon wo dereba | Nippon zo! | chatsumi uta
By Kikushani (1753-1826)
Manpukuji Temple in Uji, Kyoto, belongs to a Chinese Zen school that was brought to Japan by Ingen, who fled China for the Manchu invaders in the mid-17th c. The Obaku-sect temple was a true Chinese cultural enclave […]
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