Now in Japan we are in a cheerful mood, sharing the beauties and wonders of spring with each other.
With the coming of spring, Amur adonis appeared in the fields and camellias opened their flowers, from white to pink and red ones.
Plum and cherry blossoms are in full bloom here and there in Tokyo these days.
Both of them have been loved and taken up in haiku or tanka since the ancient days in Japan.
At the end of March, I wrote the following haiku:
Fresh cherry blossoms
reflected in the pond
water mirror
初桜姿をうつす鏡池
Hatsuzakura sugata o utsusu kagami ike
First of all, let me tell you about my writing career of international haiku.
In May, 1998, I studied about international haiku and started writing haiku in English.
Professor David McMurray at the International University of Kagoshima（鹿児島国際大学） came to Akita and gave us a workshop on international haiku at the meeting of JALT (The Japan Association for Language Teaching)（全国語学教育学会）. He told us about international haiku and showed us how to write haiku in English.
Since then I have been studying about haiku in English through Asahi Culture Center（朝日カルチャーセンター）, where we can enjoy International Haiku Correspondence with Professor David McMurray.
As our mentor he gives us instructions and suggestions on how to burnish and improve haiku in English.
As a haiku poet he received NAGOYA TV AWARD at International Haiku Poetry Festival held as part of THE 2005 AICHI WORLD EXPO （愛知万博）in July, 2005.
White lilies
the feeding tube
removed
David McMurray
Professor David McMurray is also the haiku selector and editor of the Asahi Haikuist Network column of the International Herald Tribune Asahi Shimbun （ヘラルド朝日）.
In March, 2004, I wrote the following haiku, which appeared in the above -mentioned page of Asahi Haikuist Network by David McMurray:
Bush warbler
music in the eaves
rice cake dries
鶯の歌声軒に餅乾く
Uguisuno utagoe nokini mochi kawaku
My haiku appeared in the Asahi Haikuist Network and also appeared together with Basho’s haiku in the blog by Angelika Wienert, a German poet, in 2005.
鶯や餅に糞する縁の先
Uguisu ya mochi ni fun suru en no saki
Bush warbler ―
shits on the rice cakes
on the porch rail
Translated by Robert Hass
In July, 2004, I visited Kisakata（象潟）, Akita, and wrote the following haiku in celebration of the 360th anniversary of Matsuo Basho’s birth:
Basho’s wind
circling stone tablet
midsummer
夏の句碑蕉風立ちて清々し
Natsu no kuhi Shou fuu tachi te sugasugashi
In October, 2004, I wrote the following haiku while reading “The Narrow Road to Oku” (Oku no Hosomichi) by Matsuo Basho(1644-1694) as translated by Donald Keene（鬼怒鳴門）.
I composed it to keep cozy, when the nights were getting longer and chillier.
Autumn winds
leaves flutter upon
the narrow road
秋風や奥の細道木の葉舞ふ
Akikaze ya Okuno Hosomichi konoha mau
In November, 2006, I wrote haiku about first snow:
Basho’s statue
dressed in white snow
narrow road
初雪や芭蕉の衣清まれり
Hatsu yuki ya Basho no koromo kiyomare ri
My haiku appeared in the Asahi Haikuist Network, where Professor David McMurray noted as follows:
The first snowfall in Akita was light, just enough to dust Matsuo Basho’s monument, writes Hidenori Hiruta. Or as the poet observed in 1686, enough snow fell to bend narcissus leaves: Hatsu yuki ya suisen no ha no tawamu made. Hiruta alludes to Basho’s travel journal, “Oku no Hosomichi” (The Narrow Road to the Deep North).
初雪や水仙の葉のたわむまで
Hatsu yuki ya suisen no ha no tawamu made
The first snow ―
just enough to bend
narcissus leaves
Translated by David McMurray
These two haiku above are quoted in the category, Literature of the Literature.net.
In January, 2009, I wrote haiku about New Year. This was selected and printed in the haiku magazine, HI , which is published by HIA (HAIKU INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION)（国際俳句交流協会）.
Sending out steam
dedicating Bonden
New Year’s Festival
湯気立てて梵天納む寒祭り
Yuge tate te bonden osamu kan matsuri
On January 23, 2010, the word ‘Bonden（梵天）’ was taken up as Kigo for the New Year in SPECIAL GALLERIES…..DARUMA MUSEUM (03) by Dr. Gabi Greve, a German poet, in Okayama, Japan.
https://darumamuseumgallery.blogspot.com/2010/01/bonten-bonden-brahma.html
In February, 2010, I wrote the following haiku:
Frozen beard
thawing
valentine mails
鬚なごむバレンタインのメールかな
Hige nagomu barentain no meeru kana
On March 5, 2010, this haiku appeared in the Asahi Haikuist Network.
That night I received the following e-mail for my haiku:
Dear Hidenori Hiruta:
I have enjoyed reading your haiku in today’s edition of the Asahi Haikuist Network
in the International Herald Tribune. Congratulations!
Have a wonderful weekend–
With best regards,
Lenard D. Moore
Former President (2008 and 2009), Haiku Society of America（アメリカ俳句協会前会長）
Executive Chairman, North Carolina Haiku Society.
I knew Mr. Moore at the HIA 20th Anniversary Symposium held in Tokyo on November 28, 2009, which he attended as one of the panelists.
On March 8, 2010, Mr. Moore contributed his haiku to me and referred to his essay on writing haiku in his e-mail.
Dear Hidenori Hiruta,
Thank you very much for your kind words about my haiku. I am very pleased to learn
that you attended last year’s HIA 20th Anniversary Symposium and posted haiku.
I am delighted to hear that you have heard my talk on the haiku panel. However,
here is the website address for my essay on writing haiku with several of my haiku:
http://www.hsa-haiku.org/frogpond/2008-issue31-2/revelationsunedited.html
I am honored that you have read my following haiku:
autumn sunset
helicopter rises
from the heliport
–Lenard D. Moore
I am also honored to learn that you have appreciated my following haiku in the Asahi Haikuist Network:
Cloudless sky
all over my face
this thick beard
–Lenard D. Moore
Closing year…
I open the jar
of pickles
–Lenard D. Moore
Year-end rain
just the closed houses
up the street
–Lenard D. Moore
Congratulations on all of the work you are doing for haiku on the Akita International Haiku Network!
I am grateful to you for inviting me to submit haiku to you for the Akita International Haiku Network.
Once again, thank you very much. Have a wonderful week–
With best regards,
Lenard D. Moore
www.wordtechweb.com/moore.html
Last of all, let me tell you about what HIA President Akito Arima （国際俳句交流協会会長有馬朗人）concluded in the symposium on November 28, 2009.
Dr. Arima predicted as follows.
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.
― Hidenori Hiruta
Akita International Haiku Network 
Wonderful article, and I liked all the haiku including:
Autumn winds
leaves flutter upon
the narrow road
秋風や奥の細道木の葉舞ふ
Akikaze ya Okuno Hosomichi konoha mau
and
初雪や水仙の葉のたわむまで
Hatsu yuki ya suisen no ha no tawamu made
The first snow ―
just enough to bend
narcissus leaves
all my very best,
Alan
With Words
This is a wonderful post. I have to affirm that my interest in haiku poetry stems from its brevity but also the feeling it passes on and the image I seem to be able to retain from the strength of the words. Wonderful post. Thank-you. I am not a poet but love reading haiku.
Fresh cherry blossoms
reflected in the pond
water mirror
…………Dear D.Moore, I liked this haiku. I relished all the poems. Wishing you all the best.
My best wishes to all the poets and Akita International haiku network.
…Kaa.Na.Kalyanasundaram, Chennai.
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