Haiku Symposium at Akita University in Northern Japan

 

The Akita Association of English Studies (AAES)（秋田英語英文学会）, was established in 1954 at Akita University（秋田大学） in Northern Honshu, Japan, aimed at promoting deeper understanding and further studies on the cultural backgrounds of English as the international language, and at providing chances to share and exchange information and ideas on English and English education for the members who are interested in these fields.

 

AAES President, professor Akira Murakami at Akita University（秋田大学教授村上東会長）, gave a symposium titled  “俳句 and Haiku : The short forms of literature and English Education”, on November 27, 2010, at Akita University.

The participants also enjoyed writing haiku in English and selected their favorite haiku each other.  The prizes were awarded for the two best haiku.

 

 

Here I refer to the points taken up in the symposium, and post haiku written by some of the participants there.

 

First of all, here is a notice about the symposium in Japanese.

 

Haiku Symposium(1)

As the notice shows, Professor Emma TAMAIANU-MORITA, Ph.D. at Akita University gave a lecture, whose title is “Why ‘Less’ is Not ‘More’ in Foreign Language Teaching: Some Reflections from a Linguist’s Perspective.” 

 

 

Secondly, I report the main points taken up by three presenters in the symposium.

 

1  Haiku in English

    a)  Differences between haiku in Japanese and in English

    b)  “17 syllables” question

    c)   Seasonal words (kigo 季語)

　  d)   International Haiku （国際俳句）

           and

         Professor David McMurray at the International University of Kagoshima

            （マクマレイ・デビッド鹿児島国際大学教授）　

　2  Haiku in English education

    a)  The Haiku in the school textbook ‘Sunshine’

         by Emeritus professor Minoru Kono at Akita University

             （幸野稔秋田大学名誉教授）　

    b)  Haiku and haiga by junior high school students in Akita

    c)  Haiku by senior high school students in Akita

    d)  Haiku by students at Akita International University (AIU)（国際教養大学）

  3   Haiku contests

    a)  Earthday Haiku Contest

    b)  AIU Haiku Contest

 

　4  Haiku ― its future in English education　  

　    Viewpoints by Dr. Akito Arima, President of Haiku International

      Association（有馬朗人国際俳句交流協会会長）

 

 

Last of all, I post haiku written by some of the participants after the symposium.

 

 

Hidenori Hiruta　　　　　　　　　　     　蛭田　秀法 

 

Old bookworm

ponders between lines…　  　雪国や行間に住む本の虫

snow country

 

(prize-winning from Akita International Haiku Network)

                                      

 

Yasushi Sato　　　　　　　　　　　　        　佐藤　康 

 

With shorter days

Moslems hurriedly walking   　短日や祈りに急ぐ回教徒

to go to pray

 

(prize-winning from Akita Association of English Studies)

 

 

Neko Murakami              　　　　              村上　猫　

 

A sunny day nap

Bombardment of ginkgo nuts　　銀杏の音に目覚める猫の夢

Wakes up the kitty

 

 

Minoru Kono　　　　　　　　　　　　　           幸野　稔　

 

Indian summer –

A one-year old boy　　　　　小春日や小(ち)さき手を振る一歳児

Waving to me.

 

 

Peter Hook (Anonymous)　　　　　　ピーター・フック（匿名）

 

Autumn rain　　　　　

The roof of the on-sen　　　　空覗く温泉の屋根秋の雨

Open to the sky

 

 

Anonymous　　　　　　　　　　　　　    　作者不明

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　[今朝、小春日和の中、バラの木を見て]

Sleek on the stems

Thorns of roses　　　　　　バラのとげ健(けな)げに小春陽(ひ)を映す

In the hazy sunlight

 

 

Seisaku Chiba　　　　　　　　　　    　　千葉　星作

 

how soon by blizzards

Akita will be blanketed　　　　あきたんぼ[秋田んぼ]

stay tuned!　　　　　　　         　　ふぶきの毛布ぐぐと来い！

 

 

Happy Sun

 

A peninsula

Set off a skyrocket

One’s love for one’s Country

 

 

Masanori Watanabe　（渡邉政徳）

 

Practicing an interview

A student tells her dream

Glowing with hope

 

 

Anonymous

 

Sarah, My Dog

You Bring Me the

Joy of Living

 

 

“Banana Man”  Peter Hook

 

Spring wind –

Kids on bikes

Scattering laughter

 

 

Anonymous　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　           作者不明

 

Thin ice

Cleaning Japanese radishes　　薄氷大根洗う木漏れ日に

Sunlight through the trees

 

 

Lazy Cat MURAKAMI

 

Nowhere to lay eggs

Two dragonflies disappear　　赤とんぼ稲なき田より飛び去りぬ　　

Paddies without rice

 

 

Junko Masuda　　　　　　　　　　　    　　桝田　純子

 

Winter sun beam

has come into the shrine　　　幸せを祈る本堂冬日さす

praying happiness

 

 

Katsuhiro Adachi　　　　　　　　　　　　安達　勝裕

 

Since then

I’ve never cured　　　　　　あの時から癒えぬままの私の心

My mind

 

 

T. NIMURE　　　　　　　　　　　　　       二牟礼　勉　

 

A hurried man

through colored leaves　　　帰路急ぐ紅葉の中陽を浴びて

in the sun

 

 

Yoshiyuki Sugawara　　　　　　　　　　菅原　芳行

 

The partner in the crime

happened to close the door;  共犯者ドアを閉めたら逃げられず

locked in the room.

 

 

Anonymous　　　　　　　　　　　　　　作者不明

 

My love fall

has run away　　　　　　　まちわびた秋足早にすぎさりて　

so fast

 

 

Ayako Watanabe（渡部アヤ子）

 

Happy four-leaf clover

Shines in my hands

With gratitude to Prof. Saibyo

 

 

Ueno Murakami

 

“Fly”

Bat away your fear,

Your anxiety playground,

On dragonflies wings.

 

 

 

Miyake Yoshimi

 

Stopt driving

On the way to lunch

Red burning Taiheizan

 

 

Anonymous

 

Secrets heard

From your eyes, deep inside

Obsessed by memories

 

 

Anonymous

 

Shining Star

Light in the black

Comes to heart

 

 

Anonymous

 

The king of drink

superb and sparkling

splendid juice

 

 

Anonymous

 

Fallen leaves

Here, there, and everywhere

Under a clear sky

 

 

Anonymous

 

How powerful

A new –born grandson

could curve the disease

 

 

It is rare to write haiku in a symposium, but the participants at the symposium found it very interesting and exciting to write and share haiku with each other, and to exchange comments among them.

In my opinion, writing haiku is helpful to express ourselves and to learn how and what to express, and at last makes it easier for us to speak in communicative situations in our daily lives too.

Haiku could be a good topic in our conversation, about which we easily talk with each other.

In other words, haiku could help us gain a better mutual understanding beyond the gaps of cultures.

 

We sincerely hope that you will get more interested in writing haiku, and that you will contribute your haiku to our network.

 

The next posting ‘Haiku by Seisaku Chiba in Japan’ appears on January 22.

  

― Hidenori Hiruta