Haiku By World Children・For a New Century (あたらしいうた)

The Akita International Haiku Network is now organizing Japan – Russia Haiku Contest（日露俳句コンテスト）, sponsored by The JAL Foundation（日航財団）.

The JAL Foundation has just contributed Haiku By World Children・For a New Century （あたらしいうた）for the contest.

Here is a photo of the haiku book.

They say in the beginning as follows.

Let’s Enjoy Haiku

Do you know that Haiku is very similar to pictures and music?

The only difference is that instead of crayons and sounds, Haiku uses words. You paint with words instead of colours and connect words rather than sounds. By doing this, you can create scribble on a page and a melody of words.

This is both Haiku and poetry.

So, let’s enjoy writing our own Haiku without worrying about strict rules.

That’s right. Even in Japan there was a famous Haiku poet who wrote his Haiku without being particular about rules. His name is Taneda Santoka. Santoka continually composed his Haiku while on his travels on foot.

Further I delve Further I delve The lush mountain Samtoka

The crow cries I too am alone Samtoka

Squashed underfoot, a dandelion

Blooming, a dandelion Samtoka

[俳句は自由に楽しめばいい]

　知ってる？　俳句って、絵画や音楽にとっても似ているんだ。

　ちがうのは、クレヨンや音の代わりに、言葉を使うところだけ。色のかわりに言葉を重ねたり、音のかわりに言葉をつなげると、言葉のラクガキや言葉のメロディ－ができあがる。それが俳句や詩なんだよ。

　だから、むずかしいル－ルを気にせずに、のびのびと俳句を作ろう。

　そうそう、日本にも、ルールにこだわらずに俳句を作る有名な詩人がいたんだよ。その人の名は、種田山頭火。山頭火は歩いて旅をしながら、俳句を作りつづけたんだ。

分け入っても　分け入っても　青い山　　　山頭火

からす鳴いて、わたしも一人　　　　　　　　　山頭火

ふまれてタンポポ　ひらいてタンポポ　　　　山頭火