Akita International Haiku Network
Gray clouds trail across the sky. In the pale winter sun a flock of geese (Ben Grafström–Akita, Japan)
On July 31, I visited 虫甘満寺(Kanman ji), the Kanman-Temple in 象潟(Kisakata), 秋田(Akita) and I discovered many things. This temple is famous for the last spot which 松尾芭蕉( Matsuo Basho )(1644-1694) visited during his stay in Kisakata from August 1 - 3, 1689. According to 『奥の細道』(Oku no Hosomichi), ‘The Narrow Road to Oku’ translated by … Continue reading Basho’s mimosa blossoms
紫陽花 (ajisai), hydrangea, is the deciduous shrub up to five feet high with ball-shaped clusters of bluish flowers in June and July. It has become a common ornamental throughout the world. In Japan both 額紫陽花(gaku ajisai), H. macrophylla and 沢紫陽花(sawa ajisai), H. serrata in particular have been cultivated for so many centuries that they … Continue reading Basho’s hydrangea
Iris is a genus of between 200-300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species. As well as being the scientific name, iris is also very widely used as a … Continue reading Basho’s Irises
This is a picture of peach blossoms I took in Akita in the middle of May. Peach blossoms have been loved and taken up in haiku, waka, folklore, legends, and cultural events since the ancient days in Japan. Peach trees originated in China, where they loved peaches as well as peach blossoms, so they … Continue reading Basho’s peach blossoms
Since the April flowers have come and gone, the May flowers have been coming out and blooming one after another here in Akita. The other day Thorfinn Tait from the UK happened to see some Enkianthus flowers, called 満天星 (dodantsutsuji) in Japanese. He took a picture of the flower, deeply moved by its beauty. Just … Continue reading Basho’s cherry blossoms
In May, I took a stroll in the woods in Akita. There I heard bush warblers singing in fresh green and I saw skunk cabbages growing in the marsh. I felt as if I were in a natural temple, suddenly created in the woods, because it seemed as if there were bush … Continue reading Basho’s bush warbler
335 years ago, in 1689, 松尾芭蕉 (Matsuo Bashō) (1644-1694) visited 象潟 (Kisakata) in 秋田県 (Akita Prefecture) as part of his journey on『おくのほそ道』(The Narrow Road to the Deep North) and wrote the following haiku. 象潟や雨に西施がねぶの花 kisakata ya ame ni seishi ga nebu no hana Donald Keene （鬼怒鳴門） translated this haiku into English. Kisakata― Seishi sleeping … Continue reading Basho’s dream
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