Haiku about the Great East Japan Earthquake (3)

  On August 1, 1689, Basho visited Kisakata (象潟), Akita Prefecture (秋田県),  Northern Honshu, on his journey. Basho wrote about Kisakata in his travel diary The Narrow Road to Oku, 『おくのほそ道 (Oku no Hosomichi 』 as follows:   江山水陸の風光数を尽くして、今象潟に方寸を責。酒田の湊より東北の方、山を越、磯を伝ひ、いさごをふみて其際十里、日影やゝかたぶく比、汐風真砂を吹上、雨朦朧として鳥海の山かくる。闇中に莫作して「雨も又奇也」 とせば、雨後の晴色又頼母敷と、あまの苫屋に膝をいれて、雨の晴を待。其朝天能霽れて、朝日花やかにさし出る程に、象潟に舟をうかぶ。 先能因島に舟をよせて、三年幽居の跡をとぶらひ、むかふの岸に舟をあがれば、「花の上こぐ」とよまれし桜の老木、西行法師の記念をのこす。   Here is a painting of Kisakata in those days.       Photo courtesy; as … Continue reading Haiku about the Great East Japan Earthquake (3)

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 … Continue reading Haiku Symposium at Akita University in Northern Japan

International Haiku New Year’s Festival 2011 (Part 3)

  On the third day, we refer to the first experiences the moon rabbit had. What a wonderful experience it is to see the first sunrise of the New Year!       Secondly, the rabbits enjoy the poetry recitation, sharing international haiku with each other.   Claire Gardien (France)    クレイア・ガーディアン(フランス)     two thousand eleven             2011年 … Continue reading International Haiku New Year’s Festival 2011 (Part 3)

Haiku about the New Year (2010)

  Happy New Year 2010 ! the Year of the Tiger 謹賀新年     kinga shinnen 二千十年           nisen ju nen  平成二十二年  heisei niju ninen 庚寅               Kanoe Tora    Miss Masuda Aika(桝田愛佳), a freshman at Seirei Senior High School in Akita, celebrated the New Year by contributing her haiga to the Akita Sakigake Newspaper (秋田魁新報) on January 1. We … Continue reading Haiku about the New Year (2010)

Haiga by an Elementary Schoolgirl in Akita (Part 3)

  桝田愛佳(Masuda Aika)began painting haiga in her elementary school days. In summer, 2008, her mother, 桝田純子(Masuda Junko), and David Ferron, an ALT (Assistant Language Teacher) in Akita City, Akita, Japan, took up haiga by Masuda Aika as their haiga project.  We post their haiga project on the website, dividing it into three stages. This is … Continue reading Haiga by an Elementary Schoolgirl in Akita (Part 3)