Akita International Haiku Network
Gray clouds trail across the sky. In the pale winter sun a flock of geese (Ben Grafström–Akita, Japan)
On June 10, 2013, I had 12 English haiku submitted from haikuists（俳人） in Kagoshima Prefecture（鹿児島県）. One of the haikuists says in her e-mail as follows. Dear Mr. Hiruta I would appreciate very much if I could join the Japan Russia Haiku Contest, introduced by Professor McMurray on the Asahi Haiku Network. Please find … Continue reading News on The Second Japan-Russia Haiku Contest : Deadline is June 30
On May 30, 2013, Professor David McMurray at the International University of Kagoshima（鹿児島国際大学）kindly sent an e-mail to me as follows. Dear Haiku Colleague Mr. Hidenori Hiruta, Please give my very best regards to readers of your website, and members of the Akita International Haiku Association. I trust they will be deeply moved by … Continue reading News from Asahi Haikuist Network : The Second Japan-Russia Haiku Contest
Firstly, let me post haiku and photos by Julia Maul, who studied about haiku and learned to write haiku at the class by Alexander Dolin, PhD, Professor of Japanese Literature and Civilization Studies at Akita International University（国際教養大学）. Julia Maul contributed the works of haiku and photos to us in November, 2011. … Continue reading For New Year 2012 (2)
On May 17, one of my haiku mentors, Professor David McMurray at the International University of Kagoshima, sent me an e-mail about Japan-EU English Haiku Contest, suggesting to me that we should send haiku to the contest. I hope that haikuists as well as my haikuist friends will never fail to submit haiku according … Continue reading About Japan-EU English Haiku Contest
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
On July 15, 2009, I received two comments from John McDonald in Edinburgh, UK. He was the first haiku poet to send us comments, saying “Good Luck” and encouraged us to continue posting haiku or articles on haiku. John also presented me with his haiku book, whose title is ‘THE THROU-GAUN CHIEL’. He … Continue reading Haiku by John McDonald for Int’l Haiku Spring Festival 2010 (5)
I have just received an e-mail about an Asahi Newspaper sponsored haiku in English contest from Professor David McMurray at the International University of Kagoshima. Would you please send your haiku before April 18? His e-mail is as follows: Dear Hiruta sensei, Thank you so much for referring to the Asahi Culture Centre, I … Continue reading About an Asahi Newspaper sponsored haiku in English contest!
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 … Continue reading Haiku by Hidenori Hiruta in Japan
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
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
Akita International Haiku Network 