Machi Tawara (俵万智, Tawara Machi; born December 31, 1962) is a contemporary Japanese writer, translator and poet. Tawara…Machi Tawara (俵万智, Tawara Machi; born December 31, 1962) is a contemporary Japanese writer, translator and poet. Tawara is most famous as a contemporary poet. She is credited with revitalizing the tanka for modern Japanese audiences. Her skill as a translator consist of translating classical Japanese into modern Japanese, for example books such as the Man'yōshū and the Taketori Monogatari.
Gania Nishimura (西村我尼吾, Nishimura Gania; born April 16, 1952 in Osaka Prefecture, real name Hidetoshi Nishimura) is a…Gania Nishimura (西村我尼吾, Nishimura Gania; born April 16, 1952 in Osaka Prefecture, real name Hidetoshi Nishimura) is a Japanese poet and an international civil servant.
Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda (Japanese: 前田万葉, Hepburn: Maeda Manyō) (born 3 March 1949) is a Japanese Catholic prelate who…Thomas Aquino Manyo Maeda (Japanese: 前田万葉, Hepburn: Maeda Manyō) (born 3 March 1949) is a Japanese Catholic prelate who has served as Archbishop of Osaka-Takamatsu since 2023. He was previously Archbishop of Osaka from 2014 to 2023 and Bishop of Hiroshima from 2011 to 2014. Pope Francis elevated him to the cardinalate on 28 June 2018.
Haruki Kadokawa (角川 春樹, Kadokawa Haruki; born January 8, 1942, in Tokyo) is a Japanese entrepreneur and filmmaker. He…Haruki Kadokawa (角川 春樹, Kadokawa Haruki; born January 8, 1942, in Tokyo) is a Japanese entrepreneur and filmmaker. He is the son of Genyoshi Kadokawa, the founder of the publishing company Kadokawa Shoten. He took over as president of the company in 1975 after his father's death. He entered the film industry as a producer and introduced a technique called media mix, which involved mass promotion and talent scouting for new artists in publishing, film, and television. In 1993, he was arrested for drug smuggling. He resigned as president of Kadokawa Shoten, founding Kadokawa Haruki Corporation instead.
Mayumi Shimizu (清水 眞弓, Shimizu Mayumi; July 26, 1939 – September 21, 2011), known by her pen name Jun Henmi (辺見 じゅん…Mayumi Shimizu (清水 眞弓, Shimizu Mayumi; July 26, 1939 – September 21, 2011), known by her pen name Jun Henmi (辺見 じゅん, Henmi Jun), was a Japanese writer and poet. She was known for her works of fiction and nonfiction about people affected by World War II.
Mutsuo Takahashi (高橋 睦郎, Takahashi Mutsuo; born December 15, 1937) is one of the most prominent and prolific poets…Mutsuo Takahashi (高橋 睦郎, Takahashi Mutsuo; born December 15, 1937) is one of the most prominent and prolific poets, essayists, and writers of contemporary Japan, with more than three dozen collections of poetry, several works of prose, dozens of books of essays, and several major literary prizes to his name. He is well known for his open writing about male homoeroticism. He currently lives in the seaside town of Zushi, several kilometers south of Yokohama, Japan.
Shūji Terayama (寺山 修司, Terayama Shūji; December 10, 1935 – May 4, 1983) was a Japanese avant-garde poet, artist…Shūji Terayama (寺山 修司, Terayama Shūji; December 10, 1935 – May 4, 1983) was a Japanese avant-garde poet, artist, dramatist, writer, film director, and photographer. His works range from radio drama, experimental television, underground (Angura) theatre, countercultural essays, to Japanese New Wave and "expanded" cinema. Many critics view him as one of the most productive and provocative creative artists to come out of Japan. He has been cited as an influence on various Japanese filmmakers from the 1970s onward.
Kazuko Yoshiyuki (吉行和子, Yoshiyuki Kazuko; 9 August 1935 – 2 September 2025) was a Japanese actress, voice actress, and…Kazuko Yoshiyuki (吉行和子, Yoshiyuki Kazuko; 9 August 1935 – 2 September 2025) was a Japanese actress, voice actress, and essayist. Having grown up with the burgeoning Japanese film and TV industry during post-war period, her career bridged traditional storytelling with modern cinematic expressions, making her a quintessential figure of her era in Japanese entertainment. She made her debut on the screen in 1955, appearing in more than 60 films and hundreds of Japanese television dramas. In a career spanning seven decades, she won a Mainichi Film Award for Best Supporting Actress in 1959, as well as a Japan Academy Film & TV Prize for Best Actress for her role in the 1978 film Empire of Passion.
Kyosen Ōhashi (大橋 巨泉, Ōhashi Kyosen; March 22, 1934 – July 12, 2016) was a Japanese television host and writer. He also…Kyosen Ōhashi (大橋 巨泉, Ōhashi Kyosen; March 22, 1934 – July 12, 2016) was a Japanese television host and writer. He also served briefly as a member of the House of Councillors in the Diet of Japan. His real name was Ōhashi Katsumi (大橋 克巳). Born in Sumida, Tokyo, he grew up in Chiba prefecture and dropped out of the Waseda University. Declaring "semi-retirement", he then spent most of his time outside Japan, particularly in Canada during the summer, as well as in Australia and New Zealand during the winter in the northern hemisphere, in which he ran his "OK Gift Shop" (OK stands for Ohashi Kyosen). When he resigned in the House of Councillors, Ōhashi was succeeded by Marutei Tsurunen, the first European-descended and openly foreign-born Japanese person to serve in the Diet.
Bungaku Ito (Jap. 伊藤 文學 new characters 伊藤 文学; born March 19, 1932) is a Japanese entrepreneur, founder and…Bungaku Ito (Jap. 伊藤 文學 new characters 伊藤 文学; born March 19, 1932) is a Japanese entrepreneur, founder and editor-in-chief of Japan's first commercially based homosexuality magazine Barazoku. He is the president of Daini-Shobo (Jap. 株式会社第二書房).
Inahata Teiko (Japanese: 稲畑汀子; 8 January 1931 – 27 February 2022) was a Japanese haiku poet, essayist and literary…Inahata Teiko (Japanese: 稲畑汀子; 8 January 1931 – 27 February 2022) was a Japanese haiku poet, essayist and literary critic.
Akito Arima, KBE (有馬 朗人, Arima Akito; 13 September 1930 – 7 December 2020) was a Japanese nuclear physicist…Akito Arima, KBE (有馬 朗人, Arima Akito; 13 September 1930 – 7 December 2020) was a Japanese nuclear physicist, politician, and haiku poet, known for the interacting boson model.
Shōichi Ozawa (小沢 昭一, Ozawa Shōichi; April 6, 1929 – December 10, 2012) was a Japanese actor, radio host, singer, and…Shōichi Ozawa (小沢 昭一, Ozawa Shōichi; April 6, 1929 – December 10, 2012) was a Japanese actor, radio host, singer, and prominent researcher and expert on Japanese folk art. He also founded the Shabondama-za theater company. Ozawa, who was born in Tokyo, graduated from Waseda University. He began acting after college, beginning with his debut stage role in 1951. He also appeared in television and film roles, acting quite frequently in films directed by Shohei Imamura and Yūzō Kawashima. In 1971, Ozawa launched his long running radio show. A respected folk art expert, Ozawa also researched traditional Japanese performing arts. He recorded and released "Nihon no Horo Gei" ("Japan's Itinerant Arts") based on his research. In 2004, Ozawa became the "mayor" of Meiji Mura, an open-air museum in Aichi Prefecture which showcases Meiji Era architecture. The Japanese government awarded Ozawa the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette in 2001 and the Medal with Purple Ribbon in 1994 for his body of work. Shōichi Ozawa died on December 10, 2012, at the age of 83.
Teizo Matsumura (松村 禎三 Matsumura Teizō; 15 January 1929 – 6 August 2007) was a Japanese composer and poet. Orphaned and…Teizo Matsumura (松村 禎三 Matsumura Teizō; 15 January 1929 – 6 August 2007) was a Japanese composer and poet. Orphaned and suffering from tuberculosis, during his recovery in the early 1950s he began to write both haiku and music. He studied with Tomojiro Ikenouchi and Akira Ifukube. He was influenced by Ravel and Stravinsky, but also Asian traditions. He was Professor Emeritus of the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music. Matsumura is best known for his opera Chinmoku (in English Silence) based on the novel of the same name by Shusaku Endo. This has been recorded. Matsumura is the recipient of the 1974 UNESCO International Rostrum of Composers and of the 1978 Suntory Music Award.
Akiko Baba (馬場 あき子, Baba Akiko) (born January 28, 1928) is a Japanese tanka poet and literary critic. Her real name is…Akiko Baba (馬場 あき子, Baba Akiko) (born January 28, 1928) is a Japanese tanka poet and literary critic. Her real name is Akiko Iwata (岩田 暁子, Iwata Akiko).
Ryuta Iida (Japanese: 飯田 龍太, Hepburn: Iida Ryūta; July 10, 1920 – February 25, 2007) was a haiku poet from Yamanashi…Ryuta Iida (Japanese: 飯田 龍太, Hepburn: Iida Ryūta; July 10, 1920 – February 25, 2007) was a haiku poet from Yamanashi Prefecture, the son of the haiku poet Dakotsu Iida.
Kin’ichi Sawaki (Japanese: 沢木 欣一; October 6, 1919 – November 5, 2001) was a Japanese haiku poet and essayist. Sawaki…Kin’ichi Sawaki (Japanese: 沢木 欣一; October 6, 1919 – November 5, 2001) was a Japanese haiku poet and essayist. Sawaki was born in Toyama. Since his father worked as a teacher in Korea, he spent his childhood in Korea until he graduated from junior high school. He studied at the University of Tokyo. In 1946, he founded the magazine Kaze ("Wind"). He advocated for the idea of "social haiku" in the magazine. In 1966, he was appointed Professor at the Tokyo University of the Arts. From 1987 to 1993, he was president of the Association of Haiku Poets. In 1993, he was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd class. He also won the Dakotsu Prize in 1996. He was married to the poet Ayako Hosomi.
Tōta Kaneko (金子 兜太, Kaneko Tōta), (September 23, 1919 – February 20, 2018) was a Japanese writer. Kaneko was born in…Tōta Kaneko (金子 兜太, Kaneko Tōta), (September 23, 1919 – February 20, 2018) was a Japanese writer. Kaneko was born in Chichibu. He studied at the University of Tokyo and worked for the Bank of Japan. Kaneko died in Kumagaya on February 20, 2018, of Acute respiratory distress syndrome in Kumagaya, Saitama at the age of 98.
Sumio Mori (森 澄雄, Mori Sumio; 28 February 1919 in Nagasaki – 18 August 2010 in Tokyo) was a Japanese poet noted for…Sumio Mori (森 澄雄, Mori Sumio; 28 February 1919 in Nagasaki – 18 August 2010 in Tokyo) was a Japanese poet noted for haiku. He had an interest in the haikai tradition of pre-modern times. He won the Yomiuri Prize for poetry in 1977 and the Dakotsu Prize in 1987.
Motoyoshi Shimizu (清水 基吉, Shimizu Motoyoshi; August 31, 1918 – March 30, 2008) was the pen name of a Japanese novelist…Motoyoshi Shimizu (清水 基吉, Shimizu Motoyoshi; August 31, 1918 – March 30, 2008) was the pen name of a Japanese novelist and poet, active during the Shōwa and Heisei periods of Japan. His real name was Shimizu Motoyoshi (清水基嘉), pronounced the same, but written in different kanji.
Genyoshi Kadokawa (Japanese: 角川 源義, 9 October 1917 – 27 October 1975) was a Japanese businessman who was the founder of…Genyoshi Kadokawa (Japanese: 角川 源義, 9 October 1917 – 27 October 1975) was a Japanese businessman who was the founder of Kadokawa Shoten. Several academic prizes have been named in his honor.
Yūji Kinoshita (木下夕爾, Kinoshita Yūji; 27 October 1914 – 4 August 1965) was a Japanese poet, a member of the group…Yūji Kinoshita (木下夕爾, Kinoshita Yūji; 27 October 1914 – 4 August 1965) was a Japanese poet, a member of the group associated with the journal Shiki, and famous during his lifetime for his pastoral poetry. Many of his haiku appear in English-language anthologies. He was born the second son of Tsuneichi Kinoshita in Miyuki, a village in the eastern part of Hiroshima Prefecture. On 22 July 1920, his father was killed at work; on 3 August 1922, his mother married Tsuneichi's brother, Itsu, a pharmacist. In 1932, Kinoshita began studying French literature at Waseda in Tokyo, but he was forced to switch to pharmacology in Nagoya in order to continue the family business, when his elder brother became a doctor. This unwelcome career change was cemented by the death on 15 September 1935 of his stepfather. Kinoshita disliked working as a pharmacist and is described by his family as a distant man who frequently undercharged his clients for the medicine he provided. He spent all of his spare time on his poems, of which 400 survive. They were published in ten collections. In July 1965, he wrote his last poem, "Gone So Long", commissioned by a newspaper for the 20th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. He died a month later of colon cancer. His complete works were published in November of the same year. He was the winner of the Yomiuri Prize in 1966.
Ishida Hakyō (石田波郷; March 18, 1913 – November 21, 1969) was a Japanese haiku poet. Ishida Hakyō was born on March 18…Ishida Hakyō (石田波郷; March 18, 1913 – November 21, 1969) was a Japanese haiku poet. Ishida Hakyō was born on March 18, 1913, in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture. He attended Matsyama Middle School, where numerous haiku poets and other authors had been educated, and was publishing his own haiku in local newspapers as early as fourth grade. Ishida was profoundly influenced by Katsushika (1930), the haiku collection by Shūōshi Mizuhara. He moved to Tokyo and began contributing to Shūōshi's publication, Ashibi ("Staggerbush"), eventually becoming an editor at the magazine. He also began studying literature at Meiji University. In 1935, at the age of 22, he published his first haiku collection, Ishida Hakyō kushū. While still contributing to Ashibi, in 1937 he became the founding editor of his own journal, Tsuru ("Crane"). Eventually, he broke with the Ashibi group and joined the Nihon Bungaku Hokokukai ("Patrotic Association for Japanese Literature"). Ishida was drafted in 1943 into the Japanese Army and served in a carrier pigeon unit in northern China. His service only lasted a few months until he contracted pleurisy and was discharged. Ishida suffered serious illness the rest of his life. After the war was no easier for Ishida and his family, as they were forced to live in a shack in the ruins of Tokyo. He wrote a number of poems describing postwar desolation. Ishida had two major operations and was hospitalized from 1948 to 1950 and published a collection of five hundred haiku called Shakumyō ("Clinging to Life") about his experience. Ishida is often grouped with fellow haiku poets Nakamura Kusatao and Katō Shūson as part of a humanist approach to poetry referred to as ningen tankyūha (人間探求派). Ishida eventually published seven volumes of haiku. He was awarded the Yomiuri Prize in 1954. Ishida Hakyō died on 21 November 1969.
Chūya Nakahara (中原 中也, Nakahara Chūya; 29 April 1907 – 22 October 1937), born Chūya Kashimura (柏村 中也, Kashimura Chūya)…Chūya Nakahara (中原 中也, Nakahara Chūya; 29 April 1907 – 22 October 1937), born Chūya Kashimura (柏村 中也, Kashimura Chūya), was a Japanese poet active during the early Shōwa period. Originally shaped by Dada and other forms of European (mainly French) experimental poetry, he was one of the leading renovators of Japanese poetry. Although he died at the young age of 30, he wrote more than 350 poems throughout his life. Many called him the "Japanese Rimbaud" for his affinities with the French poet whose poems he translated in 1934.
Ayako Hosomi (Japanese: 細見綾子; March 31, 1907 – September 6, 1997) was a Japanese haiku poet and publisher. Her haiku…Ayako Hosomi (Japanese: 細見綾子; March 31, 1907 – September 6, 1997) was a Japanese haiku poet and publisher. Her haiku collections during her lifetime amounted to ten volumes. Hosomi was born in Aogaki, Hyōgo. Her father was mayor of the town. In 1923, she enrolled in the Department of Japanese Literature at Japan Women's University. Hosomi married the poet Kin'ichi Sawaki in 1947. She gave birth to her first child in 1951 at the age of 44. Hosomi was a member of the Modern Haiku Association. She was awarded the Dakotsu Prize in 1979 and the Order of the Sacred Treasure, 4th class, in 1981.
Tomojirō Ikenouchi (池内 友次郎, Ikenouchi Tomojirō; October 21, 1906 – March 9, 1991) was a Japanese composer of…Tomojirō Ikenouchi (池内 友次郎, Ikenouchi Tomojirō; October 21, 1906 – March 9, 1991) was a Japanese composer of contemporary classical music and professor.
Tomoji Ishizuka (石塚 友二; 20 September 1906 – 8 February 1984), known by his pen name written in different kanji (石塚 友二)…Tomoji Ishizuka (石塚 友二; 20 September 1906 – 8 February 1984), known by his pen name written in different kanji (石塚 友二), was a Japanese haiku poet and novelist active during the Shōwa era.
Tatsuko Hoshino (星野 立子, Hoshino Tatsuko; 15 November 1903 – 3 March 1984) was a Japanese haiku poet active in Shōwa…Tatsuko Hoshino (星野 立子, Hoshino Tatsuko; 15 November 1903 – 3 March 1984) was a Japanese haiku poet active in Shōwa period Japan.
Kiyoo Wadati (和達 清夫, Wadachi Kiyoo; September 8, 1902 – January 5, 1995) was an early seismologist at the Central…Kiyoo Wadati (和達 清夫, Wadachi Kiyoo; September 8, 1902 – January 5, 1995) was an early seismologist at the Central Meteorological Observatory of Japan (now known as the Japan Meteorological Agency), researching deep (subduction zone) earthquakes. His name is attached to the Wadati–Benioff zone. It was Wadati's 1928 paper on shallow and deep earthquakes, comparing maximum below surface displacement against distance from the epicentre, which led Charles Richter to develop his earthquake magnitude scale in 1935.
Heinosuke Gosho (五所平之助, Gosho Heinosuke; 24 January 1902 – 1 May 1981) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter…Heinosuke Gosho (五所平之助, Gosho Heinosuke; 24 January 1902 – 1 May 1981) was a Japanese film director and screenwriter who directed Japan's first successful sound film, The Neighbor's Wife and Mine, in 1931. His films are mostly associated with the shōshimin-eiga (lit. "common people drama") genre. Among his most noted works are Where Chimneys Are Seen, An Inn at Osaka, Takekurabe and Yellow Crow.
Nakamura Kusatao (中村 草田男; July 27, 1901 – August 5, 1983) was a Japanese haiku poet. Nakamura was born on July 27…Nakamura Kusatao (中村 草田男; July 27, 1901 – August 5, 1983) was a Japanese haiku poet. Nakamura was born on July 27, 1901, in Amoy, Fujian Province, China, the son of a Japanese diplomat. A few years later his mother brought him to Japan, where he was educated in various schools in Matsuyama and Tokyo. One of those schools was Seinan Elementary School (港区立青南小学校) in Tokyo. When returning to that school twenty years later, he wrote perhaps his most famous haiku, reflecting on the falling snow and the passing of the Meiji era: In 1977, the haiku was inscribed on a stone monument at the school unveiled by Nakamura. In 1925, he attended Tokyo University to study German literature, compelled by the works of Nietzsche, Hölderlin, Chekhov, Dostoevsky, and Strindberg. Following his father's death, he suffered a nervous breakdown in 1927 and turned to poetry, particularly the tanka of Saitō Mokichi. Eventually, he returned to Tokyo University, changing his major to Japanese literature and writing his bachelor's thesis on the poet Shiki Masakoa. He finally graduated in 1933. Following graduation, he taught at the Seiki Gakuen until 1967. At Tokyo University, he joined the Tokyo University Haiku Society. In 1929, he met Kyoshi Takahama, the doyen of the conservative haiku school centered on the magazine Hototogisu. He joined the school and met other leading poets like Takashi Matsumoto and Kawabata Bōsha. He submitted haiku to Hototogisu and published his first collection, Chōshi (長子; "The Eldest Son"), in 1936. Like many other poets, he eventually broke with Hototogisu and started his own magazine, Banryoku (萬緑; "Myriad Green Leaves"), in 1946. He was the first president of the Association of Haiku Poets. Nakamura was a leading figure in a humanist approach to poetry referred to as ningen tankyūha (人間探求派). His verse was also noted for its ambiguity and obscurity. He went on to write over a half dozen haiku collections, several volumes of essays and criticism, and short stories he referred to as märchen.
Sōjō Hino (日野 草城; July 18, 1901 – January 29, 1956) was a Japanese poet. His haiku involved subjects then considered…Sōjō Hino (日野 草城; July 18, 1901 – January 29, 1956) was a Japanese poet. His haiku involved subjects then considered controversial for the form, including erotic sexuality, fictionalized scenarios, and mundane topics outside of nature.
Kaijin Akashi (Japanese: 明石 海人) was the pen name of Shōtarō Noda (野田勝太郎, 5 July 1901 – 9 June 1939), a Japanese poet…Kaijin Akashi (Japanese: 明石 海人) was the pen name of Shōtarō Noda (野田勝太郎, 5 July 1901 – 9 June 1939), a Japanese poet whose writing was inspired by his diagnosis of leprosy and confinement to a leper colony.
Iboshi Hokuto (違星 北斗; 1901 – January 26, 1929) was a Japanese Ainu waka poet and social activist. He devoted his life…Iboshi Hokuto (違星 北斗; 1901 – January 26, 1929) was a Japanese Ainu waka poet and social activist. He devoted his life to improving the standing of the Ainu people, expressing his ideas as tanka in newspapers and magazines and influencing the Ainu youth of the time. He also circulated around the Ainu kotan (villages) of Hokkaido, preaching of the need for unity and the formation of an Ainu identity. Along with Yaeko Batchelor and Takeichi Moritake, Iboshi is counted as one of the "Three Great Ainu Poets" (アイヌ三大歌人). He has been called the "Takuboku of the Ainu".
Teijo Nakamura (中村 汀女, なかむら ていじょ, April 11, 1900 – Sept. 20, 1988) was the pen name of Japanese haiku poet Hamako Saitō…Teijo Nakamura (中村 汀女, なかむら ていじょ, April 11, 1900 – Sept. 20, 1988) was the pen name of Japanese haiku poet Hamako Saitō (斎藤 破魔子, さいとう はまこ). She was a prolific poet and one of the founding leaders of the women's haiku circle at Hototogisu, and is credited with championing women's inclusion in the world of haiku. Alongside three of the other members of her literary circle, Teijo's work is considered to typify women's haiku of the Showa period.
Mitsuhashi Takajo or Takajo Mitsuhashi (三橋 鷹女; born Fumiko Matsuhashi (三橋 たか) near Narita, Chiba on 24 January 1899…Mitsuhashi Takajo or Takajo Mitsuhashi (三橋 鷹女; born Fumiko Matsuhashi (三橋 たか) near Narita, Chiba on 24 January 1899; died 7 April 1972) was a haiku poet of the Shōwa period.
Riichi Yokomitsu (横光 利一, Yokomitsu Riichi; 17 March 1898 – 30 December 1947) was an experimental, modernist Japanese…Riichi Yokomitsu (横光 利一, Yokomitsu Riichi; 17 March 1898 – 30 December 1947) was an experimental, modernist Japanese writer. Yokomitsu began publishing in dōjinshi such as Machi ("Street") and Tō ("Tower") after entering Waseda University in 1916. In 1923, he published Nichirin ("The Sun"), Hae ("A Fly") and more in the magazine Bungeishunjū, which made his name popular. The following year he started the magazine Bungei-Jidai with Yasunari Kawabata and others. Yokomitsu and others involved in Bungei-Jidai were known collectively as the Shinkankakuha, or the New Sensation School, with a particular interest in sensation and scientific objectivity.
Hisako Yoneyama (Japanese: 米山久; 17 January 1897 – 9 February 1981) was a Japanese poet, activist and politician. She…Hisako Yoneyama (Japanese: 米山久; 17 January 1897 – 9 February 1981) was a Japanese poet, activist and politician. She was one of the first group of women elected to the House of Representatives in 1946.
Kanpū Ōmata (大亦 観風, Ōmata Kanpū; 9 September 1894 – 22 October 1947) was the pseudonym of Japanese Shōwa period painter…Kanpū Ōmata (大亦 観風, Ōmata Kanpū; 9 September 1894 – 22 October 1947) was the pseudonym of Japanese Shōwa period painter and Waka poet, Omata Shinjirō.
Masajirō Kojima (小島 政二郎, Kojima Masajirō; January 31, 1894 – March 24, 1994) was a Japanese novelist active in Shōwa…Masajirō Kojima (小島 政二郎, Kojima Masajirō; January 31, 1894 – March 24, 1994) was a Japanese novelist active in Shōwa period Japan.
Shūōshi Mizuhara (水原秋桜子; October 9, 1892 – 1981) was a Japanese haiku poet and physician. Shūōshi Mizuhara was born on…Shūōshi Mizuhara (水原秋桜子; October 9, 1892 – 1981) was a Japanese haiku poet and physician. Shūōshi Mizuhara was born on October 9, 1892, in Tokyo. Shūōshi's father was a doctor and raised Shūōshi to follow in his footsteps, eventually taking over his medical practice. Shūōshi graduated with an MD from Tokyo University in 1926, specializing in obstetrics and gynaecology. He became a professor at Showa Medical College in 1928 and was appointed medical advisor for the Ministry of the Imperial Household in 1932. Following World War II, Shūōshi gave up his medical practice to focus on poetry. Shūōshi's father unsuccessfully attempted to discourage his son's interest in literature. Shūōshi first became interested in tanka and only later turned to haiku. He was initially attached to Shibukaki school of haiku led by Tōyōjō Matsune, but, profoundly influenced by Kyoshi Takahama's manifesto Susumubeki haiku no michi ("The Path on Which Haiku Must Advance"), he soon joined the Hototogisu school and was prominently featured in the magazine. He increasingly grew dissatisfied with what he saw as the restrictive conservative principles of the Hototogisu group. He published his first haiku collection, Katsushika, in 1930 to a tepid response from Kyoshi. The volume is now recognized by critics as a key work in the modernization of haiku. The next year, he wrote a romantic manifesto that served as his exit from Hototogisu, "Truth in Nature and Truth in Literature", where he wrote: If the whole aim of haiku writing were to grasp 'truth in nature,' the poet would need no assiduous study to gain new knowledge, no constant endeavour to enrich his mind. All he would have to do would be to roam about with a notebook in his pocket, following the shadow of a cloud. He and his followers had their own publication, Ashibi ("Staggerbush"), a rebranding of a magazine called Hamayumi.
Daigaku Horiguchi (堀口 大学; 8 January 1892 – 15 March 1981) was a poet and translator of French literature in Taishō and…Daigaku Horiguchi (堀口 大学; 8 January 1892 – 15 March 1981) was a poet and translator of French literature in Taishō and Shōwa period Japan. He is credited with introducing French surrealism to Japanese poetry, and to translating the works of over 66 French authors into Japanese.
Masao Kume (久米 正雄, Kume Masao; 23 November 1891 – 1 March 1952) was a Japanese popular playwright, novelist and haiku…Masao Kume (久米 正雄, Kume Masao; 23 November 1891 – 1 March 1952) was a Japanese popular playwright, novelist and haiku poet (under the pen-name of Santei) active during the late Taishō and early Shōwa periods of Japan. His wife and the wife of Nagai Tatsuo were sisters, making them brothers-in-law.
Hisajo Sugita (杉田 久女, Sugita Hisajo; May 30, 1890 – January 21, 1946) was a Japanese poet specializing in haiku.…Hisajo Sugita (杉田 久女, Sugita Hisajo; May 30, 1890 – January 21, 1946) was a Japanese poet specializing in haiku. Alongside Kana Hasegawa and Shizunojo Takeshita, she was one of the first women to produce modern haiku. She is held as an equal to her male contemporaries, and her work is known for its gorgeous phrasing. She had a difficult home life and a turbulent relationship with her mentor, the poet Kyoshi Takahama. Her tragic life often became the source material for her work.
