Five, Seven, Five
My home town of Ayr isn’t known for much, although, over the years, we’ve had one or two famous denizens. The bloke who invented tarmac, for one; a tan-and-white for another. By far and away the most famous, though, is Robert Burns, Scotland’s national poet. Ring any bells? Maybe not, but if nothing else, he was responsible for the New Year dirge that is – you know that at least, right?
Because the Bard of Ayrshire grew up in our town, all kids must memorise at least one poem, then in an excruciating few minutes, recite it in front of their classmates. You never forget your poem: mine was A Red, Red Rose, the duration of which I spent avoiding eye-contact with a girl who I loved. I was nine-years old and already a sap.
Anyway, the kids of Matsuyama know we Ayrians pain: owing to the town’s long haiku heritage, they must compose and recite their own poem, which may or may not be more difficult than trying to memorise . For the Japanese kids, there is the not-inconsiderable challenge of sticking to the rigid haiku format: five, then seven, then five syllables.
The poets hailing from here – most notably the master Masaoka Shiki – plied their trade long after the godfather of haiku Matsuo Basho was going on his long wanderings, but the Matsuyama men left a huge legacy of their own. Shiki is credited with almost single-handedly inspiring a haiku revival, modernising the old form with what he called “shasei” – a sketch of life.
Today, the city in northern Ehime is littered with haiku stone posts, recounting some of Shiki and chums’ best verses. There’s an international contest for the world’s haiku lovers held here too. All-in-all, it’s much more than kids grudgingly learning the basics.
We took as much of it in as we could, but in truth, all day our minds were wandering, writing our own haikus. As you can see from the following examples, it’s a form that’s probably better suited to the Japanese language…
Intro
It’s day sixty-four
Tonight’s blog is on haiku
So like it, or else…
Breakfast
Smells like nutty cheese
Looks utterly disgusting
Bleugh! Stinky natto!
The Second Season
No cherry blossom
Will we see on this visit
Maybe the next time
Infant
Coconut baby,
Why the shock of spiky hair?
Electricity?
Onsen
Locals can relax
With strangers wearing no clothes
But not me, not yet
The Third Season
Dragonflies in flight
An ocean of trees on fire
Yes – this is autumn!
A Train
Vacant seat near me
But folk stay away, staring
At my sad blue eyes
A Welcome Distraction
Fair Matsuyama
Bold castle on a high hill
With boobs on its doors
Trivia
It looks so familiar…
Spirited Away!
Onward
Now only one third
Of our long journey remains
It’s gone too quickly
Think you can do better? (And let’s face it, you probably can) Then leave your own haiku as a comment below!
Our time in Ehime prefecture was made possible by:
Akiko Tokura and Shinya Toriu, of the Imabari City International Exchange Association for taking the time to show us around sunny Imabari and for kindly arranging our bikes, then taking us to see the sun set over the stunning bay in the Inland Sea.
The Sunrise Itoyama, a hotel, restaurant and bike station at the start of the brilliant 70km track to Hiroshima. Whatever reason you’re there, the views are quite simply some of the best in the country.
The three musketeers that are Kazuo Ito, Yoshihiro Kashii and Yoko Tsukamoto of the The Federation of Academic Interpreters and Sightseeing Guides, who guided and translated for us around Matsuyama. They took us around all the best haiku spots, the fantastic castle and even the government office for a meeting with the vice mayor.
The enormous hotel/ryokan Tsubaki Kan, which has a great onsen of its own, but is also just around the corner from the famous Dogo onsen, thought to be the oldest in Japan.
私の故郷、エアシャーで有名なものと言えば、タールマカダムと、茶色と白のまだらの牛ぐらいなものだ。そして最も有名なのはスコットランドの国民的詩人であるロバート・バーンズだろう。皆さんご存じだろうか?彼は大晦日に歌われる、スコットランドの非公式な準国歌である『オールド・ラング・サイン』(日本では“蛍の光”として知られる)の作詞家である。ここまで言えばお分かりになられる方もいるだろうか・・・。
“エアシャーの詩人”と呼ばれる彼が育ったのはまさに私の生まれ育った街だったので、私が子供の頃は彼の詩を必ず一つは覚えなければならなかった。暗記した詩をクラスの皆の前で発表するというのが慣習だった。そしてそうやって覚えた詩はいまだに覚えているものである。私が暗記したものは“A Red, Red Rose”という詩で、当時9歳だった私はその詩を暗唱する時、好きな女の子の顔を見る事ができなかった事も良く覚えている。照れ屋だったのだ・・・。
ここ松山で育った人なら、エアシャーの子供たちの苦しみを理解してもらえると思う。自分の街に著名な俳人がいるこの街の子供達は、それが18世紀のスコットランド特有の訛りのある詩を覚えるより大変かは分からないが、その俳人の作品を覚えさせられたに違いないからだ。でも俳句が5-7-5である事を考えれば、暗記する事はあまり難しい事なのではないかもしれない・・・。
松山出身の最も有名な俳人と言えば正岡子規である。彼は『奥の細道』で知られる俳句の第一人者、松尾芭蕉の詩情を汲みながらも、“写生”という新たな詩情で古い形式を近代化し、独自の世界を確立していったのだ。
今日、ここ愛媛県の北にある松山で、子規の句碑を訪れた。そこでは世界中の俳人を対象に俳句の世界大会も行われているらしい。どうやらここ松山における“俳句”は、私が育った街のように“国語の宿題”レベルのものではないようだ・・・。
今日、数多くの俳句に触れさせてもらったが、正直、“自分ならどんな俳句を作るか”で頭がいっぱいだった。ということで・・・今日はそのうちいくつかを披露させてもらう。(原文の面白さを残すため、意訳になっているものも多々ありますのでご了承ください)
序章
旅を初めて64日
今日のブログは俳句について
さてさてどうなることやら・・・
朝食
チーズのように香り高く
でも食欲をなくすその見た目
あー恐ろしき日本の悪魔・納豆
第二の季節
美しき桜
でも今回の旅で見る事はできない
次の機会のお楽しみ
赤ちゃん
ココナッツ・ベイビー
なぜかみんなおそろいの
キュートな“ひとひとぴっちゃん”スタイル
温泉
温泉でリラックス
赤の他人と裸の付き合い
そうなるまでには長い道のり
第三の季節
赤とんぼ
真っ赤な紅葉の大海原
そう、今は秋
電車
私のとなりに空いている席
誰も座らない
誰も近寄らない
お出迎え
美しい松山
丘の上には松山城
ドアには飾りはとってもセクシー
マメ知識
有名な温泉
どこかでみた事があるような・・・
そうだ“ 千と千尋の神隠し”
その先へ
100日の任務も
あと3分の1
早いものだ・・・
もし“我こそは!”と思われる方は、是非ご自分の俳句をコメントのスペースへ!
愛媛県の滞在でお世話になった皆様
今治市国際交流協会の藤倉さんと鳥生さん。最高のお天気に恵まれた今治でいろいろな場所をご案内下さいました。ありがとうございました。そしてサイクリングで瀬戸内海の美しさを見せて下さいました。本当にお世話になりありがとうございました。
四国観光通訳者連盟の伊藤和夫さん、柏井義弘さん、そして塚本葉子さん、松山では本当にお世話になりありがとうございました。俳句の歴史や美しい松山城、そして副市長におめにかかる機会もアレンジして下さいました。本当にありがとうございました。
道後温泉の『椿館』さん、素晴らしい滞在をありがとうございました。
とても快適な時間を過ごさせていただく事ができました。本当にありがとうございました。
9 Comments
Eunice
November 17, 2011Love the natto pic and the accompanying haiku!
Joe Lafferty
November 17, 2011Favourite must be “A Welcome Distraction”. From Mother Earth’s peaks to Mother Nature’s peaks in three lines!
Eric
November 18, 2011This isn’t meant to be a Haiku but still, I hope you’ll like it…
Not as long as Basho…
And not as strong as Sumo
Not as wise as Buddha…
And not as fast as Honda
Yet, Travel Volunteer’s dedication…
Really deserves our admiration!
Katy & Jamie
November 18, 2011Eric, We are strong!
Maybe we should challenge you
To a Sumo match…
Taro Aonami
November 19, 2011Thank you for a lot of good haiku and photos. As to photos, I like that of an infant. Very cute with a spiky hair. It’s now a good season of autum in Japan. I recommend both Katy and Jamie eat persimmon, one of delicious fruit in this season. But,it must be a fuyu-gaki,while there are many types.
When I bite into a persimmon,
A temple bell rings,
At Horyu-ji Temple
This is a haiku composed by Masaoka Shiki in 1885, on his way back to Tokyo from Matsuyama, his home town, at Horyu-ji Tempme in Nara, which was established by
Prince Shotoku.
Eating persimmon, you could become great disciples of Shiki.
Yoshi Kashiwai
November 23, 2011Hi, Katy and Jamie.
Are you enjoying Kyushu ?
I am Yoshi who guided you around Matsuyama Castle.
As regard to haiku, I would like to add one piece of haiku composed by Shiki.
The haiku is inscribed on the stone tablet in the castle hill.
It reads as follows in Japanese:
松山や
秋より高き
天守閣
It means in English:
Matsuyam, my home
higher than the autumn sky
rises the Castle Tower
Shiki always carried the Matsuyam Castle’s photo on him. On the back of the photo this haiku was written.
Thank you.
Have a nice trip !
Yoko Tsukamoto
November 28, 2011Hi, Katy and Jamie. I am Yoko in Matsuyama. So far, I have been enjoying your essays and pictures very much. I was impressed that both of you worked very hard on the mission in spite of an exhausting itinerary. In Japanese, there is an idiom that says 「一期一会」“ichigo-ichie”. It means “treasure every encounter, for it will never recur”. This phrase was formed from the philosophy of tea ceremony. I think both of you understand this way of thinking from the outset, although it might be regarded as peculiar to Japanese. Your sincere passion enables to capture real Japan through words and images.
I like your haiku because they show your joy and excitement while traveling. Besides haiku, there is a form of poem called “senryu”「川柳」. It is a satirical seventeen- syllable poem or funny haiku in a sense. It is also very popular in Japan, and I am sure you will like it. Please check it up.
I made haiku for the first time in English and it is simply for you.
Brocade of autumnal leaves
How many could you weave
Through the lens
The harvest season
No bound to relish
So eat and eat and eat
Now the chill comes from the ground
Hope wayfarers will pull around
Please enjoy your rest of the days in Japan!
Katy & Jamie
December 1, 2011Thanks for all your kind comments – and especially for the poem
Rod Walters
October 1, 2012It’s great to see how Ehime’s haiku culture keeps renewing itself.
The natto photo is excellent. It looks delicious with the negi onions…