[For seniors] Classic spring kigo: beautiful words that evoke the season

cherry blossomNEW!

Haiku of cherry blossoms

There are various theories, but it is said that wild species of cherry trees have existed in Japan since ancient times.

Representative wild species include Yamazakura and Oshima-zakura.

It’s understandable that something like a “sakura culture” runs through the DNA of the Japanese people, who have been gazing at blossoms blooming in spring for nearly 2,000 years.

Of course, in the world of haiku it is also one of the most frequently used seasonal words, and Matsuo Bashō’s famous line “Samasama no koto omoidasu sakura kana” (“Cherry blossoms that bring to mind all manner of things”) appears in many textbooks.

There are so many sakura-related seasonal words—such as hana no en (flower banquet), hanagoromo (flower robes), hana-zukare (flower weariness), yozakura (cherry blossoms at night), and hanami-bune (flower-viewing boats)—that they can’t all be listed here.

When composing a haiku, it’s better to avoid making the scenery overly grand.

plumNEW!

[Haiku Stroll • No. 164] Plum [White Plum]—a spring season word: A shark 🦈 in the garden where white plums bloom⁉️

I’ve heard that in Wakayama Prefecture, famous for its umeboshi, people feel the arrival of spring more from plum blossoms than from cherry blossoms.

Plum gardens open everywhere, and events and festivals related to plums are held throughout the region.

Plum blossoms can begin as early as late January.

Aransetsu’s haiku “Ume ichirin ichirin hodo no atatakasa” (One plum blossom—just about that much warmth) is so well-known it could be called the most famous plum-blossom haiku.

Of course, when you go out to view the plum blossoms, you’ll want to casually recite it.

By the way, despite containing the character for “plum,” both “sōbai” (early plum) and “kanbai” (winter plum) are winter season words, so don’t mix them up.

spring has come; the water grows warmNEW!

Haiku and the seasonal word “mizu nurumu” [spring seasonal word]

With the warm spring sunshine, the waters of rivers and lakes have begun to soften, and as a result, aquatic life such as fish and water plants has become more active.

“Mizu nurumu” (the water grows warm) is one of the truly springlike season words that directly tells us of spring’s arrival.

Ujō Busseki’s “Before I even noticed, the tap water, too, is warm” is an excellent verse that even those not especially interested in haiku can relate to.

And Seiton Yamaguchi’s “The bottom is visible, and nothing crawls there—water warming” is a line that quietly lets one feel the stillness of the haiku world.

There are many famous verses using this word, so I hope you’ll face this season word as a challenger.

Hinamatsuri (Doll Festival / Girls’ Day)NEW!

In the Heian period, aristocrats’ children played house with dolls in a pastime called hiina-asobi.

Over many centuries, this is said to have developed into today’s Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day).

The hina dolls, which were originally set afloat on rivers, also came to be displayed as they are today starting around the Edo period, when they developed into craftworks.

Hoshino Tatsuko’s poem, “While arranging the hina dolls, I am suddenly loath to part with life,” is a verse that truly captures the delicate sensibilities characteristic of a female haiku poet.

Another fine, everyday-life-infused poem by a woman haiku poet is Kaga Chiyo’s: “Preparations for the meager lamp—the dolls’ kitchen.”

bush warblerNEW!

The bush warbler, famous as a bird that heralds spring.

Every Japanese person knows its “hoo-hokekyo” song, right? Of course, the bush warbler is a popular seasonal word that appears often in haiku, but it’s also beloved by literary giants: going back to Murasaki Shikibu’s The Tale of Genji and, in modern times, Hori Tatsuo’s The Beautiful Village, it makes its appearance.

In Natsume Sōseki’s Grass Pillow, there’s a scene where the protagonist hears the warbler and muses, “This is what art truly is.” I highly recommend this book to anyone who hasn’t read it yet for its depiction of the warbler’s voice as something that makes you forget the mundane world.