Matsuyama and Masaoka Shiki

Matsuyama is an old castle town on the Western side of the Island of Shikoku, where Masaoka Shiki used to live and teach haiku.

The famous novel "Botchan" by Natsume Soseki also takes place in Matsuyama. It is a town full of literature inspirations. And the old hot spring Dogo Onsen is a great place to relax.

Gabi Greve

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"Spring season
reminds me of the capital town of 150,000 goku."

Matsuyama implied in the Shiki's haiku remains as a capital of haiku.

When you walk around in the Matsuyama town, you will find, in many places, haiku monuments and haiku posts at which you can mail a brandnew haiku you have just created. Do you know why? Haiku artists noted in connection with this haiku town are Shiki Masaoka, Kyoshi Takahama, Kusatao Nakamura, Hagyo Ishida, etc. who are very famous.

Soseki Natsume who participated in the haiku parties convened by Shiki, etc. left several haikus such as
"A long day, we pass yawns and depart."

Santoka Taneda, a wandering haiku artist who demonstrated free-style haikus, became a resident of Matsuyama when he got old. In the Isoan house where he lived, you will see a haiku monument showing
"Dirty water becomes clear while flowing."

How about taking a walk in the Matsuyama town along with these haikus. The sky in Matsuyama seen by Shiki and other artists will open before you.

Matsuyama ya akiyori takaki tenshukaku
"Oh Matsuyama,
the castle tower looks higher than the autumn sky."
http://www.infocreate.co.jp/hometown/matsuyam/haiku-e.html

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Touring Haiku Monuments in Matsuyama
松山の句碑

Matsuyama is blessed with mild natural feature and climate, in addition to that, is well known for the oldest hot spring Dogo-spa.
So many of the gratest names in literature and culture visited Matsuyama from old time and a good many Tanka were composed in Manyohshu and other collection of Tanka from ancient time.

Recently, Matsuyama has produced many Haiku Originator, Kyokudoh Yanagihara ,Kyoshi Takahama,Hekigoto Kawahigashi,Kusatao Nakamura,Hakyoh Ishida and so on, under the leadership of Shiki Masaoka, Matsuyama is named "Town of Haiku".

Consequently, we can catch sight of a number of literature monuments and remains that amount to well over 480 in the city. Ehime University Library plans to make the Touring Haiku monuments to refer to "Haiku Country - Matsuyama ".

Tour of Haiku Monuments (Haiku Country - Matsuyama)

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Dogo Onsen,
in the outskirts of Matsuyama, is one of Japan's oldest spa baths, and is characterized by a heavy wooden, late 19th c. public bath house, which is almost like a castle. Inside, the baths come in several classes, the highest consisting of private rooms. The baths themselves, filled with colorless and odourless water, are rather small - even the economy class bath -, so it can get crowded.
Natsume Soseki, in his novel Botchan, has the hero swim around in it, but that seems quite a feat. Anyway, as the bath is invariably overrun by noisy tourists, it is better to head out for the Masaoka Shiki Memorial Museum in Dogo Park for a cultural experience...

松山市立子規記念博物館

http://www.xs4all.nl/~daikoku/haiku/meguri/kuhi-23.htm

ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo ooo

Shiki Masaoka, Masaoka Shiki　正岡子規
the haiku poet, was born in Matsuyama in 1867. He died on September 19,1902.
Shiki is well known in Japan for introducing a new style of haiku, a short poetic form, and for enhancing the arts.

The word Shiki can also mean "The four seasons　四季"　in Japanese.
The seasons are very important in Japanese haiku, so Shiki is an appropriate name for the haiku server.

Shiki's career
Shiki's paintings
Shiki's menu
Shiki's haiku (in Kim's haiku world)
After Basho,Buson & Issa
Gudabutsuan

©　http://haiku.cc.ehime-u.ac.jp/~shiki/sm/sm.html

Read the full article here.

It will be updated regularly

http://haikutopics.blogspot.com/2006/09/matsuyama-and-masaoka-shiki.html

Gabi Greve, September 2006