YATSUKA ISHIHARA: RED FUJI edited and translated by Tadashi Kondő & William J. Higginson From Here Press PO. Box 1402 Summit NJ 07902 USA ISBN 0 89120 101 7 $12 [Canada $16; Japan Ą1500] {by post +$2.50; $3; Ą300] visit the website of From Here Press Web design by This page last updated: 11th December 2007. |
YATSUKA ISHIHARA: RED FUJI | |
In the preface to this book we are told Yatsuka's haiku theory is called naikan zőkei, "introspective shaping". He feels that haiku should not be just a sketch of what we experience in the world, but a formative art creating something tangible out of noumenal reality.This is explored futher in Kristen Deming's introduction PORTRAIT OF A HAIKU MASTER. Deming explains the role of the haiku master in Japan, a concept which is somewhat alien to western writers, who tend not to align themselves to a particular school. Now in his 80s, Yatsuka has a tremendous following among his students. The selection of poems, translated by Tadashi Kondő and William J. Higginson fall into three distinct parts — EARLY POEMS (1937-69), MID-CAREER POEMS (1970-81) and RECENT POEMS (1982-94). The translations are followed by the original in Japanese and romanji. They are also accompanied by notes on the kigo, the season word used in each poem. The early poems include such gems as: vomiting blood with parched eyeballs — the scorching sun as a baby carriage passes by the swaying baby's breathwhilst in the middle section we find a bell tolls Venice in a winter shower how many bridges? Place de la Concorde this well-bucket — nightfalland the last haiku in the book is Great Goose Tower on the roof of tiles grasses sproutwhich is a reference to a place in China but could be seen as a metaphor for how students of haiku masters rise by feeding on their masters. Yatsuka is surely one of the greats. | ||
reviewer: Ku. |