Kyoshi Takahama
Encyclopedia
was a Japanese
poet
active during the Shōwa period
of Japan
. His real name was ; Kyoshi was a pen name
. He was one of the closest disciples of Masaoka Shiki
.
, Ehime Prefecture
; his father, Ikenouchi Masatada, was a former samurai
. At age nine he inherited from his grandmother's family, and took her surname of Takahama. He became acquainted with Masaoka Shiki via a classmate (Kawahigashi Hekigoto), and it was Masaoka Shiki who gave him the pen-name of Kyoshi.
Ignoring Masaoka's advice, he quit school in 1894, and went to Tokyo
to study Edo period
Japanese literature
. In 1895, he enrolled in the Tokyo Senmon Gakko (present-day Waseda University
), but soon left the university for a job as an editor and literary criticism for the literary magazine
Nihonjin. While working, he also submitted variants on haiku
poetry, experimenting with irregular numbers of syllables. He married in 1897.
, which had been previously edited by Masaoka Shiki, and moved the headquarters of the magazine from Matsuyama to Tokyo. In Hototogisu, he kept with the traditional style of haiku, as opposed to the new trend having been developed in the Hekigo school. Takahama attached importance to the symbolic function of the kigo (season word), and he tried to exclude the more modern trend towards season-less haiku completely. While editing Hototogisu, he also expanded its scope to include waka poems
and prose, so that it became a general literary magazine. This was where Natsume Sōseki
's Wagahai wa Neko de aru ("I Am a Cat
") was first published, and Takahama contributed his own verses and short stories. These stories were collected into an anthology Keito ("Cockscomb", 1908), with a foreword by Natsume Sōseki, who described the contents as "leisurely tales".
In 1908, Takahama began a full length novel, Haikaishi ("The Haiku Master"), which appeared in newspapers in serialized form. This was followed by Bonjin ("An Ordinary Person", 1909), and Chōsen ("Korea", 1912).
After 1912, he renewed his interest in haiku, and published a commentary on haiku composition, Susumubeki haiku no michi ("The Path Haiku Ought to Take", 1915–1917). However, he continued to write short stories, edit Hototogisu, and wrote another novel, Futatsu Kaki ("Two Persimmons", 1915). In addition, he began to show an interest in traditional Noh
theatre, writing some new plays himself.
Takahama wrote 40,000 to 50,000 haiku in his lifetime, which appeared in anthologies such as Kyoshi Kushu and Gohyaku Ku. His major postwar novel was Niji ("Rainbow", 1947).
In 1954, he was awarded the Order of Culture
by the Japanese government. As editor of Hototogisu, Takahama was instrumental in bringing many new writers and poets into the literary world, including Mizuhara Shuoshi, Yamaguchi Seishi and Takano Suju. He also encouraged his second daughter Hoshino Tatsuko to publish her own haiku magazine, Tamamo.
Takahama moved to Kamakura
in 1910 for his children's health and a fresh start for himself, and lived there for nearly 50 years until his death. His grave is at the temple of Jufuku-ji
in Kamakura. He was posthumously awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure
, 1st class, by the Japanese government.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
poet
Japanese poetry
Japanese poets first encountered Chinese poetry during the Tang Dynasty. It took them several hundred years to digest the foreign impact, make it a part of their culture and merge it with their literary tradition in their mother tongue, and begin to develop the diversity of their native poetry. For...
active during the Shōwa period
Showa period
The , or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989.The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. His real name was ; Kyoshi was a pen name
Pen name
A pen name, nom de plume, or literary double, is a pseudonym adopted by an author. A pen name may be used to make the author's name more distinctive, to disguise his or her gender, to distance an author from some or all of his or her works, to protect the author from retribution for his or her...
. He was one of the closest disciples of Masaoka Shiki
Masaoka Shiki
, pen-name of Masaoka Noboru , was a Japanese poet, author, and literary critic in Meiji period Japan. Shiki is regarded as a major figure in the development of modern haiku poetry...
.
Early life
Takahama was born in what is now the city of MatsuyamaMatsuyama, Ehime
is the capital city of Ehime Prefecture on the Shikoku island of Japan. It is located on the northeastern portion of the Dōgo Plain. Its name means "pine mountain." The city was founded on December 15, 1889....
, Ehime Prefecture
Ehime Prefecture
is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
; his father, Ikenouchi Masatada, was a former samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
. At age nine he inherited from his grandmother's family, and took her surname of Takahama. He became acquainted with Masaoka Shiki via a classmate (Kawahigashi Hekigoto), and it was Masaoka Shiki who gave him the pen-name of Kyoshi.
Ignoring Masaoka's advice, he quit school in 1894, and went to Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
to study Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
Japanese literature
Japanese literature
Early works of Japanese literature were heavily influenced by cultural contact with China and Chinese literature, often written in Classical Chinese. Indian literature also had an influence through the diffusion of Buddhism in Japan...
. In 1895, he enrolled in the Tokyo Senmon Gakko (present-day Waseda University
Waseda University
, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...
), but soon left the university for a job as an editor and literary criticism for the literary magazine
Literary magazine
A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry and essays along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letters...
Nihonjin. While working, he also submitted variants on haiku
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
poetry, experimenting with irregular numbers of syllables. He married in 1897.
Literary career
In 1898, Takahama came to manage the haiku magazine HototogisuHototogisu
Hototogisu may refer to:*Lesser Cuckoo , a bird native to Japan*Hototogisu , a literary magazine*Hototogisu , a 1922 Japanese film*Hototogisu , a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System...
, which had been previously edited by Masaoka Shiki, and moved the headquarters of the magazine from Matsuyama to Tokyo. In Hototogisu, he kept with the traditional style of haiku, as opposed to the new trend having been developed in the Hekigo school. Takahama attached importance to the symbolic function of the kigo (season word), and he tried to exclude the more modern trend towards season-less haiku completely. While editing Hototogisu, he also expanded its scope to include waka poems
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
and prose, so that it became a general literary magazine. This was where Natsume Sōseki
Natsume Soseki
, born ', is widely considered to be the foremost Japanese novelist of the Meiji period . He is best known for his novels Kokoro, Botchan, I Am a Cat and his unfinished work Light and Darkness. He was also a scholar of British literature and composer of haiku, Chinese-style poetry, and fairy tales...
's Wagahai wa Neko de aru ("I Am a Cat
I Am a Cat
is a satirical novel written in 1905–1906 by Natsume Sōseki, about Japanese society during the Meiji Period; particularly, the uneasy mix of Western culture and Japanese traditions, and the aping of Western customs....
") was first published, and Takahama contributed his own verses and short stories. These stories were collected into an anthology Keito ("Cockscomb", 1908), with a foreword by Natsume Sōseki, who described the contents as "leisurely tales".
In 1908, Takahama began a full length novel, Haikaishi ("The Haiku Master"), which appeared in newspapers in serialized form. This was followed by Bonjin ("An Ordinary Person", 1909), and Chōsen ("Korea", 1912).
After 1912, he renewed his interest in haiku, and published a commentary on haiku composition, Susumubeki haiku no michi ("The Path Haiku Ought to Take", 1915–1917). However, he continued to write short stories, edit Hototogisu, and wrote another novel, Futatsu Kaki ("Two Persimmons", 1915). In addition, he began to show an interest in traditional Noh
Noh
, or - derived from the Sino-Japanese word for "skill" or "talent" - is a major form of classical Japanese musical drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Many characters are masked, with men playing male and female roles. Traditionally, a Noh "performance day" lasts all day and...
theatre, writing some new plays himself.
Takahama wrote 40,000 to 50,000 haiku in his lifetime, which appeared in anthologies such as Kyoshi Kushu and Gohyaku Ku. His major postwar novel was Niji ("Rainbow", 1947).
In 1954, he was awarded the Order of Culture
Order of Culture
The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature or culture; recipients of the order also receive an annuity for life...
by the Japanese government. As editor of Hototogisu, Takahama was instrumental in bringing many new writers and poets into the literary world, including Mizuhara Shuoshi, Yamaguchi Seishi and Takano Suju. He also encouraged his second daughter Hoshino Tatsuko to publish her own haiku magazine, Tamamo.
Takahama moved to Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
in 1910 for his children's health and a fresh start for himself, and lived there for nearly 50 years until his death. His grave is at the temple of Jufuku-ji
Jufuku-ji
, usually known as Jufuku-ji, is a temple of the Kenchō-ji branch of the Rinzai sect and the oldest Zen temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. Ranked third among Kamakura's prestigious Five Mountains, it is number 24 among the pilgrimage temples and number 18 of the temples...
in Kamakura. He was posthumously awarded the Order of the Sacred Treasure
Order of the Sacred Treasure
The is a Japanese Order, established on January 4, 1888 by Emperor Meiji of Japan as the Order of Meiji. It is awarded in eight classes . It is generally awarded for long and/or meritorious service and considered to be the lowest of the Japanese orders of merit...
, 1st class, by the Japanese government.