Sasaki Nobutsuna
Encyclopedia
was a tanka
poet and scholar of the Nara
and Heian
periods of Japanese literature
. He was active during the Shōwa period
of Japan
.
city, Mie prefecture
. His father, Sasaki Hirotsuna, taught him the basics of poetry composition and encouraged him to memorize classical tanka verses. After graduation from the Classics Department of Tokyo Imperial University, he followed his father's wish and decided to devote his life to waka
poetry, both by researching old verses and by composing new verses himself.
called the Chikuhakukai (from his father's pen-name), which published a literary journal, Kokoro no Hana (“Flower of the Heart”) from 1898. Using the journal as a medium, he was able to popularize his own philosophy of waka, publish his research on the history and development of Japanese poetry
, and to nurturing a next generation of poets. Among his many disciples were Kawada Jun
, Kinoshita Rigen
and Katayama Hiroko. The magazine is still in existence today as Japan's oldest poetry monthly.
Although some of his earliest works were influenced by Mori Ōgai
, together with Masaoka Shiki
and Yosano Tekkan, Sasaki took part in a movement to revolutionize tanka and brought out his first collection of tanka Omoigusa (“Grasses of Thoughts”) in 1903. He eventually published an additional eleven collections of tanka, which included Shingetsu (“New Moon”, 1912), Toyohata gumo (“Clouds Streaming in the Wind”, 1929), and Yama to mizu to (“Mountains and Water”, 1951).
In recognition of these efforts, Sasaki was offered the post of lecturer at Tokyo Imperial University in 1905, and was officially commissioned by the Ministry of Education to work on a modern commentary to the Man'yōshū .
Sasaki worked together with his father on these efforts, and published a comprehensive survey of medieval waka (Wakashi no kenkyu, “Studies in Japanese Poetry”, 1915) and a study of the Man'yōshū (“Kohan Man'yōshū”, 1924–1925).
Sasaki relocated from Tokyo
to Kamakura
, Kanagawa prefecture
in 1921, where he lived to his death in 1963. He was awarded the Order of Culture
by the Japanese government in 1963. His grave is at the Tama Reien, in the outskirts of Tokyo.
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
poet and scholar of the Nara
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...
and Heian
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...
periods of 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...
. He was 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...
.
Early life
Sasaki was born in what is now part of SuzukaSuzuka, Mie
is a city located in Mie, Japan.As of 2011, the city has an estimated population of 198,716 and the density of 1,020 people per km². The total area is 194.67 km².Located about 83 km east from Nara, and 52 km southwest from Nagoya.-History:...
city, Mie prefecture
Mie Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....
. His father, Sasaki Hirotsuna, taught him the basics of poetry composition and encouraged him to memorize classical tanka verses. After graduation from the Classics Department of Tokyo Imperial University, he followed his father's wish and decided to devote his life to waka
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
poetry, both by researching old verses and by composing new verses himself.
Literary career
Sasaki founded a literary societyLiterary society
A literary society is a group of people interested in literature. In the modern sense, this refers to a society that wants to promote one genre of literature or a specific writer. Modern literary societies typically promote research about their chosen author or genre, publish newsletters, and hold...
called the Chikuhakukai (from his father's pen-name), which published a literary journal, Kokoro no Hana (“Flower of the Heart”) from 1898. Using the journal as a medium, he was able to popularize his own philosophy of waka, publish his research on the history and development of Japanese poetry
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...
, and to nurturing a next generation of poets. Among his many disciples were Kawada Jun
Kawada Jun
was a Japanese tanka poet and entrepreneur active during the Shōwa period of Japan.-Biography:Kawada was born in the plebian Asakusa district of Tokyo as the third son of noted Chinese literature scholar Kawada Oko. He graduated from the Law School of Tokyo Imperial University with a degree in...
, Kinoshita Rigen
Kinoshita Rigen
Viscount was the pen-name of Japanese author Kinoshita Toshiharu, noted for his tanka poetry, active in Meiji period and Taishō period Japan.-Early life:...
and Katayama Hiroko. The magazine is still in existence today as Japan's oldest poetry monthly.
Although some of his earliest works were influenced by Mori Ōgai
Mori Ogai
was a Japanese physician, translator, novelist and poet. is considered his major work.- Early life :Mori was born as Mori Rintarō in Tsuwano, Iwami province . His family were hereditary physicians to the daimyō of the Tsuwano Domain...
, together with 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...
and Yosano Tekkan, Sasaki took part in a movement to revolutionize tanka and brought out his first collection of tanka Omoigusa (“Grasses of Thoughts”) in 1903. He eventually published an additional eleven collections of tanka, which included Shingetsu (“New Moon”, 1912), Toyohata gumo (“Clouds Streaming in the Wind”, 1929), and Yama to mizu to (“Mountains and Water”, 1951).
In recognition of these efforts, Sasaki was offered the post of lecturer at Tokyo Imperial University in 1905, and was officially commissioned by the Ministry of Education to work on a modern commentary to the Man'yōshū .
Sasaki worked together with his father on these efforts, and published a comprehensive survey of medieval waka (Wakashi no kenkyu, “Studies in Japanese Poetry”, 1915) and a study of the Man'yōshū (“Kohan Man'yōshū”, 1924–1925).
Sasaki relocated from 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 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...
, Kanagawa prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
in 1921, where he lived to his death in 1963. 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 in 1963. His grave is at the Tama Reien, in the outskirts of Tokyo.
External links
- Literary Figures of Kamakura
- Sasaki Nobutsuna Memorial Museum, Suzuka city, Mie prefecture (Japanese site)
- Sasaki, Nobutsuna | Portraits of Modern Japanese Historical Figures (National Diet LibraryNational Diet LibraryThe is the only national library in Japan. It was established in 1948 for the purpose of assisting members of the in researching matters of public policy. The library is similar in purpose and scope to the U.S...
)