Sokotsu Samukawa
Encyclopedia
was a Haiku
poet in Japan during the Meiji period
. Sokotsu was a pen name and his real name was .
) on November 3, 1875. He became a student at Daisan Kōtō gakkō (now Kyoto University
) in 1894. Samukawa met Kawahigashi Hekigotō and Takahama Kyoshi at this school. He fell under their influence and took part in . Samukawa was so absorbed in writing haiku that in the end, he dropped out of the school. He worked at the Kyoto Newspaper and the Osaka Asahi Newspaper
and continued to contribute haiku to the magazine Hototogisu
even while he worked.
Samukawa went to Tokyo
and joined the staff of the newspaper Nippon in 1898. He met the journalist Kuga Katsunan
and Masaoka Shiki
there. Samukawa became Shiki's pupil and studied the narrative prose, or the sketch in prose, that Shiki propounded. After Shiki's death, Samukawa stopped writing Hokku
poetry and concentrated on writing prose, travel sketches and essays. He devoted the rest of his life from 1911 onwards to keeping Shiki's house and estate.
Haiku
' , plural haiku, is a very short form of Japanese poetry typically characterised by three qualities:* The essence of haiku is "cutting"...
poet in Japan during the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
. Sokotsu was a pen name and his real name was .
Life
Samukawa was born in Matsuyama (now in Ehime PrefectureEhime Prefecture
is a prefecture in northwestern Shikoku, Japan. The capital is Matsuyama.-History:Until the Meiji Restoration, Ehime prefecture was known as Iyo Province...
) on November 3, 1875. He became a student at Daisan Kōtō gakkō (now Kyoto University
Kyoto University
, or is a national university located in Kyoto, Japan. It is the second oldest Japanese university, and formerly one of Japan's Imperial Universities.- History :...
) in 1894. Samukawa met Kawahigashi Hekigotō and Takahama Kyoshi at this school. He fell under their influence and took part in . Samukawa was so absorbed in writing haiku that in the end, he dropped out of the school. He worked at the Kyoto Newspaper and the Osaka Asahi Newspaper
Asahi Shimbun
The is the second most circulated out of the five national newspapers in Japan. Its circulation, which was 7.96 million for its morning edition and 3.1 million for its evening edition as of June 2010, was second behind that of Yomiuri Shimbun...
and continued to contribute haiku to the magazine Hototogisu
Hototogisu
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...
even while he worked.
Samukawa 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...
and joined the staff of the newspaper Nippon in 1898. He met the journalist Kuga Katsunan
Kuga Katsunan
-External links:*...
and 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...
there. Samukawa became Shiki's pupil and studied the narrative prose, or the sketch in prose, that Shiki propounded. After Shiki's death, Samukawa stopped writing Hokku
Hokku
is the opening stanza of a Japanese orthodox collaborative linked poem, renga, or of its later derivative, renku . From the time of Matsuo Bashō , the hokku began to appear as an independent poem, and was also incorporated in haibun , and haiga...
poetry and concentrated on writing prose, travel sketches and essays. He devoted the rest of his life from 1911 onwards to keeping Shiki's house and estate.