Haiku: The Art of Japanese Poetry — Part.1

‘’Old Pond’’ by Basho — a haiga in his own handwriting

Introduction

During my time as a university student, I took a Japanese Language course to obtain the credits needed to graduate. For years I had been dreaming of enrolling in a language course, and finally getting the opportunity to do so overflowed me with excitement.

At the beginning of the semester, our sensei (the Japanese term for “teacher”) asked us to choose a topic for our final research paper. We had the option of choosing any subject we’d like as long as it related to Japanese Culture. While most of my classmates decided on topics such as J-Pop and the history of anime or manga, I thought I should choose something more significant to write about. I wanted something that would make me stand out from the rest of my classmates. One day, while casually browsing the internet, I came across a webtoon that had a series based on random haiku. My idea light bulb turned on and shone brightly. I knew this was a story I had to tell and that my sensei would be impressed with. I hope you enjoy it as much as she did.

Because it is too long a paper, I will be posting it in three separate parts beginning with the origins of haiku, then moving to the structure and how it evolved, and ending with its revolution outside Japan. Each part will be posted on Wednesdays. Please feel free to share your thoughts and feedback on…