Nakamura Kusatao

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Nakamura Kusatao 中村草田男

(1901-1983)
1901年（明治34年）7月24日 - 1983年（昭和58年）8月5日）




He was born the first son to father Osamu (the Japanese consul at Shinkoku at that time), mother Mine at Amoi, Fukken province, Shinkoku (China), in 24th, Jul. 1901(Meiji 34). His real name is Seiichiro.
He came home to Matsuyama with his mother, at the age of 4.

In 1925 (Taisho 14), he went on to the department of German literture, Tokyo Univ. via Matsuyama Junior High-school and Matsuyama High-school. In 1929 (Showa 14), at the age of 29, he became Kyoshi's pupil and became a member of "Todai Haiku meeting". He contributed many Haiku to "Hototogisu" getting Shuoshi Mizuhara's guidance.

It was as of 1939 (Showa 14) that the first Haiku peetry "Choshi 長子" was published in which appeared the many excellent Haiku such as

"Snow is just falling now,
I feel the Meiji era has become
the far-off days"

Since that time, his group have been called "pursuer of human being" on the grounds of that his haiku fashion have indicated the trace of an uphill struggle to get along with human life.
Hakyo Ishida and Shuson Katoh belonged to this group.

He wrote the lyrics for the school song of Matsuyama Kita Highschool in connection with Denzaburo Futagami(a one-time principal of the Highschool), who was Kusatao's contemporary at the Highschool.

The name of the monthly magazine "Banryoku 万緑" edited by Kusatao was connected with the Haiku

"My own child's teeth have
began to come through in
all over fresh greenery"

appeared in Haiku poetry "Hi no Tori-Fire Bird 火の鳥 "(published in 1939).

"Banryoku" has been established as a season word after this Haiku.
In adition to that, this Haiku magazine edited by Kusatao has symbolized the group of people with eternal youthful spirit and has been keeping up the steady pace as avant-garde literature until today.
source : www.lib.ehime-u.ac.j

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Shared by Nomura Shigeru
Joys of Japan

冬の水一枝の影も欺かず
fuyu no mizu hitoeda no kage mo azamukasu

face of the winter pond
doesn't reflect
even a leaf...
Tr. Hideo Suzuki


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比喩もろとも信仰消えて枯野の日
hiyu morotomo shinko kiete kareno-no hi

The metaphors are
gone, and so is my faith . . .
sun over a moor.

Die Metaphern
erloschen und mit ihnen der Glaube.
Sonne auf der Heide
Tr. Mario Fitterer


. Metaphors and Haiku .


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虹に謝す妻よりほかに女知らず
niji ni shasu tsuma yori hoka ni onna shirazu

thanks to the rainbow
apart from my wife I do not know
other women


. Woman and KIGO .


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咳くとポクリッとベートーヴェン響く朝
shiwabuku to pokuritto Beetooben hibiku asa

as I am coughing
Beethoven reverberates
in the morning


. Beethoven and Haiku .



More translations by Gabi Greve


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木の葉髪文芸ながく欺きぬ
ko-no-ha gami bungei nagaku azamukinu


Japanese Reference

中村草田男


. Ishida Hakyo (Ishida Hakyoo 石田波郷) .


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Related words

***** Introducing Japanese Haiku Poets　


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