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Tag - poetry

 
 

POETRY

Hirohiko Okano
JAPAN
May 1, 2026
Leading Japanese tanka poet Hirohiko Okano dies at 101
The prominent Japanese tanka poet who was born in Mie Prefecture in 1924 gave tanka writing guidance to Emperor Showa as an adviser to the Imperial Household Agency.
Participants at the Kinrin Utakai discuss tanka at the group¡¯s gathering last month in Tokyo¡¯s Ogikubo neighborhood.
CULTURE / Books / Longform
Apr 6, 2026
Why tanka poetry is clicking with a new generation
A centuries-old poetic form is being reshaped through everyday experiences, online exchange and a new generation of writers.
Biwa Takaki won the 76th Mr. H Prize for poetry with her debut poetry collection ¡°A River of Hair.¡±
CULTURE / Books
Apr 5, 2026
Takaki Biwa on winning the 76th Mr. H. Poetry Prize
The Mr. H Prize is one of the biggest and oldest awards for contemporary Japanese poetry and often compared to the Akutagawa Prize for literary fiction.
In the week before CC¡¯s closed, customers lined up in the rain to pay a final visit to the longstanding cafe.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Mar 6, 2026
Kyoto bids farewell to a storied poets¡¯ cafe
Opened by American poet Cid Corman in 1974, CC¡¯s in Nakagyo Ward had served as an important gathering ground for the literary community.
The Sakaiminato Ferry Terminal in Tottori Prefecture featuring works by the late manga artist Shigeru Mizuki. A traditional Japanese short poetry contest held in the city to commemorate Mizuki came to an end this year due to possible AI use by participants.
JAPAN
Feb 24, 2026
Possible AI use leads to end of senryu competition after 20 years
The organizers decided to end the contest as it has become difficult for the works to be judged fairly given the emergence of artificial intelligence.
Separated into seven cantos, the 108 poems in "Borderlines" span over 15 years and blur the boundary between poetry and memoir.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 18, 2026
'Borderlines': A cacophony of dramatic personae unfolds a life of memories through 108 poems
With elements of both poetry and memoir, ¡°Borderlines: An Astral Experience in Poems¡± by Alan Botsford, straddles the boundaries of genre.
A New Year's poetry ceremony is held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 14, 2026
Prince Hisahito makes debut at imperial New Year's poetry ceremony
The prince submitted a poem, describing his delight in observing at close range a blue-patterned dragonfly.
Kotoba Slam Japan runs regional competitions to select a representative for the annual World Poetry Slam Championship, which will take place in Mexico at the end of the month.
CULTURE / Stage
May 9, 2025
Japan¡¯s slam poetry scene is all about raw vulnerability
Slam poetry is a rarity in Japan, but the scene is full of energy and potential that the poets have been bringing to the world slam poetry stage for 10 years now.
Graduation ceremonies in Japan will usually include a performance of the Japanese national anthem, ¡°Kimigayo.¡±
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 28, 2025
Attempting the classics: The world of waka poetry
The origins of this poetry style stretch back to at least the seventh century, when one of the emperor's wives composed it at court ceremonies.
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and Princess Aiko take part in the New Year's poetry reading ceremony at the Imperial Palace on Wednesday.
JAPAN
Jan 22, 2025
Princess Aiko attends New Year poetry event for first time
Poems written by imperial family members and guests were recited in a traditional style at the ceremony in the palace's Matsu-no-Ma state room.
Shuntaro Tanikawa
JAPAN
Nov 19, 2024
Poet Shuntaro Tanikawa dies at 92
Tanikawa, who is also known for translating the Snoopy and Charlie Brown comic strip ¡°Peanuts¡± into Japanese, died of natural causes.
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Nov 18, 2024
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
The latest edition of the Japan Writers Conference was a friendly forum for anglophone writers to connect and converse.
As childish as Ryokan may have been, human suffering wrung his heart. A portrait of the monk and calligraphy by him are shown here. (Ink on paper; early 19th century; replica before 1970)
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Jul 21, 2024
Ryokan and us: 'How wide! How boundless!'
The Edo Period monk could see the world through a child's eyes, maybe even those of a child from our modern era.
A statue of Santoku Taneda stands at Hofu Station in Hofu, Yamagata Prefecture,  where the Zen monk was born in 1882.
JAPAN / History / The Living Past
Jun 14, 2024
The joy of Zen ¡ª Part 2: Poetry
Ryokan and Santoka lived in different times, connected by a knack for words but polar opposites when it came to the monk's life they both chose.
Japan Times
CARTOONS / ZERO GRAVITY
May 27, 2023
Roger Dahl on blogs
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 5, 2023
Why bilingual literature is needed in a place like Japan
Only when Japan¡¯s great stories are translated into other languages can we get a glimpse into the real lives of people living here.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 6, 2023
'Mister Timeless Blyth' traces the indelible influences of Zen and poetry
Alan Spence's new novel, which was nearly 10 years in the making, follows the life of R.H. Blyth, a British scholar who helped bring Japanese poetry to the West.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Mar 8, 2023
¡®A Kamigata Anthology¡¯: Everyday enjoyments of everyday people
The collection chronicles the rise of the ¡°commoner arts' through genres like travelogs, poetry and easy-reading books that entertained the masses during the Edo Period (1603-1867).
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Feb 26, 2023
'Pink Waves': Poetry in conversation with grief and inspiration
Artist Sawako Nakayasu¡¯s poetic composition, which was constructed in front of an audience over three days, offers a raw response to her sources of inspiration and her spectators.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Jan 29, 2023
Matsuo Basho's complete works reveal the sensuality and innovation of a master poet
Andrew Fitzsimons offers carefully considered translations of the poet¡¯s works, including his famous haiku about a frog in a pond, in ¡°Basho: The Complete Haiku of Matsuo Basho.¡±

Longform

Projects like the BuddhaBot aim to re-create dialogue once lost to time, raising questions about whether AI can extend the teachings of Buddha or merely simulate them.
Can AI replace a priest? Japan¡¯s temples and shrines are testing the limits.

SUSTAINABLE JAPAN