Let’s Get Familiar with Haiku
Haiku is one of the arts representing Japanese culture. Recently, the popularity has been spread tooverseas and has been familiarized by the people all around the world. Haiku in Japanese is composed of
5-7-5 syllables, and in this limited number of letters, it expresses the beauty of nature or delicate feelings.
It is also said that Haiku is the shortest poetic form in the world.
Predecessors in Morioka including Seison Yamaguchi or Inazo Nitobe composed Haiku, too, and they haveleft some Haiku expressing streetscapes of Morioka surrounded by nature and history. This year, Morioka
celebrates the 130th anniversary of the enforcement of the municipal organization. To commemorate theanniversary, the 1st Morioka International Haiku Contest will be held in August. The event will have aJapanese section and an English section so the application will be accepted not only from Japan but also
from overseas. There is no difficult rule in making Haiku, but it’s profound at the same time. Why don’t
you take this opportunity and try composing your own Haiku?

Let’s Try Composing Haiku !
JapaneseThere are two basic rules in Haiku.

No. 1 The number of syllables is 17 in three phrases of 5, 7 and 5.
Haku is basically composed of 17 syllables in three phrases of 5,7 and 5. 1 syllable here means not one
letter but one syllabic sound, so contracted sounds like “sha” or “gyu” (Small letters like “ゃ” or “ゅ” inJapanese) are not considered as 2 syllables but one, and choked sound (Small “っ” letter) is counted as 1
syllable. Also, a letter express prolonged sound “ー” in Japanese is counted as one syllable.
e.g.

・ちょうちょ (chōcho)ちょ／う／ちょ (3 syllables)

・がっこう (Gakkō)

が／っ／こ／う (4 syllables)・コーヒー (cōhī=coffee)

コ／ー／ヒ／ー (4 syllables)※ Haiku over 17 syllables is called “Ji amari” (extra syllables) and less than 17 syllables is called “Jitarazu” (insufficient syllables). The techniques are sometimes used to make a piece more impressive.
However, you must bear in mind that Haiku is basically composed by 5-7-5 rhythm.

No.2

A season word should be included.

One of the differences between Haiku and other formatted poems like Senryu is whether “Kigo”, a season
word is included or not. “Kigo” is a word related to seasons such as words of weathers, creatures orseasonal events. Kigo is roughly divided by 5 categories; spring, summer, autumn, winter and new year
days. Season words make the readers envision the sights or atmosphere of Haiku clearly. One of thefunctions of season words is to help readers picture the sight or atmosphere easily. Books with collectionof season words are called “Saijiki”.
● Spring

Cherry blossom (Flower), Snow melting, Graduation ceremony, swallow, etc.

● SummerRice planting, Rainbow, Sea bathing, Sunflower, Cicada, etc.

● Autumn

Moon, Autumn foliage, Apple, Pacific saury, etc.

● WinterSnow, Skiing, Swan, Daikon radish, etc.

● New Year

New Year’s Day, the First dream in new year, Rice cake, Karuta, etc.

e.g.

Kaki kue ba kane ga narunari Horyu-ji(Shiki Masaoka)

Meaning: When I was eating my favorite fruit, persimmon while travelling, I heard thebell sounds of Horyu-ji Temple with feeling.
Season word: Persimmon (Kaki)

Season: Autumn

EnglishHaiku is familiarized by all around the world as “HAIKU”. There are no rules in Haiku in English as
Haiku in Japanese, but basically, it is expressed in poems with three phrases, present tense and without
punctuation. The recommended form is 5-7-5 syllables with a season word, which is the same as Japanese
Haiku but it is not an absolute rule. Let’s express the beauty of nature or daily happenings in your ownwords.
e.g.

across the borderthe maples
also, red(Composed by Terry Ann Carter)

Iwate and Haiku
The followings are some famous Haiku composed in Iwate.
● Natsukusa ya tsuwamono domo ga yume no ato(Basho Matsuo)

English translation: The summer grass'Tis all that’s left
Of ancient warriors’ dreams.

(Translated by Inazo Nitobe)

Meaning: Here remain the dreams of warriors who used to battle spectacularly. Now that only summer
grasses are growing.
Season word: Natsukua

Season: Summer

Place composed: Hiraizumi

● Hito mo tabibito ware mo tabibito haru oshimu(Seison Yamaguchi)

Meaning: Me and the others who visits this place where Basho and Saigyo have visited are all travelers
who miss the ending spring.
Season word: Haru oshimu

Season: Spring● Onyama no hitori ni fukaki hana no yami

Place composed: Chuson-ji temple(Jakucho Setouchi)

Meaning: I am alone at night in Onyama (Tendai-ji temple). Deep darkness with fully bloomed cherrytrees are spreading richly.
Season word: Flower (cherry blossom)

Season: Spring

Place composed: Tendai-ji temple

You probably have an impression that Haiku is the difficult literature. But if you express what you see
and feel with rhythmical words, Haiku will be created. If you see the scenery you see in daily life withthinking of composing Haiku in mind, you will find something new!

About the First Morioka International Haiku Contest
Morioka International Haiku Contest is the first Haiku International contest held in Morioka as thecommemoration of 130th anniversary of the enforcement of the municipal organization in 2019.
Applications for pre-entry Haiku need to be submitted between January 8th and May 7th in 2019 andpresentation of winners and the contest date are scheduled to be on August 8th.
For more details of the contest, please see the official website of the Morioka International Haiku Contest.
OutlineDate: August 4th, 2019 (Sun)
Venue: Odashimagumi Hall, Aiina Iwate Prefecture Citizen’s Cultural Exchange Center 7th floor
Entrance fee: FreeApplication Categories① Pre-entry Haiku・Japanese Section *Application Period…January 8th (Tue) to May 7th (Tue), 2019
② Pre-entry Haiku・English section*Application Period…January 8th (Tue) to May 7th (Tue), 2019

③ Haiku entry on the day of the contest・Japanese section *Application will be accepted on the day ofthe contest…August 4th (Sun) , 2019
HostMorioka International Haiku Contest Executive Committee