Bokusui Wakayama

Bokusui Wakayama (若山 牧水 Wakayama Bokusui, August 24, 1885–September 17, 1928) was a Japanese author. Wakayama was a Naturalist tanka poet who was active at the beginning of the 20th century, during the tanka revival started by Yosano Tekkan. He traveled all over Japan and Korea, which, at that time, was under Imperial Japanese control composing many tankas about the places he visited. He also loved sake. Heavy drinking eventually damaged his liver and he died relatively young.

Before he died he wrote a death haiku that reads:

Jisei nado
zansetsu ni ka mo
nakarikeri

A parting word?
The melting snow
is odorless.

Works

Poetry books

1. Umi no Koe (海の声) (published July 1908)
2. Hitori Uta e Ru (独り歌へる) (published January 1910)
3. Betsuri (別離) (published April 1910)
4. Rojō (路上) (published September 1911)
5. Shi ka Gejutsu ka (死か芸術か) (published September 1912)
6. Minakami (みなかみ) (published September 1913)
7. Shūfū no Uta (秋風の歌) (published April 1914)
8. Sakyū (砂丘) (published October 1915)
9. Asa no Uta (朝の歌) (published June 1916)
10. Shiraumeshū (白梅集) (published August 1917)
11. Sabishiki Jumoku (さびしき樹木) (published July 1918)
12. Keikokushū (渓谷集) (published May 1918)
13. Kuro Tsuchi (くろ土) (published March 1921)
14. Yamazakura no Uta (山桜の歌) (published May 1923)
15. Kuromatsu (黒松) (published September 1938)

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• E-texts of Wakayama's works at Aozora Bunko (Japanese)