is the

pen-name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

of , a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

tanka is a genre of classical Japanese poetry and one of the major genres of Japanese literature. Etymology Originally, in the time of the ''Man'yōshū'' (latter half of the eighth century AD), the term ''tanka'' was used to distinguish "short poem ...

poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

active during the Taishō and

Shōwa period Shōwa may refer to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufacturer, affiliated with the Honda keiretsu Japanese eras * Jōwa (Heian ...

s of

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. He is regarded as one of the most popular and important poets in modern

Japanese literature Japanese literature throughout most of its history has been influenced by cultural contact with neighboring Asian literatures, most notably China and its literature. Early texts were often written in pure Classical Chinese or , a Chinese-Japanes ...

Early life

Kitahara was born in

Yanagawa is a city located in Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. As of April 30, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 71,848, with 24,507 households and a population density of 934.55 persons per km². The total area is 76.88 km². On March 21, ...

Fukuoka prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Kyūshū. Fukuoka Prefecture has a population of 5,109,323 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,986 Square kilometre, km2 (1,925 sq mi). Fukuoka Prefecture borders S ...

, to a family of ''

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indee ...

'' brewers. He attended the

English literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

department of

Waseda University , abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the ''Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō'' by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the school was formally renamed Waseda University in 1902. The university has numerou ...

, but he left the university soon after without graduating. As a student he became interested in the poetry of

Tōson Shimazaki was the pen-name of Haruki Shimazaki, a Japanese writer active in the Meiji, Taishō and early Shōwa periods of Japan. He began his career as a Romantic poet, but went on to establish himself as a major proponent of Japanese Naturalism. Ea ...

, especially his ''Wakanashu'' (Collection of Young Herbs, 1897), which was written in the ''Shintaishi'', or New Style, format.

Literary career

In 1904, Kitahara moved to

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

and began submitting his poetry to various

literary magazine A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. Literary magazines usually publish short stories, poetry, and essays, along with literary criticism, book reviews, biographical profiles of authors, interviews and letter ...

s. In 1906, he joined the ''Shinshisha'' (New Poetry Association) at the invitation of

Yosano Tekkan was the pen-name of Yosano Hiroshi, a Japanese author and poet active in late Meiji, Taishō, and early Shōwa period Japan. His wife was fellow author Yosano Akiko. Cabinet minister and politician Kaoru Yosano is his grandson. Early life Yos ...

, and he published poems in its magazine

Myōjō was a monthly literary magazine published in Japan between April 1900 and November 1908. The name ''Myōjō'' can be translated as either Bright Star or Morning Star. History and profile The magazine was established in 1900. It was the organ of ...

(Bright Star) that brought him instant fame as a rising young poet, and served as an introduction to a wide circle of writers and poets. From these contacts, Kitahara formed his own literary group, the '' Pan no kai'' (The Society of Pan), which was innovative in including painters, musicians and actors as well as writers. In 1909, he became one of the founding members of the literary magazine, ''

Subaru ( or ; ) is the automaker, automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate (company), conglomerate Subaru Corporation (formerly known as Fuji Heavy Industries), the Automotive industry#By manufacturer, twenty-first ...

'' (The Pleiades), where he published his first collection of verses, ''Jashumon'' (Heretics), which took the poetic world by storm. Through the use of its rich imagery and innovative structure, it (along with

Yosano Akiko Yosano Akiko (Shinjitai: , seiji: ; 7 December 1878 – 29 May 1942) was the pen-name of a Japanese author, poet, pioneering feminist, pacifist, and social reformer, active in the late Meiji era as well as the Taishō and early Shōwa eras of ...

's ''Midaregami''), is credited by critics with having set a new baseline for modern Japanese poetry. Kitahara's initial success was followed by ''Omoide'' (Memories, 1912), in which he evokes memories of the world from a child's perspective. In 1907 he published the essays ''

5 Pairs of Shoes ''5 Pairs of Shoes'' is a series of essays of travel literature written by Tekkan Yosano and his students Mokutaro Kinoshita, Kitahara Hakushu, Hirano Banri and Yoshii Isamu, which was published in 1907 in a Tokyo newspaper. Because all five autho ...

'', together with

Mokutaro Kinoshita was the pen-name of a Japanese author, dramaturge, poet, art historian and literary critic, as well as a licensed doctor specializing in dermatology during Taishō and early Shōwa period Japan. His other pen names included Horikason (� ...

, Hirano Banri and

Yoshii Isamu Count was a Japanese ''tanka'' poet and playwright active in Taishō and Shōwa period Japan. Attracted to European romanticism in his youth, his later works were more subdued. Early life Yoshii Isamu was born in the elite Takanawa district Toky ...

. In 1912, Kitahara was arrested for

adultery Adultery (from Latin ''adulterium'') is extramarital sex that is considered objectionable on social, religious, moral, or legal grounds. Although the sexual activities that constitute adultery vary, as well as the social, religious, and legal ...

and jailed for two weeks. Though the charges were later dropped, the experience was traumatic, as it was mentioned briefly in his first ''tanka'' anthology, ''Kiri no hana'' (Paulownia Blossoms, 1913), as having led to a religious influence in his outlook on life. This became evident in his second anthology, ''Shinju Sho'' (Selection of Pearls, 1914), and his third, ''Hakkin no koma'' (Platinum Top, 1915), which include one-line poems in the form of

Buddhist Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

prayers. He strove for what he called “oriental simplicity”, a concept which he borrowed from his understanding of

Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

in ''Suibokushu'' (Collection of Ink drawings, 1923) and ''Suzume no tamago'' (Sparrow's Eggs, 1921).

Children's poems

In 1918, he joined the ''

Akai tori was a Japanese children's literary magazine published between 1918 and 1936 in Tokyo, Japan. The magazine has a significant role in establishing dowa and '' doyo'', which refer to new versions of children's fiction, poetry, and songs. In additi ...

'' (Red Bird) literary magazine at the request of founder Suzuki Miekichi, and was assigned to create

children's songs A children's song may be a nursery rhyme set to music, a song that children invent and share among themselves or a modern creation intended for entertainment, use in the home or education. Although children's songs have been recorded and studied ...

, take charge of screening the poems submitted to the magazine, and collect

nursery rhymes A nursery rhyme is a traditional poem or song for children in Britain and many other countries, but usage of the term dates only from the late 18th/early 19th century. The term Mother Goose rhymes is interchangeable with nursery rhymes. From t ...

from around the country. The same year, he relocated from Tokyo to

Odawara, Kanagawa is a city in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 188,482 and a population density of 1,700 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Odawara lies in the Ashigara Plains, in the far western por ...

. In 1919 he published ''Tonbo no medama'' (Dragonfly's Eyes), a collection of lyrics for children he had previously published serially in Akai Tori. In 1921 ''Maza gusu'' (

Mother Goose The figure of Mother Goose is the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales and later of English nursery rhymes. As a character, she appeared in a song, the first stanza of which often functions now as a nursery rhyme. This, howeve ...

), a collection of his translations of the English classic, came out, and that year, ''Usagi no denpo'' (Rabbit Telegrams), a collection of his nursery rhymes, was published. Starting with its April 1922 issue, ''

Kodomo no kuni ''Kodomo'' is the Japanese word for child. Kodomo may also refer to: * Kodomo (musician), the moniker for electronic musician Chris Child * Children's anime and manga or kodomo, manga with a target demographic of children * Kodomo, a toothpa ...

'' (Children's Land), it invited readers to submit children's songs, and Kitahara took charge of the screening and comments. In 1929 he published a collection of essays on children's songs, ''Midori no shokkaku'' (The Feel of Green).

Later life

Always enjoying travel, Kitahara visited

Misaki Misaki ( ja, 御先, "misaki") are a collective term for spirit-like existences in Japan like gods, demons and spirits, among other supernatural entities. Their name comes from a kannushi's vanguard. Summary Misaki are subordinate to the high ...

Chiba Chiba may refer to: Places China * (), town in Jianli County, Jingzhou, Hubei Japan * Chiba (city), capital of Chiba Prefecture ** Chiba Station, a train station * Chiba Prefecture, a sub-national jurisdiction in the Greater Tokyo Area on ...

Nagano Nagano may refer to: Places * Nagano Prefecture, a prefecture in Japan ** Nagano (city), the capital city of the same prefecture *** Nagano 1998, the 1998 Winter Olympics *** Nagano Olympic Stadium, a baseball stadium in Nagano *** Nagano Universi ...

, Shiobara in 1923,

Shizuoka Shizuoka can refer to: * Shizuoka Prefecture, a Japanese prefecture * Shizuoka (city), the capital city of Shizuoka Prefecture * Shizuoka Airport * Shizuoka Domain, the name from 1868 to 1871 for Sunpu Domain, a predecessor of Shizuoka Prefecture ...

in 1924,

Hokkaidō is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

and

Karafuto Karafuto Prefecture ( ja, 樺太庁, ''Karafuto-chō''; russian: Префектура Карафуто, Prefektura Karafuto), commonly known as South Sakhalin, was a prefecture of Japan located in Sakhalin from 1907 to 1949. Karafuto became t ...

in 1925. Kitahara moved back to Tokyo in 1926, living at first in Yanaka, then moving to Setagaya in 1928. Kitahara continued to experiment with his style, and continued to be inspired by classical Japanese literature (such as the ''

Kojiki The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperia ...

''), as seen in his ''Kaihyo no kumo'' (Sea and Clouds, 1929). This later work was inspired by a trip from Oita to Osaka by

airplane An airplane or aeroplane (informally plane) is a fixed-wing aircraft that is propelled forward by thrust from a jet engine, propeller, or rocket engine. Airplanes come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and wing configurations. The broad spe ...

, which was sponsored by the

Asahi Shimbun is one of the four largest newspapers in Japan. Founded in 1879, it is also one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. Its circulation, which was 4.57 million for its morning edition and ...

as a publicity stunt. In 1930, Kitahara travelled to

Manchuria Manchuria is an exonym (derived from the endo demonym " Manchu") for a historical and geographic region in Northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day Northeast China (Inner Manchuria) and parts of the Russian Far East (Outer Manc ...

, and rode on the

South Manchurian Railroad The South Manchuria Railway ( ja, 南満州鉄道, translit=Minamimanshū Tetsudō; ), officially , Mantetsu ( ja, 満鉄, translit=Mantetsu) or Mantie () for short, was a large of the Empire of Japan whose primary function was the operatio ...

. On his return to Japan, he visited

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It i ...

. In 1935, Kitahara founded ''Tama'', a ''tanka'' magazine, and became known as the spearhead of the fourth stage of the symbolist movement. Among his protégés were Kimata Osamu and Miya Shuji. He also accepted an invitation by the

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

Mainichi Shimbun The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English language news website called ''The Mainichi'' (previ ...

to tour

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

(then under Japanese rule), in exchange for poems on his impressions. Kitahara remained active even after almost going blind due to complications arising from

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

in 1937. In 1940, he returned for a visit to Yanagawa after many years, and also visited Miyazaki and

. That same year he was made a member of the

Japan Art Academy is the highest-ranking official artistic organization in Japan. It is established as an extraordinary organ of the Japanese Agency for Cultural Affairs (文化庁, Bunkacho) in the thirty-first article of the law establishing the Ministry of Ed ...

. In 1942, his health condition worsened, and he died of complications from his diabetes. His grave is located at the Tama Reien in the outskirts of Tokyo.

Legacy

Kitahara published a total of over 200 books within his lifetime. In addition to his writings, he also edited the poetry magazine ''Chijo junrei'' (Earthly Pilgrimage), which enabled later authors, such as

Hagiwara Sakutaro Hagiwara (written: ) is a Japanese surname. Notable people with the surname include: * (also known as Sho-Ken), the lead singer of The Tempters *, Japanese pop singer *, San Francisco landscape designer often credited with inventing the fortune coo ...

to get their start into the literary world. He also wrote anthems for high schools around the country, including Tōyō Eiwa Jogakuin. Many of his poems remain popular to this day. The ''Nihon Densho Doyo Shusei'' ollection of Traditional Japanese Nursery Rhymes a six-volume publication edited by Kitahara, finally came out in 1976. A
annual festival
celebrating the life and works of Kitahara is still held in his hometown of Yanagawa during the month of November. Stages are set up along the canals of the city, and at night, by firelight, fans of Kitahara's works read poems and passages from them aloud. There are also canal parades and musical performances.

References

* Fukasawa, Margaret Benton. ''Kitahara Hakushu: His Life and Poetry''. East Asia Program Cornell University (1993).

External links

e-texts of Hakushu's works
at

Aozora bunko Aozora Bunko (, literally the "Blue Sky Library", also known as the "Open Air Library") is a Japanese digital library. This online collection encompasses several thousands of works of Japanese-language fiction and non-fiction. These include out-o ...

Kitahara　Hakushu BirthplaceMunisipal Folk MuseumHakushu Memorial Museum, Yanagawa, Fukuoka (Japanese site)Hakushu Memorial Museum, Miura, Yokosuka (Japanese site)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kitahara, Hakushu 1885 births 1942 deaths Deaths from diabetes Japanese children's writers People from Yanagawa, Fukuoka Writers from Fukuoka Prefecture Waseda University alumni 20th-century Japanese poets