was a Japanese poet and calligrapher known as The Poet of Zen. His work was influenced by

Zen Buddhism 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 ...

and he is known for his works, ''Ningen damono'' (Because I'm Human), ''Okagesan'' (Our Debt to Others), and ''Inochi ippai'' (Live a Full Live).

Early life

Aida was born in

Ashikaga, Tochigi is a Cities of Japan, city located in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 143,653, in 62,123 households and a population density of 810 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Ashikaga is loc ...

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 ...

, in 1924. At an early age he showed interest in calligraphy and tanka poetry and was characterized for an original style. He attended Tochigi Prefectural Ashikaga High School. After graduation he proceeded to study poetry with Yamashita Mutsuk and calligraphy with Iwasawa Kei-seki. His work is also known to have been influenced by Michiaki Zheng, Takei Akira, and Kinono Kazuyoshi. In 1953, Aida graduated from

Kanto Junior College is a private junior college in Tatebayashi, Gunma, Japan, established in 1950. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1924. The school is affiliated with the Kanto Gakuen University, located in Ōta, Gunma is a city located in Gunma Pre ...

, a private college in

Tatebayashi, Gunma 250px, Tsutsujigaoka Koen, or Azalea Park in Tatebayashi is a city located in Gunma Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 75,442 in 33,589 households, and a population density of 1200 people per km². The total area of the ...

. In 1954, Aida married Hiraga Chie. Their eldest son, Kazuto Aida, is the director of the Mitsuo Aida Museum in

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 ...

Career and legacy

Aida's works became well known after the publishing of his book, ''Ningen damono'' (Because I'm Human), in 1984. Following a brain hemorrhage, Aida died in Ashikaga, Tochigi, in 1991. Shortly after his death, in 1996, the Mitsuo Aida Museum opened in

Ginza Ginza ( ; ja, 銀座 ) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo, with numerous intern ...

, a neighborhood in Tokyo. In 2003, the museum moved to the

Tokyo International Forum The is a multi-purpose exhibition center in Tokyo, Japan. The complex is generally considered to be in the Yūrakuchō business district, being adjacent to Yūrakuchō Station, but it is administratively in the Marunouchi district. Tokyo Int ...

, a multi-purpose exhibition center. The art show includes approximately 450 of Aida's calligraphy works, and the museum foundation organizes several art appreciation seminars throughout the country each year. Former Japanese Prime Minister

Yoshihiko Noda is a Japanese politician who was Prime Minister of Japan from 2011 to 2012. He was a member of the Democratic Party, and a member of the House of Representatives (lower house) in the Diet (national legislature). He was named to succeed Naoto K ...

is known to be a patron of Aida's. In a 2011 pre-election speech, the politician quoted Aida's poetry, saying, "The loach, it doesn't have to imitate the goldfish." This remark let to some confusion about Noda's meaning among his followers, but also a sharp increase in the number of visitors to the Mituso Aida Museum and a renewed interest in Aida's work.

Museum

Mitsuo Aida Museum () is a private museum in

Chiyoda, Tokyo is a special ward located in central Tokyo, Japan. It is known as Chiyoda City in English.Profile< ...

dedicated to the works of Aida. The museum opened in 1996 in

and in 2003 moved to new location near Yurakucho Station, inside the

References

External links

Website
(Japanese, English) {{DEFAULTSORT:Aida, Mitsuo 1991 deaths Japanese Zen Buddhists 1924 births Japanese male poets Japanese calligraphers 20th-century Japanese poets 20th-century Japanese male writers People from Tochigi Prefecture