![Poem of Mistuo Aida inscribed](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/Poem_of_Mistuo_Aida_inscribed.jpg)
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 wall signage](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/Mitsuo_Aida_Museum_wall_signage.jpg)
Mitsuo Aida Museum () is a private museum in
dedicated to the works of Aida. The museum opened in 1996 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 ...
and in 2003 moved to new location near
Yurakucho Station, inside 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 ...
.
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