, Poetry International, 2006 () was a Japanese

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 (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...

and

literary critic A genre of arts criticism, literary criticism or literary studies is the study, evaluation, and interpretation of literature. Modern literary criticism is often influenced by literary theory, which is the philosophical analysis of literature' ...

. He pioneered the collaborative poetic form renshi in the 1990s,Profile of Makoto Ooka
in which he has collaborated with such well-known literary figures as Charles Tomlinson, James Lasdun, Joseph Stanton, Shuntarō Tanikawa and Mikirō Sasaki.Tomlinson, Charles, Makoto Ooka, James Lasdun, Hiroshi Kawasaki and Mikiro Sasaki. An extract from ''Departing Swallows'', in ''Journal of Renga & Renku'', issue 2, 2012. p162

''Asahi Shimbun''

Ōoka's

poetry Poetry (from the Greek language, Greek word ''poiesis'', "making") is a form of literature, literary art that uses aesthetics, aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meaning (linguistics), meanings in addition to, or in ...

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member ...

was published without a break seven days a week for more than 20 years on the front page of ''

Asahi Shimbun is a Japanese daily newspaper founded in 1879. It is one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. The ''Asahi Shimbun'' is one of the five largest newspapers in Japan along with the ''Yom ...

'', which is Japan's leading national newspaper. Honan, William H.br>"Why Millions in Japan Read All About Poetry"
''New York Times''. March 6, 2000.

Awards

Source: *1993: Cultural Prize of the Municipality of Tokyo *1993: Officier de l'

Ordre des Arts et des Lettres The Order of Arts and Letters () is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is the recognition of significant ...

(France) *1995: Japan Academy of the Arts Prize for poetry and criticism *1996:

Asahi Prize The , established in 1929, is an award presented by the Japanese newspaper ''Asahi Shimbun'' and Asahi Shimbun Foundation to honor individuals and groups that have made outstanding accomplishments in the fields of arts and academics and have greatl ...

*1996: Golden Wreath of the

Struga Poetry Evenings Struga Poetry Evenings (SPE) (, СВП; tr. ''Struški večeri na poezijata'', ''SVP'') is an international poetry festival held annually in Struga, North Macedonia. During the several decades of its existence, the Festival has awarded its most ...

, Macedonia *1997: Cultural Merit Award *2002:

Japan Foundation Award The Japan Foundation Awards honor individuals and organizations for significant contributions to "the enhancement of mutual understanding between Japan and other countries." History Activities in an academic or cultural field have been presented ...

Innovative Japan poet bags Japan Foundation prize
/ref>

Bibliography

*''The Japanese and Mt. Fuji'' (Tokyo: Graphic-sha, 1984) *''Uta no saijiki'' (Gakushu Kenkyusha, 1985) *''A Play of Mirrors: Eight Major Poets of Modern Japan'' (Santa Fe: Katydid Books, 1987) *''The World of Sam Francis'' (Ogawa Art Foundation, 1987) *''A String Around Autumn = Aki O Tatamu Himo: Selected Poems, 1952–1980'' (Santa Fe: Katydid Books, 1988) *''Gustave Moreau Caste of Dreams'' (Tokyo: Parco, 1988) *''Elegy and the Benediction: Selected Poems 1947–1989'' (Santa Fe: Katydid Books, 1991) *''The Colors of Poetry: Essays on Classic Japanese Verse'' (Santa Fe: Katydid Books, 1991. Co-authors: Thomas Fitzsimmons, Donald Keene, Takako Lento, Thomas Lento) *''A Poet's Anthology: The Range of Japanese Poetry'' (Santa Fe: Katydid Books, 1994. Translated into English by Janine Beichman) *''What the Kite Thinks: A Linked Poem'', by Makoto Ōoka, Wing Tek Lum, Joseph Stanton, and Jean Yamasaki Toyama (Manoa: University of Hawaii Press, 1994) *''Beneath the Sleepless Tossing of the Planets'' (Hawaii: Univ of Hawaii Press, 1995. With Tsujii Takashi) *''The Poetry and Poetics of Ancient Japan'' (Santa Fe: Katydid Books, 1997. Translated into English by Thomas Fitzsimmons) *''Dans l'océan du silence'' (Paris: Voix d'encre, 1998. Translated into French by Dominique Palmé) *''Oriori no Uta: Poems for all seasons'' (Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2000. Translated into English by Janine Beichman) *''Love Songs from the Man'yoshu: Selections from a Japanese Classic'' (Tokyo: Kodansha International, 2000) *''Voix d'Argile: Fance Franck'' (Paris: Bayle a Montelimar, 2001)

Notes

External links

Makoto Ooka
Poetry International {{DEFAULTSORT:Ooka, Makoto 1931 births 2017 deaths Deaths from respiratory failure Recipients of the Legion of Honour Recipients of the Order of Culture Struga Poetry Evenings Golden Wreath laureates 20th-century Japanese poets Writers from Shizuoka Prefecture