更新日：2010年7月5日

Yosano Akiko

Yosano Akiko, poet, was born in Osaka in 1878. Her real name was Yosano Shiyo. From early childhood, she was fond of reading literary works while she helped her family business. Her poems, published in a bulletin of the Naniwa Youth Literary Club, attracted the attention of Yosano Tekkan, who presided over the monthly poetry magazine, Myojo (Bright Star). This led to Akiko contributing tanka (31-syllable poems) to Myojo.

In 1901, Akiko ran off to Tokyo and married Tekkan. In the same year, she brought out her first volume of tanka, "Midaregami" (Tangled Hair). This was followed by many other anthologies, including "Koigoromo" (Robe of Love) and "Maihime" (Dancer). During the Taisho period (1912-26), she wrote social commentaries such as "Hito oyobi Onna to shite"(As a Human and as a Woman) and "Gekido no Naka o Iku" (Going through Turbulent Times), and an autobiographical novel, "Akarumi e" (To the Light).

Akiko founded a coeducational school Bunka Gakuin (Institute of Culture) with Nishimura Isaku, Kawasaki Natsu and others, and became its dean and lecturer. She was a strong advocate of education for girls and gave lectures on the Tale of Genji. Furthermore, she translated Japanese classics into the modern language, among them, "Shinyaku Genji Monogatari" (Newly Translated: Tale of Genji) and "Shinyaku Eiga Monogatari" (Newly Translated: A Tale of Flowering Fortunes), an 11th century historical tale. Akiko died in 1942, at the age of 63.

Kamakura often figured in Akiko's tanka poems, one famous example being a verse inspired by the Great Buddha. She came to Kamakura frequently, visiting Arishima Ikuma and other friends in their villas.