更新日：2010年7月5日

Yoshino Hideo

The tanka poet Yoshino Hideo was born in Gumma Prefecture in 1902. He had to drop out of Keio University because of tuberculosis, but while he was recuperating, he had the opportunity to become familiar with the verses of Masaoka Shiki and Ito Sachio, two poets belonging to the Araragi tanka group, and he began to compose tanka himself. Around this time, he became attracted to the verses of Aizu Yaichi and soon became his pupil. In 1926 Yoshino financed the publication of his own first collection, "Tenjo gishi." This led to other works such as "Taikeishu," "Sobaishu" (Early plums) and "Kansenshu" (Cold cicada).

Yoshino was in ill health for most of his life, so he remained outside the tanka circles and contented himself with learning from the works of Masaoka Shiki, Aizu Yaichi and the 19th century poet-priest Ryokan. He developed a unique style of tanka that was independent of the mainstream Araragi verses. Yoshino also wrote essays, including "Yawarakana Kokoro" (Soft heart) and "Korokono Furusato" (Home is the heart). He died in 1967 at the age of 65, leaving a posthumous volume, "Gankoshu."

Yoshino came to live in Komachi, Kamakura, in 1911. He founded a tanka society and was a professor of the Kamakura Academia from its founding in 1946 until its demise four years later. His ashes are buried at Zuisenji Temple and prayers are offered there every year on the anniversary of his death.