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Tag - poetry

 
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July 25, 2026
 

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POETRY

Kodaiji Wakuden, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Kyoto, has found a new side dish for its cuisine: "waka" poems.
LIFE / Food & Drink
Jun 21, 2026
¡®Kaiseki¡¯ fine dining with a side of classical poetry
Kyoto fine dining restaurant Kodaiji Wakuden¡¯s experiment with traditional poems is an interesting, if uneven, experiment in aesthetics.
Using calligraphy brushes, ink pens and pencils, Chuya drafted his poems in a variety of styles. Pictured here is his draft of ¡°Chomon Gorge in Winter.¡±
CULTURE / Books
Jun 16, 2026
Prewar poet Chuya Nakahara¡¯s complete works get a new life in English
A new translation, and the first publication of Chuya¡¯s complete works in English, aims to introduce the poet to readers abroad.
Vladislava Simonova in her Poltava apartment in April
CULTURE / Books
Jun 3, 2026
Ukrainian haiku poet finds small miracles in war
Celebrated in Japan, Vladislava Simonova is almost unknown in her own country.
Hirohiko Okano
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
May 1, 2026
Leading Japanese tanka poet Hirohiko Okano dies at 101
The prominent Japanese tanka poet who was born in Mie Prefecture in 1924 gave tanka writing guidance to Emperor Showa as an adviser to the Imperial Household Agency.
Participants at the Kinrin Utakai discuss tanka at the group¡¯s gathering last month in Tokyo¡¯s Ogikubo neighborhood.
CULTURE / Books / Longform
Apr 6, 2026
Why tanka poetry is clicking with a new generation
A centuries-old poetic form is being reshaped through everyday experiences, online exchange and a new generation of writers.
Biwa Takaki won the 76th Mr. H Prize for poetry with her debut poetry collection ¡°A River of Hair.¡±
CULTURE / Books
Apr 5, 2026
Takaki Biwa on winning the 76th Mr. H. Poetry Prize
The Mr. H Prize is one of the biggest and oldest awards for contemporary Japanese poetry and often compared to the Akutagawa Prize for literary fiction.
In the week before CC¡¯s closed, customers lined up in the rain to pay a final visit to the longstanding cafe.
COMMUNITY / Issues / The Foreign Element
Mar 6, 2026
Kyoto bids farewell to a storied poets¡¯ cafe
Opened by American poet Cid Corman in 1974, CC¡¯s in Nakagyo Ward had served as an important gathering ground for the literary community.
The Sakaiminato Ferry Terminal in Tottori Prefecture featuring works by the late manga artist Shigeru Mizuki. A traditional Japanese short poetry contest held in the city to commemorate Mizuki came to an end this year due to possible AI use by participants.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Feb 24, 2026
Possible AI use leads to end of senryu competition after 20 years
The organizers decided to end the contest as it has become difficult for the works to be judged fairly given the emergence of artificial intelligence.
Separated into seven cantos, the 108 poems in "Borderlines" span over 15 years and blur the boundary between poetry and memoir.
CULTURE / Books
Jan 18, 2026
¡®Borderlines¡¯: A cacophony of dramatic personae unfolds a life of memories through 108 poems
With elements of both poetry and memoir, ¡°Borderlines: An Astral Experience in Poems¡± by Alan Botsford, straddles the boundaries of genre.
A New Year's poetry ceremony is held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Wednesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jan 14, 2026
Prince Hisahito makes debut at imperial New Year¡¯s poetry ceremony
The prince submitted a poem, describing his delight in observing at close range a blue-patterned dragonfly.
Kotoba Slam Japan runs regional competitions to select a representative for the annual World Poetry Slam Championship, which will take place in Mexico at the end of the month.
CULTURE / Stage
May 9, 2025
Japan¡¯s slam poetry scene is all about raw vulnerability
Slam poetry is a rarity in Japan, but the scene is full of energy and potential that the poets have been bringing to the world slam poetry stage for 10 years now.
Graduation ceremonies in Japan will usually include a performance of the Japanese national anthem, ¡°Kimigayo.¡±
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
Mar 28, 2025
Attempting the classics: The world of waka poetry
The origins of this poetry style stretch back to at least the seventh century, when one of the emperor¡¯s wives composed it at court ceremonies.
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and Princess Aiko take part in the New Year's poetry reading ceremony at the Imperial Palace on Wednesday.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Jan 22, 2025
Princess Aiko attends New Year poetry event for first time
Poems written by imperial family members and guests were recited in a traditional style at the ceremony in the palace¡¯s Matsu-no-Ma state room.
Shuntaro Tanikawa
51³Ô¹ÏÍø
Nov 19, 2024
Poet Shuntaro Tanikawa dies at 92
Tanikawa, who is also known for translating the Snoopy and Charlie Brown comic strip ¡°Peanuts¡± into Japanese, died of natural causes.
Aomori-based writer JJ Carter presented on tabletop gaming as creative inspiration for building characters and narratives.
COMMUNITY / Our Lives
Nov 18, 2024
In Fukushima, a weekend of prose, poetry and translation
The latest edition of the Japan Writers Conference was a friendly forum for anglophone writers to connect and converse.
As childish as Ryokan may have been, human suffering wrung his heart. A portrait of the monk and calligraphy by him are shown here. (Ink on paper; early 19th century; replica before 1970)
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / History / The Living Past
Jul 21, 2024
Ryokan and us: ¡®How wide! How boundless!¡¯
The Edo Period monk could see the world through a child¡¯s eyes, maybe even those of a child from our modern era.
A statue of Santoku Taneda stands at Hofu Station in Hofu, Yamagata Prefecture, where the Zen monk was born in 1882.
51³Ô¹ÏÍø / History / The Living Past
Jun 14, 2024
The joy of Zen ¡ª Part 2: Poetry
Ryokan and Santoka lived in different times, connected by a knack for words but polar opposites when it came to the monk¡¯s life they both chose.
Japan Times
CARTOONS / ZERO GRAVITY
May 27, 2023
Roger Dahl on blogs
Japan Times
LIFE / Language / BILINGUAL
May 5, 2023
Why bilingual literature is needed in a place like Japan
Only when Japan¡¯s great stories are translated into other languages can we get a glimpse into the real lives of people living here.
Japan Times
CULTURE / Books
Apr 6, 2023
¡®Mister Timeless Blyth¡¯ traces the indelible influences of Zen and poetry
Alan Spence¡¯s new novel, which was nearly 10 years in the making, follows the life of R.H. Blyth, a British scholar who helped bring Japanese poetry to the West.
Japan weighs regulating Pokemon cards amid trading mania
A Pokemon event is held in Jakarta on July 11
Head of Swiss euthanasia firm dies after collapsing while ascending Mount Fuji
Around 200,000 people typically scale the 3,776 meter Mount Fuji each year.
Indian brothers make manga debut in Japan
Two Indian brothers made their manga debut in Japan with "Kung Fu Kung Fool" ¡ª an action-comedy series that follows the adventures of a notorious thief and a young boy.
Japan scientists identify clusters of protein believed to trigger Alzheimer¡¯s disease
A team of researchers said they found a ¡°seed¡± that accelerates the amyloid beta accumulation process in the brain, naming it ¡°Peak 1 amyloid beta,¡± as seen in a mouse's brain.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
The sci-fi sensibilities of electronic trio Black Boboi
Black Boboi was formed in 2018 when solo artists Julia Shortreed, Utena Kobayashi and Ermhoi came together under Kobayashi¡¯s newly founded label, Bindividual.
A perfect storm: Kaze Fujii fans flock to Fuji Rock
Okayama-born singer-songwriter Kaze Fujii has carved out a distinctive place in Japanese pop since his major-label debut in 2019.
Can Japanese comedy get laughs in English? Yoshimoto Kogyo lets the jokes rip
Wes-P has millions of followers and his viral clips made him recognizable out of Japan.
The 180-day locals: Life on Japan¡¯s digital nomad visa
Christopher Flinn works remotely from Tokyo earlier this month. Japan issued 646 digital nomad visas in 2025, but tourism officials are hoping to increase that figure in the coming years, with Japan's relatively cheap cost of living and the weak yen seen as potential draws for young professionals.
Japan reveals hint of new defense spending target in fiscal blueprint
The Self-Defense Forces' Type 16 mobile combat vehicle fires during a joint live-fire drill with U.S. Marines as part of the annual Resolute Dragon exercises in Yufu, Oita Prefecture, on June 28.

Podcast

One of the many entrances to the Kabukicho neighborhood in Tokyo¡¯s Shinjuku Ward.
Kabukicho: Tokyo¡¯s ¡®stadium of desire¡¯

Longform

For many people, utility poles and power lines have become such a familiar part of Japan¡¯s landscape that they often go unnoticed.
Why Japan¡¯s utility poles won¡¯t be disappearing anytime soon
By Alex K.T. Martin

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