Grave of Yosa Buson, or Yosa no Buson (1716 ¨C December 25, 1784), was a Japanese poet and painter from the Edo period. Along with Matsuo Bash¨ and Kobayashi Issa, Buson is considered among the greatest poets of the Edo Period. Buson was born in the village of Kema in Settsu Province (now Kema-ch¨, Miyakojima Ward in the city Osaka). His real last name was Taniguchi. Around the age of 20, Buson moved to Edo (now Tokyo) and learned poetry under the tutelage of the haikai master Hayano Hajin. After Hajin died, Buson moved to Shimo-Usa Province (modern day Ibaraki Prefecture). Following in the footsteps of his idol, Matsuo Bash¨, Buson traveled through the wilds of northern Honsh¨± that had been the inspiration for Bash¨'s famous Oku no Hosomichi (°Â¤Î¼šµÀ The Narrow Road to the Deep North). Buson published his notes from the trip in 1744, marking the first time he published under the name Buson. After traveling through other various lands, including Tango (the northern part of modern Kyoto Prefecture) and Sanuki (Kagawa Prefecture in Shikoku), Buson settled down in the city of Kyoto at the age of 42. It is around this time that Buson began to write under the name of Yosa. There is speculation that Buson took this name from his mother's birthplace (Yosa in the province of Tango) but this has not been confirmed. Buson married at the age of 45 and had one daughter, Kuno. From this point on, Buson stayed in Kyoto, writing and teaching poetry at the Sumiya. In 1770, he assumed the title of Yahantei , which had been the pen name of his teacher Hayano Hajin.
Continue in Kenneth Koch »»»
Page 1 of 1