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Having traveled all the way from Edo to Hiraizumi in Oshu to accomplish their major objective, Matsuo Basho and Kawai Sora set off from Ichinoseki in Iwate Prefecture towards Dewa (Yamagata and Akita Prefectures). According to Sora's travel diary, they departed Ichinoseki on May 14th, 1689 (July 1st in the Gregorian calendar), passed through Iwadeyama in Miyagi Prefecture, and entered Yamagata Prefecture from Sakaidagoe, which is now National Route 47
What is Oku no Hosomichi?
Statues of Basho and Sora at Risshakuji Temple
"Oku no Hosomichi" is a travelogue written by haiku poet Matsuo Basho and his disciple Kawai Sora, who traveled from Edo to Mutsu, and from Hokuriku to Ogaki in Gifu, visiting famous places and historical sites while composing haiku in each area
Utamakura refers to famous places and historical sites that poets of the ancient capital wove into their waka poems, imagining their images and emotions, and were the object of admiration for poets and haiku poets
The preface, "The moon and the days are travelers of eternity, and the years that come and go are also travelers,"is translated in textbooks as "The moon and the days are travelers on an eternal journey, and the years that go and the years that come are also travelers."
The book introduces the local culture and haiku poems composed in the Michinoku region, andMarch 27, 1689 (May 16, 1689 in the Gregorian calendar)records a journey of approximately 2,400 km over 156 days, starting from
[Iwadeyama] Heading for Naruko Onsen from Ichinoseki, but turning back at dusk and staying the night at Iwadeyama
The inner river and promenade at the site of the outer moat of Iwadeyama Castle. From Miyagi Digital Photo Library
Basho passed through Iwadeyama once and, "Ogorozaki"and"Mizu no Kojima,"but only their names are mentioned in the text.
At present-day Ogurozaki, the statue of Basho that used to be there has been removed, and at Mizu no Kojima,the "rock with pine trees growing on it in the middle of the river"has been buried in mud and debris by heavy rains, leaving only the information signs standing forlornly in both places.
Since Naruko Onsen was quite a distance from here, Basho returned to Iwadeyama and stayed at an inn
By the way, in the town of Iwadeyama, there are the ruins of Iwadeyama Castle, which was Date Masamune's base before he built Sendai Castle, and the beautiful old townscape still remains, making it a fun place to walk around
[Urinomae Barrier] Learn about the rigors of crossing checkpoints and mountain passes
Basho monument at the site of the Ureshimae Barrier, from Miyagi Digital Photo Library
The pass at the border is also known as Sakaidagoe or Nakayamagoe, and although it is at a low altitude, it is a difficult route with a series of steep, narrow paths
However, the difficulties weren't limited to the road itself. At the Shitomae Barrier, a checkpoint of the Sendai Domain located on the Miyagi side of the mountain pass,andBashoSora were suspected by the officials, perhaps because few travelers passed through, and their investigation took a considerable amount of time.
Afterwards, in the rain, we were allowed to stay at the home of a "Fukujin" (a person in charge of border security) in the Sakaida village, but we were unable to move due to heavy rain and spent two nights there
This magnificent farmhouse features a large hearth and is stillthe "Former Ariji Family Residence, House of a Border Guard,". The area around Sakaida was also a horse-breeding region, and the family kept their precious horses inside their homes to protect them from the cold. Basho was so moved by this scene that he composed a haiku here.
Pre-urinary contact information
Facility name: Urinary Seki
Address: 140 Ureshimae, Naruko Onsen, Osaki City, Miyagi Prefecture
Google Map
BashoA haiku composed by
Fleas and lice; horse urine; by the pillow
A literal translation would, "When you stay in a poor house, you are bitten by fleas and lice, and there is a horse by your pillow, and the sound of its urine echoes."However, Basho must have felt a sense of melancholy even in the sound of the horse's urine and turned it into a haiku.
Former Ariji Family Residence (Fukuto no Ie) from the official website of the Mogami Town Tourism Association
While some interpret this poem as a complaint about a terrible experience, many others say that Basho was touched by the fact that a man in a snowy area kept a horse in the dirt floor of his house and treated it as if it were a member of the family
Former Ariji family residence <Information>
Facility name: Former Ariji Family Residence (Fukuin no Ie)
[Obanazawa] A long-term stay to reunite with the haiku poet whom Basho fell in love with
Basho Seifu Historical Museum (former Suzuki Yabei family store) From the Obanazawa City Hall official website
At the suggestion of the border guard from Sakaida, Basho and Sora hired local young men as escorts, andthe Natagiri Pass, which was known to be infested with banditsa post town on the Ushu Kaido road, on May 17th (July 4th in the Gregorian calendar)Obanazawa,they arrived at
Basho was welcomed by his fellow haiku poet, Suzuki Seifu (whose real name was Suzuki Hachiemon), a wealthy merchant who represented the haiku world in Dewa
In the main text, Basho wrote about the man, saying, "He was wealthy but not lowly in heart, and he appreciated our long journey and let us stay with him for several days, giving us great hospitality."
Seifu also advised Basho and his companions to stay at Yosenji Temple, which had a great view, as it was the peak season for sericulture and Basho and his companions would be busy and restless. They stayed at Yosenji Temple for seven of their ten nights in Obanazawa
To express his gratitude for Seifu's hospitality, Basho included three haiku (one by Sora) in the Obanazawa chapter
BashoA haiku composed by
I make coolness my home and sleep there
The poem states, "I feel at home in this cool inn," expressing gratitude for the refreshing hospitality and a sense of relief after looking back on the difficult mountain crossing
"Nemaru" means "relaxing" in the local dialect
BashoA haiku composed by
Come out, the toads below the herding hut
The poem means "A toad is chirping from under the shed, come crawl out here," where shed is a hut for silkworms and toad is a toad, and it represents a summer seasonal word
I can picture Basho hearing a family member complaining in frustration that "toads eat silkworms," and then telling the toad, "Come out and I'll take a look at your face."
BashoA haiku composed by
The safflower, with the eyebrow brush as its lasting image
This poem means, "Looking at safflowers makes me think of the eyebrow brushes that women use when applying makeup." It evokes a sense of sexiness by likening the shape of safflower, the ingredient used to make the rouge that gives women's lips their gloss, to a makeup brush
Safflower (from the official Yamagata Prefecture tourism website)
Seifu's business was selling safflower, a specialty of Yamagata, including Obanazawa
[Risshakuji Temple] Famous poems left behind at Yamadera, one of Mutsu's most sacred mountains
Risshakuji Temple Main Hall (From the official Risshakuji Temple website)
On May 27th (July 14th in the Gregorian calendar), as we bid farewell to the refreshing breeze and head towards Yamagata City, we stop by Hojusan Asokawain Risshakuji Temple, also known as "Yamadera" (Mountain Temple), on our way there
When the group arrived it was already evening, so they changed their plans and stayed overnight at a temple lodging
This is a mountain temple with 1,015 stone steps to climb from the main gate to the inner sanctuary at the top. It is famous for its "Chikara Konnyaku," skewers of soy sauce-flavored balls of konnyaku, which can be eaten at souvenir shops along the approach to the temple
BashoA haiku composed by
The quietness of the cicadas seeping into the rocks
This haiku, which means "Oh, how quiet it is, the chirping of the cicadas seems to penetrate the rocks," is considered to be one of Basho's finest
In the main text, Basho describes Risshakuji Temple as "beautiful scenery and solitude," a four-character phrase that describes a state of "beautiful scenery and tranquility," and states that the silence clears the mind
【A detour to the depths⑤】How many haiku appear in the text? What is the convergence of the low ears?
The four original versions of "Oku no Hosomichi" all62 haikucontainBasho contributing 50andSora 11.However, there is actually one"Teiji"included (some sources say Basho contributed 51 and Sora 10).
Tatemimi's real name was Miyabe Yasaburo, and after they met in Sakata City, Yamagata Prefecture, he played an important role, such as introducing Basho to lodgings. There is a theory that he may have been a support person sent by the Ogaki domain to await Basho's arrival
summary
Basho and his party had a lot of trouble crossing the mountain pass from Miyagi to Yamagata, as they were viewed with suspicion at the checkpoint on the Miyagi side and were unable to pass through, and they were also held up by heavy rain at the pass
After much hardship, the group finally reaches Dewa, and from Yamadera they head to their next destination, Kisakata. Before that, however, they stop at Dewa Sanzan, one of the three major Shugendo pilgrimage routes in Japan
【Articles in the series "Traveling the Narrow Road to the Deep North"
I'm a former Edoite (Tokyoite) who loves Morioka and the six prefectures of Tohoku, and I'm a big fan of history, gourmet food, travel, sports, alcohol, and choral singing.
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