September 5, 2025

Basho Haiku Walkway

In our previous article on August 5, we introduced the Basho Memorial Museum in Koto City, Tokyo. In 1680, the poet Matsuo Basho left behind his life as a haikai master in Nihonbashi and moved to a small thatched hut in Fukagawa. From this humble hermitage, he launched a new phase of haikai activity, producing many celebrated verses and travel writings, including Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North).

To honor his achievements, Koto City established the Basho Memorial Museum on April 19, 1981, followed by its branch museum near the Sumida and Onagi rivers on January 12, 1995. The museum not only exhibits rare materials related to Basho and haikai literature but also provides a venue for literary and cultural activities.

👉 Official website of the Basho Memorial Museum

The Haiku Walkway

Alongside the Onagi River, visitors can enjoy a special route known as the “Basho Haiku Walkway.”
A signboard invites passersby:
“Enjoy the haiku of poet Matsuo Basho, who began his journey of Oku no Hosomichi from this very place.”

Basho’s legendary journey stretched across more than 2,400 kilometers, taking him through the Tohoku and Hokuriku regions, where he visited many famous landscapes and poetic landmarks (utamakura). On the walkway, 17 of Basho’s haiku are displayed at random points, creating a literary promenade where poetry and scenery meet.

Let's begin this stroll together.
Come along and enjoy a “haiku walk” with Basho!

Left photo: Haiku 1. Location: Iro-no-hama, Fukui Prefecture

How desolate—
an autumn shore outshining
the sorrow of Suma.

Behind the Haiku　- Discover the hidden stories behind each haiku -
1. The autumn seashore
Basho stood on the quiet coast known as Iro-no-hama in Fukui Prefecture. In autumn, the wind is sharp and cold, the waves clear yet tinged with melancholy. Fallen leaves scatter, and the air itself seems to speak of solitude. Nature here conveys a sense of loneliness beyond words.

2. The legacy of Suma
The shore of Suma, in today’s Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture, has long held a symbolic place in Japanese classical literature. It appears in many works, most famously in The Tale of Genji, where Prince Genji, exiled from the capital, experiences profound loneliness by the autumn sea. Over centuries, Suma became a poetic emblem of sorrow and exile.

3. Basho’s discovery
What surprised Basho was that this remote and uncelebrated shore in Fukui evoked a solitude even deeper than the famous Suma. In a place outside the traditional literary canon, he uncovered an intensity of feeling that rivaled—and even surpassed—classical imagery.
This reveals Basho’s unique vision: he did not simply measure new landscapes against old traditions but discovered fresh emotions in unfamiliar places, capturing them in the concentrated form of haiku.

Center photo: Haiku 2. Location: Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture

Ishiyama’s rocks—
whiter still than the stones,
the autumn breeze.

Behind the Haiku　- Discover the hidden stories behind each haiku –
1. Geography and landscape
This haiku is said to have been composed when Basho visited Ishiyama in Komatsu, Ishikawa Prefecture. The area has long been known for its white limestone and tuff quarries, earning it the name “the town of stone.” Basho compares the clarity of the autumn wind with the whiteness of these rocks, declaring it “whiter than the stones themselves.” Here, “white” conveys not only color but also transparency, purity, and a cool sharpness.

2. Seasonal word and sensation
The phrase “aki no kaze ” (autumn breeze) is a classic seasonal word (kigo) in haiku. It signals the arrival of autumn and evokes feelings of freshness, melancholy, and the passage of time. In this poem, the autumn wind is so pure that it seems to surpass the whiteness of the rocks. Sight (the pale stone) and touch (the calm wind) merge, immersing the reader in the autumn atmosphere.

3. Aesthetic vision
Basho often sought to capture the essence of things beyond their outward form. By declaring the wind “whiter” than the naturally pure white stones, he highlights the subtle textures of nature and the stillness that seeps into the heart. This sensitivity resonates with the aesthetics of wabi-sabi, revealing the austere yet profound beauty of the autumn season.

Right photo: Haiku 3. Location: Izumozaki, Niigata Prefecture

The rough sea—
beyond Sado, stretching wide,
the River of Heaven.

Behind the Haiku　- Discover the hidden stories behind each haiku –
1. The setting: Izumozaki
This haiku was composed when Basho visited Izumozaki, a coastal town facing the Sea of Japan. Known since ancient times for its wild waves and strong winds, it was often described in poetry as araumi, “the rough sea.”

2. The presence of Sado Island
The poem refers to Sado, one of Japan’s largest offshore islands, long remembered as a place of exile. Aristocrats, poets, and monks were banished there, making Sado a symbol of loneliness and sorrow in Japanese culture. For Basho, too, Sado carried the weight of an isolated and distant island on the horizon.

3. The River of Heaven (Milky Way)
Above this scene, Basho imagines the Ama-no-gawa, the “River of Heaven”—the Milky Way. He layers the image so that beyond the turbulent sea lies Sado, and beyond Sado stretches the Milky Way across the night sky. Land, sea, and sky converge into one vast cosmic scale.

Basho’s vision

The haiku goes beyond just showing a view of the sea; it also captures a sense of the universe. The rough sea, the heavy solitude of Sado, and the splendor of the Milky Way come together in a single image, reminding us of human smallness compared to the vastness of nature. For Basho, the traveler, this was an experience of solitude mixed with awe — a moment of feeling connected to the enormity of the natural world.

Stay tuned for the next issue！