September 19, 2025
Basho Haiku Walkway #03
Basho’s Journey in Three Scenes
In Oku no Hosomichi, Basho’s poetic travelogue, each verse is more than a snapshot of landscape—it is a window into the human spirit as it encounters nature, history, and the realities of the road. From the surging force of rivers to the meditative quiet of temples, and even the rough indignities of travel, Basho recorded them all with unflinching honesty. In this installment, we follow him into Yamagata Prefecture, where three contrasting haiku reveal the vast range of his poetic vision.Haiku 7. Location: Ōishida, Yamagata Prefecture
五月雨を あつめて早し 最上川
Gathering the summer rains,
the swollen Mogami River
rushes swiftly on.
Behind the Haiku - Discover the hidden stories behind each haiku -
1. The setting: The Mogami RiverBasho stood at Ōishida, gazing at the Mogami River—one of Japan’s most rapid and celebrated rivers. Known for its fierce currents, the Mogami was vital for transporting goods but equally feared for floods. In early summer, when mountain rains poured down, the river swelled into a mighty torrent.
2. The seasonal rains (samidare)
The word samidare refers to the continuous rains of the fifth month in the lunar calendar (early summer). These rains, gathering from countless mountain streams, are imagined as if they were all drawn together into the Mogami, intensifying its speed.
3. Awe before nature’s force
Basho emphasizes not a picturesque view but the raw, unbridled energy of nature. The river’s unstoppable momentum mirrors the overwhelming vitality of the season, dwarfing human presence. For a traveler, it was a reminder of both the beauty and peril of the natural world.
Basho’s vision
This haiku transforms a landscape into a meditation on power: the Mogami becomes a living embodiment of energy. Rather than detail or ornament, the verse conveys immediacy—motion, force, and awe. For Basho, it was nature’s grandeur distilled into a single, breathless moment.
Haiku 8. Location: Risshaku-ji (Yamadera), Yamagata Prefecture
閑さや 岩にしみ入 蝉の声
Ah, such stillness—
into the rocks it seems to sink,
the voice of cicadas.
Behind the Haiku - Discover the hidden stories behind each haiku –
1. The setting: YamaderaRisshaku-ji, or Yamadera (“mountain temple”), is perched among steep cliffs and dense forests. The climb to its halls is lined with stone steps and rugged rocks, creating an atmosphere of solemn quiet. The natural surroundings, combined with the temple’s sacred aura, make the site one of profound tranquility.
2. The sound of cicadas
The cicada, a quintessential sound of the Japanese summer, is normally associated with intensity and heat. Yet here, Basho hears the cicada differently: its voice does not shatter the silence but deepens it, as though absorbed into the very rocks.
3. Stillness as presence
The phrase shizukesa ya is a poetic exclamation, capturing not emptiness but a presence so profound that it heightens awareness of all else. Silence and sound are no longer opposites—they coexist, with the cicada’s cry amplifying the depth of stillness.
Basho’s vision
This verse is often considered the essence of Basho’s Zen-influenced poetics: finding eternity in a fleeting sound. The cicada’s voice, ephemeral yet penetrating, fuses with stone and silence, leaving the traveler-poet with a moment of spiritual clarity amid nature’s transience.
Haiku 9. Location: The barrier gate of Shitomae, Yamagata Prefecture
蚤虱 馬の尿する 枕もと
Fleas and lice—
a horse relieving itself
right beside my pillow.
Behind the Haiku - Discover the hidden stories behind each haiku –
1. The setting: Shitomae BarrierAt Shitomae (尿前関), a checkpoint on the old road, Basho lodged in a crude hut near the barrier gate. Such lodgings were standard for travelers: bare, uncomfortable, and shared with animals. The environment contrasted sharply with the elegance of temples or scenic rivers.
2. The pests of travel
Fleas and lice were the constant companions of those on the road in Edo Japan. Basho does not conceal this indignity; instead, he records it with blunt honesty, showing the physical hardships of pilgrimage and poetic wandering.
3. A horse at his bedside
The detail of a horse urinating by its pillow adds comic grotesqueness. Yet it was also reality—lodgings often doubled as stables. For the refined poet, such conditions were a humbling reminder of the vulnerability of human life on the road.
Basho’s vision
Far from idealizing travel, Basho balances lofty poetic moments with unvarnished truth. This haiku strips away illusion: nature is not always sublime, and the poet is not immune to discomfort. By embracing even this roughness, Basho makes his journey authentic—poetry rooted in life’s raw immediacy.Next in the Journey
In our next installment, Basho’s journey leads him into Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures, where the legacy of samurai culture and the spirit of the northern provinces come vividly alive:- Haiku 10 — Chuson-ji, Iwate Prefecture
At this renowned temple complex, Basho contemplates the fleeting nature of glory in the shadow of the Golden Hall, once a symbol of the powerful Fujiwara clan - Haiku 11 — Hiraizumi, Iwate Prefecture
Amid the ruins of a once-flourishing capital, Basho reflects on impermanence (mujo), where grandeur has dissolved into quiet fields. - Haiku 12 — Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture
In the castle town of Sendai, center of the Date clan, Basho captures the atmosphere of a thriving domain, where history and the living present merge in verse.
