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Makoto Aoki

あおき まこと

Aoki Makoto

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1974-01-01 （Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Otaru, Hokkaido → Kyoto (Doshisha University, undergraduate & graduate) → Matsuyama, Ehime (Ehime University)

Career

Occupations
Researcher, University professor, Haiku scholar, Critic, Essayist
Active Years
2000-2025
Affiliations
Ehime University, Faculty of Education
Influenced By
Masaoka Shiki, Takahama Kyoshi, Yamaguchi Seishi, Matsuo Basho

Education

Otaru Choryo High School
Country: Japan
High school graduate
Doshisha University, Faculty of Letters, Department of Cultural Studies (Japanese literature)
Faculty of Letters / Department of Cultural Studies (Japanese Literature)
Degree: BA / MA / Ph.D (文学博士（国文学）)
Country: Japan
Completed bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs; Ph.D. in Japanese literature

Awards

17th Kaki-e Prize
2008
Work: '"Associations" of "Natural Order": Masaoka Shiki and Psychology' (academic article)
Organization: Kaki-e Bunko (Itami)
Result: winner
30th Ehime Publishing Culture Prize (Grand Prize)
2015
Work: Sono Me, Haijin ni Tsuki: From Masaoka Shiki and Takahama Kyoshi to Heisei
Category: 文学・評論
Organization: Ehime Shimbun
Result: winner
29th Haijin Association Criticism Newcomer Award
2015
Work: Sono Me, Haijin ni Tsuki
Organization: Haiku Poets Association
Result: winner
1st Haijin Association New Criticism Award
2015
Work: Essay 'On the Substance of "Shasei" in Meiji-era Haiku Innovation'
Organization: Haiku Poets Association
Result: winner
33rd Haijin Association Criticism Award
2019
Work: Aspects of Modern Haiku
Organization: Haiku Poets Association
Result: winner
Matsuyama City Cultural Promotion Merit Award (130th anniversary)
2019
Work: Contribution to promotion of haiku culture in Matsuyama
Organization: Matsuyama City
Result: recipient
36th Ehime Publishing Culture Prize (Research Division)
2021
Work: Co-authored 'The World of Shikoku Pilgrimage' (chapter on haiku and literature)
Category: 研究
Organization: Ehime Shimbun
Result: winner
38th Ehime Publishing Culture Prize (Literature Division)
2023
Work: Ehime: Traces of Literature (Toyo, Chuyo, Nanyo volumes)
Category: 文学
Organization: Ehime Shimbun
Result: winner
Ehime University President's Award
2021
Work: Contributions to co-authored work 'The World of Shikoku Pilgrimage' and related research
Organization: Ehime University
Result: recipient
Ehime University President's Award
2022
Work: Outstanding achievements in individual academic research
Organization: Ehime University
Result: recipient

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Sono Me, Haijin ni Tsuki: From Masaoka Shiki and Takahama Kyoshi to Heisei

2013 Criticism / Research

A collection of essays examining the development of haiku from the modern to contemporary era, using figures such as Masaoka Shiki and Takahama Kyoshi to explore concepts like shasei and innovation.

modern haikushasei (sketching from life)haiku history

Aspects of Modern Haiku: Masaoka Shiki, Takahama Kyoshi, Yamaguchi Seishi, etc.

2018 Criticism / Research

An essay collection analyzing major haiku poets and schools since the Meiji period; explores topics such as Seishi Yamaguchi's serial haiku and montage-like techniques.

Yamaguchi Seishi studiesserial haikumodernism

Ehime: Traces of Literature (Toyo, Chuyo, Nanyo volumes)

2022 Essay / Regional literary study

A three-volume work surveying literature, haiku and culture related to Ehime Prefecture, introducing local figures and works to present the region's literary history.

regional literatureEhimecultural history

Basics of Learning: Haiku as Liberal Arts

2022 Introductory / General education

An introductory book that explains the basics of haiku, how to read kigo and form, aimed at general readers and promoting haiku as part of liberal arts education.

haiku primerseasonal words (kigo)literary education

Bibliography

  • Sono Me, Haijin ni Tsuki: From Masaoka Shiki and Takahama Kyoshi to Heisei
  • NHK Culture Radio: The Transformers of Haiku
  • Aspects of Modern Haiku
  • Concise Intro to Modern Haiku Poets: Masaoka Shiki, Kawahigashi Hekigoto, Takahama Kyoshi
  • Ehime: Traces of Literature (Chuyo, Nanyo, Toyo)
  • Basics of Learning: Haiku as Liberal Arts
  • Conversational Introduction to Modern Haiku Poets

Style & Themes

Literary Style
clear prose grounded in scholarly textual analysisaccessible style alternating between criticism and essaycomparative analysis based on historical sources
Recurring Motifs
shasei (sketching from life)seasonal words and formserial haiku and montage-like techniquesregional literature (Ehime)

Legacy

A respected scholar and critic in the field of modern and contemporary haiku research. His analyses of figures such as Masaoka Shiki and Yamaguchi Seishi and his regional literary work have influenced both academia and the general public.

Academic Societies

  • The Society for Modern Japanese Literature
  • Haiku Poets Association (associated)

In Popular Culture

  • Influence on general audiences via TV and radio appearances explaining haiku
  • Making regional culture visible through serial essays in the Ehime Shimbun

Trivia

  • Born in Otaru, Hokkaido.
  • Has publicly stated he is a fan of artist Shinro Ohtake.
  • Listened to Led Zeppelin frequently during high school.
  • Active in promoting literature and culture related to Ehime Prefecture.