Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Aoyagi Shigeki

あおやぎ しげき

Aoyagi Shigeki

Aliases: 青柳茂樹
Pen Names: Aoyagi Shigeki（Birth name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1929-01-24 （Hozumi Village, Minamisaku District, Nagano Prefecture (now Sakuhomachi), Japan）
Died
2021-02-14 age 92
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Nagano Prefecture (Hozumi Village → Sakuhomachi) → Tokyo (employment and landscape business)

Career

Occupations
haiku poet, businessman, landscape gardener, author
Active Years
1953-2021
Influenced By
Kato Shuuson, Soma Senko, Hara Koko, Hayashi Kunihiko

Education

Tokyo University of Agriculture (old system), Specialized Department
Specialized department (old system)
Country: Japan
Completed the specialized department under the old system

Awards

Haiku Poets Association Award
1992
Work: Haiku collection 'Matsu wa Matsu'
Organization: Haiku Poets Association
Result: 受賞
Yosa Buson Prize
2014
Work: Haiku collection 'Satoyama'
Organization: Yosa Buson Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Jakotsu Prize
2018
Work: Haiku collection 'Fuyuki no Sakura' (Winter-tree Cherry)
Organization: Jakotsu Prize Committee
Result: 候補

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Sugiyama (Haiku Collection)

1973 Haiku collection

An early haiku collection showcasing his nature-based style and botanical observations.

natureplantsseasons

Matsu wa Matsu (Haiku Collection)

1992 Haiku collection

A representative collection reflecting his 'nature is itself nature' principle; includes works that contributed to his Haiku Poets Association Award.

view of natureplantslocal landscape

Satoyama (Haiku Collection)

2013 Haiku collection

A collection of haiku depicting satoyama landscapes and human activity; includes the Yosa Buson Prize-winning work.

satoyamanature and humanssense of season

Fuyuki no Sakura (Haiku Collection)

2017 Haiku collection

A late-career collection focusing on winter landscapes, trees, and flowers with deep observation.

wintertreesflowers

Bibliography

  • Sugiyama (Haiku Collection) (Bokuyosha, 1973)
  • Yamadoki (Yama-reki) (Bokuyosha, 1976)
  • Sansui (Haiku Collection) (Bokuyosha, 1979)
  • Matsu wa Matsu (Haiku Collection) (1992)
  • Hyakka Shoyo (Wandering Among Flowers) (Kadokawa, 1990)
  • Satoyama (Haiku Collection) (Bungakunomori, 2013)
  • Fuyuki no Sakura (Haiku Collection) (Kadokawa Cultural Foundation, 2017)
  • Flowers of the Saijiki (Asahi Shimbun, 1999)
  • Tree Flowers, Grass Flowers (Kadokawa, 1997)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Naturalist haiku guided by the principle 'nature is itself nature'Descriptive observation of plants and seasonal details
Recurring Motifs
plantsflowerssatoyama (countryside)seasonal change

Legacy

A haiku poet known for observational, nature-based verse rooted in botanical knowledge. His collections on local nature were well regarded and he remained active in the haiku world for decades.

Academic Societies

  • Haiku Poets Association

Archives

  • National Diet Library (holds works)

Quotes

  • Peacefully, a winter egg cracked
    Source: Haiku collection; source unspecified
  • The oleander-lined road continuing to Hiroshima
    Source: Haiku collection; source unspecified

Trivia

  • Birth name was Aoyagi Shigeki (青柳茂樹).
  • Worked cultivating roses at Tokyu Group's Goto Rose Garden and founded a landscaping firm 'Tokyo Ryokuchi' in 1963.
  • Authored numerous books on plants and flowers in addition to haiku collections.