Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Inao Ito

いとう いなお

Itō Inao

Pen Names: Inao（Haigo (pen name taken from his native Ina region)）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1949 （Komagane, Nagano Prefecture, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Komagane, Nagano (birthplace) → Kanda-Jinbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo (ran izakaya "Ginkan-tei")

Career

Occupations
haiku poet, company employee (finance), izakaya proprietor, author
Active Years
1982-
Influenced By
Minagawa Bansui

Education

Nagano Prefectural Inakita High School
Country: Japan
Keio University
Faculty of Law / Department of Political Science
Country: Japan
Graduated from Faculty of Law, Department of Political Science

Awards

Shunko Award
1990
Organization: Shunko (haiku magazine)
Result: 受賞
Haijin Kyokai Newcomer Award
1998
Work: Haiku collection 'Ginkan'
Organization: Haiku Poets Association
Result: 受賞
Haijin Kyokai Award
2018
Work: Haiku collection 'Zenzen to'
Organization: Haiku Poets Association
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Ginkan

Haiku

A haiku collection featuring poems about the Ina region's landscapes and seasonal sensibilities. One of the author's major works and instrumental in winning the Haiku Poets Association Newcomer Award.

natureseasonshometown

Haiku Collection 'Chimei Nao'

2009 Haiku

Published in 2009, this collection presents mature perspectives on everyday life and nature.

everyday lifeagingviews of nature

Kadokawa Haiku Library: 'The Wandering Haiku Poet Inoue Igetsu'

2014 Essay / Biography

An essay/biographical work on haiku poet Inoue Igetsu, published as part of the Kadokawa Haiku Library series.

history of haikupoet biography

Ginkan-tei Anecdotes — And Kyoto

2017 Essays / Memoir

An essay collection recounting memories from the izakaya 'Ginkan-tei' and stories related to haiku.

running an eaterymemorieshaiku-related anecdotes

Haiku Collection 'Zenzen to'

2018 Haiku

Published in 2018, this collection features concise language capturing everyday life and traces of nature. It won the Haiku Poets Association Award.

concisenessnotions of everyday lifeseasonality

Bibliography

  • Haiku Collection 'Chimei Nao' (Kadokawa 21st Century Haiku Series), 2009
  • Kadokawa Haiku Library: 'The Wandering Haiku Poet Inoue Igetsu', 2014
  • Ginkan-tei Anecdotes — And Kyoto, 2017
  • Haiku Collection 'Zenzen to', 2018
  • Haiku Collection 'Ginkan' (publication year unknown)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
concise, sharp expressionuse of traditional kigo (seasonal words)emphasis on regional/local sensibility
Recurring Motifs
Ina region landscapesseasonal changedetails of everyday life

Legacy

Inao Ito is a contemporary haiku poet known for work reflecting the landscape and sensibilities of the Ina region in Nagano. Through publishing haiku collections, founding/editing the journal 'Ginkan', and running the izakaya 'Ginkan-tei' as a haiku meeting hub, he has contributed to the haiku community. He has received honors including the Haiku Poets Association Newcomer Award and the Haiku Poets Association Award.

Academic Societies

  • Haiku Poets Association

In Popular Culture

  • "Ginkan-tei", the izakaya known as a gathering place for haiku enthusiasts

Trivia

  • His haigo 'Inao' is derived from his native Ina region.
  • He ran the izakaya 'Ginkan-tei' in Kanda-Jinbocho (closed May 2020).
  • He began writing haiku after participating in workplace haiku gatherings arranged by business contacts.
  • He studied under Minagawa Bansui.