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Saki Kono

こうの さき

Kōno Saki

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1983-06-04 （Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan → Tokyo, Japan (study/work)

Career

Occupations
haiku poet, university lecturer, television/radio presenter
Active Years
2000-
Affiliations
Modern Haiku Association (Youth Division Head)
Memberships
Modern Haiku Association
Influenced By
Akao Tomizawa

Education

Ikai Elementary School, Matsuyama
Country: Japan
Nishi Junior High School, Matsuyama
Country: Japan
Ehime Prefectural Matsuyama Higashi High School
Country: Japan
Belonged to the broadcasting club in high school; began haiku after covering the Haiku Koshien.
Ochanomizu University, Faculty of Letters and Education
Faculty of Letters and Education / Modern and contemporary literature (specific department unknown)
Country: Japan
Completed master's and doctoral courses at the graduate school; researched modern and contemporary haiku.

Awards

Shiba Fukio New Haiku Poets' Award (Encouragement Prize)
2002
Work: Hoshi no Chizu (Map of Stars)
Organization: Shiba Fukio New Haiku Poets' Award Committee
Result: 奨励賞
Best Haiku (Haiku Koshien)
2001
Work: "Canvas margin — August fifteenth"
Organization: Haiku Koshien
Result: 最優秀句
Ehime Publishing Culture Award
2019
Work: Daily Shiki & Soseki — 365 Days Through Haiku
Organization: Ehime Shimbun
Result: 受賞
Katsura Nobuko Prize
2019
Organization: Katsura Nobuko Prize Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Hoshi no Chizu (Map of Stars)

2002 haiku collection

An early haiku collection including works from her high school years, featuring youthful sensibilities and seasonal imagery.

youthseasonseveryday life

Hikari Mamire no Hachi (Bees Bathed in Light)

2012 haiku collection

A haiku collection including some reprints from 'Hoshi no Chizu', considered her first major official collection.

naturememorymoments of daily life

Daily Shiki & Soseki — 365 Days Through Haiku

2018 essays / curated haiku

A curated volume presenting one haiku a day by Shiki and Soseki; recipient of a regional publishing culture award.

haiku introductionliterary historyeveryday life

Electric Blankets Never Betray — I Won't Cry Anymore

2019 essay

A collection of essays reflecting on daily subtleties and personal observations.

everyday lifefemale perspectivehumor and poignancy

Bibliography

  • Hoshi no Chizu (2002, Maru Shobo)
  • Hikari Mamire no Hachi (2012, Kadokawa Shoten)
  • Getting Started with Haiku & Senryu: The Easiest Intro (co-authored, 2014, Ikeda Shoten)
  • 30-Day Drill: A Beginner-Friendly Haiku Workbook (2015, Ikeda Shoten)
  • Daily Shiki & Soseki — 365 Days Through Haiku (2018, Ehime Shimbun)
  • Electric Blankets Never Betray — I Won't Cry Anymore (2019, Nikkei Publishing)
  • Haiku by Women (2019, Furansudo)
  • Sumire Soyogu (2020, Saku Publishing)
  • Haiku Club, We Began — Singing the Once-in-a-Lifetime Now (2021, Iwanami Junior Start Books)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
concise, visually driven imageryblend of traditional seasonal awareness with contemporary sensibilities
Recurring Motifs
seasons (spring–autumn)nature (bees, fresh leaves)fragments of daily lifefemale perspective

Legacy

Active in haiku since high school, she gained early recognition as a young haiku poet. Through collections, instructional books and regional awards, she has contributed to the promotion and education of haiku.

Academic Societies

  • Modern Haiku Association

Quotes

  • Canvas margin — August fifteenth
    Source: 4th Haiku Koshien (Best Haiku) (2001)
  • Stand, bow, sit — the fresh-leaf wind passed
    Source: 4th Haiku Koshien (representative haiku) (2001)
  • Say you're lonely — make me a vine
    Source: 3rd Haiku Koshien (representative haiku) (2000)

Trivia

  • Began writing haiku after covering the Haiku Koshien in high school
  • Hosted NHK's 'Haiku Kingdom' from 2004 to 2010
  • Co-founded the haiku web magazine 'Spica' in 2011
  • Married fellow haiku poet Katsuhiro Takayanagi in 2013