Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Naoki Kishimoto

きしもと なおき

kishimoto naoki

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1961-01-05 （Waki, Okayama, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Waki, Okayama, Japan → Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan

Career

Occupations
haiku poet, corporate executive
Active Years
1979-
Memberships
Member of 'Ten'i', Member of 'Shu', Member of 'Ao'
Influenced By
Toko Akao, Soba Hatano, Akito Arima

Education

University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law
Faculty of Law
Degree: 学士
Period: 1979-1983
Year of Graduation: 1983
Country: Japan
Began haiku activity while an undergraduate
Keio University Graduate School of Business and Commerce
Graduate School of Business and Commerce
Degree: 修了
Period: 1987-1989
Year of Graduation: 1989
Country: Japan
Completed graduate studies while working in industry

Awards

"Ao" (Ao) Doujin Prize
1991
Organization: Haiku magazine 'Ao'
Result: winner
Haijin Kyokai (Haiku Association) Newcomer Award
1993
Work: Haiku collection 'Shun'
Organization: Haiku Poets Association (Japan)
Result: winner
'Haikukai' Criticism Prize (1st)
1998
Organization: Haikukai (haiku magazine)
Result: winner
Haiku Association Criticism Newcomer Award
2009
Work: 'The Mechanics of Haiku'
Organization: Haiku Poets Association (Japan)
Result: winner
Haiku Association Criticism Prize
2012
Work: 'Takahama Kyoshi: The Power of Haiku'
Organization: Haiku Poets Association (Japan)
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Keitou

1986 haiku

Early collection featuring sharp shasei (sketching) haiku that capture everyday objects and scenes.

natureseasonalityshasei (sketching)

Shun

1992 haiku

A major collection containing many representative poems from his younger period, showing his agile craft.

seasonal juxtapositionmateriality

Kentan

1999 haiku

Mid-period collection mixing everyday sensibility with touches of humor.

everyday lifehumor

Kansha (Gratitude)

2009 haiku

Title expresses gratitude, dedicated in part to the late friend Hiroaki Tanaka; contains reflective haiku.

mourningnature

Sho

2014 haiku

Collection of more recent poems combining sharp shasei with tenderness.

shaseieveryday life

Kumo wa Tomo (Clouds Are Friends)

2022 haiku

Recent collection emphasizing views of nature and subtle humor.

naturevisual description

Bibliography

  • Keitou (Bokuyosha, 1986)
  • Shun (Kashinja, 1992)
  • Kentan (Kashinja, 1999)
  • Kansha (France-do, 2009)
  • Sho (Kadokawa Gakugei Publishing, 2014)
  • Kumo wa Tomo (France-do, 2022)
  • Selection Haijin 7: Naoki Kishimoto (Yushurin, 2003)
  • Naoki Kishimoto Best 100 (France-do, 2011)
  • Twelve Famous Verses a Year (Fujimi Shobo, 2000)
  • Naoki Kishimoto's Haiku Q&A (NHK Publishing, 2005)
  • The Mechanics of Haiku (WebPub, 2008 / rev. 2013)
  • Takahama Kyoshi: The Power of Haiku (Sanseido, 2010)
  • Haiku as a Way of Life: Introduction to Reading Collections (Sanseido, 2011)
  • Writers and Haiku (Shueisha Shinsho, 2021)
  • 100 Haiku of Kawabata Chosha: The Mystery of 'Kachou Junrei' (France-do, 2023)
  • Haiku Course: Mastering Kigo and Fixed Forms (Soshisha, 2024)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
shasei (sketching) observational style with concise imageryjuxtaposition of seasonal words that neutralizes sentimental tone
Recurring Motifs
seasonal layeringmaterial textureblack/grotesque humor

Legacy

A contemporary haiku poet highly regarded for observational shasei and sharp imagery. Active as a critic and selection committee member, he has had notable influence in the haiku community.

Academic Societies

  • Haiku Poets Association (Japan)

Quotes

  • I reach and touch — the sea's coldness on the cherry blossoms
    Source: Representative haiku
  • At the water plant, a thud — the carp's head
    Source: Haiku (from the collection 'Shun') (1992)

Trivia

  • Continued corporate career (TEPCO; later general affairs manager at Japan Electric Power Exchange) while maintaining haiku activities.
  • Serves as a selection committee member for awards such as the Ishida Hakyo Newcomer Award and Hoshino Tatsuko Newcomer Award.