Japanese Literary Awards

← Back to Home

Momoko Kuroda

くろだ ももこ

Kuroda Momoko

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1938-08-10 （Hongo, Tokyo (then Tokyo City)）
Died
2023-03-13 age 84
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
haiku poet, magazine editor, advertising planner
Active Years
1960-2023
Affiliations
Aoi Haiku Society (Aoi), Japan PEN Club
Memberships
Japan PEN Club
Influenced By
Seison Yamaguchi (Yamaguchi Seison), Tōta Kaneko

Education

Tokyo Woman's Christian University
Faculty of Letters / Department of Psychology
Degree: 学士
Period: 1956-1960
Year of Graduation: 1960
Country: Japan

Awards

Natsukusa Newcomer Award
1975
Organization: Natsukusa (haiku magazine/organization)
Result: 受賞
Natsukusa Award
1986
Organization: Natsukusa (haiku magazine/organization)
Result: 受賞
Contemporary Haiku Women's Award
1982
Work: Ki no Isu (The Wooden Chair)
Organization: Modern Haiku Association
Result: 受賞
Haijin Association Newcomer Award (5th)
1982
Work: Ki no Isu (The Wooden Chair)
Organization: Haiku Poets Association
Result: 受賞
Haiku Poets Association Award
1995
Work: Ikki Issō (One Tree, One Grass)
Organization: Haiku Poets Association
Result: 受賞
Katsura Nobuko Award (1st)
2008
Organization: Katsura Nobuko Award Committee
Result: 受賞
Jyakko (Jakko) Prize (45th)
2011
Work: Nikko Gekkō (Sunlight and Moonlight)
Organization: Jakko Prize Committee
Result: 受賞
Modern Haiku Grand Prize (20th)
2020
Organization: Modern Haiku Association
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Ki no Isu (The Wooden Chair)

1981 haiku

First haiku collection, featuring everyday scenes and seasonal words (kigo).

seasonalitydaily lifenature

Mizu no Tobira (Door of Water)

1983 haiku

Second collection; notable for lucid expression and sensory depictions making use of kigo.

waterseasonalitymemory

Ikki Issō (One Tree, One Grass)

1995 haiku

A mature collection showing decades of work; noted for social awareness and quiet observation.

naturekigo (seasonal words)social concern

Kakasa Sōjō (Under Flowers, Above Grass)

2005 haiku

Collection from middle to later period; continues focus on nature observation and seasonality.

flowersseasonalitylandscape

Nikkō Gekkō (Sunlight and Moonlight)

2010 haiku

A collection centered on sensations of light and moon; winner of the 45th Jakko Prize.

lightmoonseasonality

Ginga Sanga (Galaxy, Rivers and Mountains)

2013 haiku

Later-period works where nature and a sense of the cosmos intersect.

naturecosmosseasonality

August

2023 haiku (posthumous)

Posthumous collection published as a memorial; considered a capstone of her life work.

memorialseasonalityreflection

Bibliography

  • Ki no Isu (The Wooden Chair) — Bokuyōsha, 1981
  • Mizu no Tobira (Door of Water) — Bokuyōsha, 1983
  • Ikki Issō (One Tree, One Grass) — Kajinsha, 1995
  • Kakasa Sōjō — Kadokawa, 2005
  • Collected Haiku of Momoko Kuroda — Kadokawa, 2007
  • Nikkō Gekkō (Sunlight and Moonlight) — Kadokawa Gakugei Publishing, 2010
  • Ginga Sanga — Kadokawa Gakugei Publishing, 2013
  • August — Kadokawa Gakugei Publishing, 2023 (posthumous)
  • Writing Your Haiku: A Life with Kigo — Shogakukan, 1987
  • Seasonal Notes for Life: Memories for the Future — Iwanami Shoten, 2011

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lucid, plain expressionuse of seasonal words (kigo)observational realism
Recurring Motifs
kigo (seasonal words)cherry-blossom pilgrimagelight and moonscenes of daily life

Health

  • intracerebral hemorrhage
    2023-03
    Died in March 2023 from an intracerebral hemorrhage

Legacy

Known for a plain, kigo-centered style and regarded as a leading female haiku poet. She founded the haiku magazine 'Aoi' and toured cherry blossoms nationwide, leaving influence in both creative and organizational spheres.

Academic Societies

  • Modern Haiku Association
  • Japan PEN Club

Archives

  • National Diet Library (holds works)
  • Modern Haiku Association archives (holds related materials)

Quotes

  • Chopping now the leek's shining stalk
    Source: Representative haiku (from collections)
  • First bridge, second bridge — a flurry of fireflies
    Source: Representative haiku (from collections)

Trivia

  • She was known for her bob haircut and wearing monpe as a trademark.
  • Known as a haiku poet of 'cherry blossoms' who spent about 30 years touring sakura across Japan.