Shiika Bungakukan Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 14 (1999) award
Tokihiko Kusama
くさま ときひこ
Kusama Tokihiko
Profile
- Gender
- Male
- Born
- 1920-05-01 （Tokyo Prefecture (birth)）
- Died
- 2003-05-26 （Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture (hospital)） age 83
- Nationality
- Japan
- Languages
- Japanese
- Residence History
- Tokyo (birth) → Kamakura, Kanagawa (raised) → Zushi, Kanagawa (convalescence)
Career
- Occupations
- haiku poet, essayist, literary critic, salaryman
- Active Years
- 1949-2003
- Affiliations
- Haiku Poets' Association, Mitsui Pharmaceutical Industrial Co., Ltd. (employee)
- Influenced By
- Shuōshi Mizuhara, Hakyo Ishida, Mantarō Kubota
Education
| Institution | Faculty | Department | Degree | Period | Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Musashi High School (old system) | — | — | — | — | Japan |
Musashi High School (old system)
Country:
Japan
Dropped out due to tuberculosis
Awards
| Year | Award | Work | Category | Organization | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | Tsuru Prize (2nd) | — | — | Magazine 'Tsuru' | winner |
| 1999 | Shika Bungakukan Prize (14th) | Haiku collection 'Bon-temae' | — | Poetry and Song Literature Museum | winner |
| 2002 | Jakko Prize (37th) | Haiku collection 'Taki no Oto' (Sound of the Waterfall) | — | Jakko Prize Committee | winner |
Tsuru Prize (2nd)
1955
Organization:
Magazine 'Tsuru'
Result:
winner
Shika Bungakukan Prize (14th)
1999
Work:
Haiku collection 'Bon-temae'
Organization:
Poetry and Song Literature Museum
Result:
winner
Jakko Prize (37th)
2002
Work:
Haiku collection 'Taki no Oto' (Sound of the Waterfall)
Organization:
Jakko Prize Committee
Result:
winner
Awards & Nominations
Dakotsu Prize
1 appearances
-
Edition 37 (2003) award
Works
Major Works
Bon-temae
1998 haikuA collection of haiku reflecting daily life, cooking and experiences of illness; includes poems from the perspective of a salaried worker.
everyday lifefoodillnessdeath
Taki no Oto (Sound of the Waterfall)
2002 haikuA late-career collection notable for its calm meditative tone and nature imagery.
natureagingtranquility
Ihahan (By the Pond)
2003 haikuA posthumous collection including representative haiku and selections (published 2003).
reminiscencenature
Middle Age
1965 haikuAn early collection including haiku about salaried-worker life.
middle agework life
Bibliography
- Middle Age (Taketoshi Publishing, 1965)
- Awazake (private edition, 1971)
- Sakurayama (Nagata Shobo, 1974)
- Asagayu (Tokyo Bijutsu, 1979)
- Yobanashi (Tokyo Bijutsu, 1986)
- Tenzo (Nagata Shobo, 1992)
- Bon-temae (Nagata Shobo, 1998)
- Taki no Oto (Nagata Shobo, 2002)
- Collected Works of Tokihiko Kusama (Haiku Poets' Association, 1981)
- By the Pond (France-do Bunko, 2003)
Style & Themes
- Literary Style
- light and urbaneconcise yet evocativeincorporation of everyday life into haiku
- Recurring Motifs
- illnessdeathfood/cookingsalaryman lifequiet nature
Health
-
tuberculosis若年期（20歳前後）Interrupted studies; convalescence led to deeper engagement with literature
-
renal failure (cause of death)晩年（2003年逝去）Died of renal failure in 2003
Legacy
Known for haiku about salaried-worker life and food, Kusama played a central leadership role in the Haiku Poets' Association and helped develop institutional support for haiku. His work is noted for an undercurrent shaped by illness and an awareness of mortality.
Museums
- Haiku Literature Museum (supported construction)
Academic Societies
- Haiku Poets' Association
Quotes
-
winter rose — a salaried poet with a meagre bonus
Source: haiku collection / source unspecified -
large raindrops are coming — the pike conger's skin
Source: haiku collection / source unspecified
Trivia
- His poems about salaried-worker life are sometimes called 'salaryman haiku.'
- His poems about cooking and food were affectionately called 'gourmet haiku.'