Japanese Literary Awards

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Mari Moriga

もりが まり

Moriga Mari

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1960-06-06 （Ehime Prefecture）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
haiku poet, pharmacist
Active Years
1983-
Affiliations
Ao (literary magazine/group), Minase-no (founder / literary magazine), Hyakucho (literary magazine), Yuu (founder / literary magazine)

Education

Kobe Women's College of Pharmacy
Pharmacy
Country: Japan

Awards

Hyakucho Prize (1st)
1995
Organization: Hyakucho (literary magazine)
Result: winner
Haijin Kyokai Newcomer Award (33rd)
2010
Work: Haiku collection 'Matataku'
Organization: Haiku Poets Association
Result: winner
Haijin Kyokai Award (62nd)
2023
Work: Haiku collection 'Shimizu Atataka o Fukumu'
Organization: Haiku Poets Association
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Haijin Kyokai Prize 1 appearances
  1. Edition 62 (2022) award
    Work: Shimizu Atataka o Fukumu

    Mari Moriga's third haiku collection. Its title is named after the seasonal marker Suisen Ugoku (Moving Spring Waters), and the book is arranged in two-haiku units across 172 pages.

    Her third collection, following Nemuru Te and Matataku.

    172 pages
    haikuseasonswater

Works

Major Works

Nemuru Te

1998 Haiku collection

A collection of haiku focusing on domestic sensibilities and observations of nature. Prefaced by Akira Ogushi at publication.

natureeveryday lifefemale perspective

A Healing Haiku (co-authored with Hiroaki Tanaka)

2000 Introductory book / haiku commentary

Co-authored with Hiroaki Tanaka; an introductory guide to haiku including examples and commentary.

haiku introductionguidance on composing haiku

Matataku

2009 Haiku collection

A delicate collection rich in seasonal imagery; awarded the Haijin Kyokai Newcomer Award in 2010.

seasonalitymemorysilence

Shimizu Atataka o Fukumu

2022 Haiku collection

A recent collection addressing relationships, loss, and healing; recipient of the Haijin Kyokai Award in 2023.

losshealingfamily

Bibliography

  • Nemuru Te
  • A Healing Haiku (co-authored with Hiroaki Tanaka)
  • Matataku
  • Shimizu Atataka o Fukumu

Style & Themes

Literary Style
A style that follows traditional haiku forms while expressing modern sensibilitiesquiet, observational imagery
Recurring Motifs
changing seasonshome and everyday lifeloss and healing

Legacy

A haiku poet who balanced work as a pharmacist with literary activity; recognized for delicate observations of everyday life from a female perspective. Prizewinner of the Haiku Poets Association and active in founding and editing literary magazines.

Academic Societies

  • Haiku Poets Association

Archives

  • National Diet Library (authority records, etc.)

Trivia

  • She worked as a pharmacist while continuing her writing activities.
  • Her husband was haiku poet Hiroaki Tanaka. Her second daughter, Asaki Tanaka, is a fantasy painter.