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Obara Takuyo

おばら たくよう

Obara Takuyō

Pen Names: Shigeo（birth name）

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1921-05-21 （Yahaba, Shiwa District, Iwate Prefecture, Japan）
Died
2020-09-23 age 99
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
haiku poet
Active Years
1951-2020
Memberships
Haiku Poets Association (advisor), International Haiku Exchange Association, Japan Writers' Association
Influenced By
Yamaguchi Seison

Education

Jichi Daigakkō (Local Autonomy College)
Country: Japan

Awards

Haijin Kyōkai Prize (36th)
1997
Work: Konkon
Organization: Haiku Poets Association
Result: winner
Haiku Shiki Grand Prize (4th)
2004
Work: Eternal Day
Organization: Haiku Shiki (magazine)
Result: winner
Shiika Bungakukan Prize (22nd)
2007
Work: Calm Heart
Organization: Museum of Poetry and Literature (Shiika Bungakukan)
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Kita no Kao

1972 haiku collection

An early collection of haiku focusing on the landscapes and life of the northern regions.

northern landscapeslocality

Konkon

1996 haiku collection

One of his representative mid-to-late career collections featuring locality and wry humor. Won the Haijin Kyōkai Prize.

localityhumor

Haruka Haruka

2000 haiku collection

A collection marked by a quiet melancholy and gentle observations.

melancholynature observation

Eternal Day

2003 haiku collection

A collection that explores a serene sense of time. Winner of the Haiku Shiki Grand Prize.

timetranquility

Calm Heart

2006 haiku collection

A reflective collection demonstrating balance in style. Winner of the Shiika Bungakukan Prize.

introspectionbalance

Jikon

2008 haiku collection

A mature collection capturing everyday life from a seasoned perspective.

everyday lifematurity

Fudō

2011 haiku collection

A collection addressing constancy, resolve, and an unshakable spirit.

constancyresolve

Black Waves

2012 haiku collection

Contains many poems written after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, addressing the disaster's impact and people's lives.

earthquake (disaster)sea

Innocent People

2014 haiku collection

A collection with many earthquake-related poems, notable for its empathy toward victims.

earthquake (disaster)empathy

Poems of the Land

1999 essays / criticism

Essays discussing the relationship between locality and poetic creation.

locality theorypoetics

Bibliography

  • Kita no Kao (Takutōsha, 1972)
  • Konkon (Kadokawa, 1996)
  • Haruka Haruka (Kadokawa, 2000)
  • Eternal Day (Kadokawa, 2003)
  • Calm Heart (Kadokawa, 2006)
  • Jikon (Kadokawa Gakugei, 2008)
  • Fudō (Kadokawa, 2011)
  • Black Waves (Kadokawa, 2012)
  • Innocent People (Kadokawa Gakugei, 2014)
  • Obara Takuyo Collected Haiku (Haijin Kyōkai, 1983)
  • Complete Seasonal Collected Haiku of Obara Takuyo (Kadokawa Gakugei, 2011)
  • Poems of the Land (Kadokawa, 1999)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
lyrical haiku emphasizing localityconcise expression often with wit
Recurring Motifs
localityseaflora and faunaearthquake/disasterfragments of everyday life

Legacy

One of the notable postwar haiku poets from Iwate. Known for combining locality with humor, he received several major haiku awards and made significant contributions with earthquake-related poems after the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

Academic Societies

  • Haiku Poets Association
  • Japan Writers' Association

Quotes

  • From among the things thrown off, a kitten —
    Source: haiku
  • Sea cucumber slice — arranged to its original shape
    Source: haiku

Trivia

  • Birth name was Shigeo.
  • Joined the haiku magazine 'Natsukusa' in 1951 and studied under Yamaguchi Seison.
  • Founded and edited the haiku magazine 'Juhyō' in 1978.
  • Participated in the founding of 'Ten'i' in 1990 led by Arima Akito.
  • In 2009 he handed over editorship of 'Juhyō' and became honorary director.