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Tokiya Sugawara

すがわら ときや

Sugawara Tokiya

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1940-10-08 （Sendai, Miyagi, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese

Career

Occupations
haiku poet
Active Years
1974-
Memberships
Modern Haiku Association, Miyagi Regional Modern Haiku Association

Education

Tohoku Gakuin University
Country: Japan

Awards

Kadokawa Haiku Prize
1980
Organization: Kadokawa Shoten
Result: winner
Miyagi Prefecture Arts Award (Newcomer)
1981
Organization: Miyagi Prefecture
Result: winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Before the Festival (Haiku Collection by Tokiya Sugawara)

1980 haiku collection

Early collection capturing regional sensibilities and seasonal imagery.

natureseasonalityregionalism

Long Swim (Haiku Collection by Tokiya Sugawara)

1988 haiku collection

A collection that portrays an expansive view of nature.

sealong viewtime

Kenji Miyazawa: The Man and Haiku

1991 essay / study

An essay examining the relationship between Kenji Miyazawa and haiku.

literary studyKenji Miyazawahaiku theory

Spray (Haiku Collection by Tokiya Sugawara)

1994 haiku collection

Works that delicately depict everyday details and movements of nature.

movementeveryday lifenature

The Sound of the Tide (Seasonal Haiku Collection by Tokiya Sugawara)

1996 haiku collection

A collection organized by seasonal words, focusing on the sea and tide imagery.

seakigo (seasonal words)tide

Amber (Haiku Collection by Tokiya Sugawara)

2000 haiku collection

A collection showing a mature poetic voice, characterized by symbolic imagery.

symbolismmaturitymemory

The World of 17 Syllables: Reading Taki's Haiku

2005 criticism / commentary

A commentary interpreting haiku centered on the magazine 'Taki', which he leads.

criticismmagazine studiesinterpretation

Curved Flame (Haiku Collection)

2009 haiku collection

A 21st-century collection attempting to fuse contemporary sensibility with tradition.

modernitytraditionflame

The Whale's Voice: 'Taki' Selections — Streams of Fact and Fiction

2012 selection

A selection of poems from the magazine 'Taki', notable for blending fact and fiction.

whalehaiku magazinefact and fiction

Bibliography

  • Before the Festival — Haiku Collection, Taka Haiku Series, 1980
  • Long Swim — Haiku Collection, Taka Haiku Series, 1988
  • Kenji Miyazawa: The Man and Haiku, Soei Publishing, 1991
  • Spray — Haiku Collection, Kadokawa, 1994
  • The Sound of the Tide — Seasonal Haiku Collection, Taki Publishing, 1996
  • Amber — Haiku Collection, Asahi Shimbunsha, 2000
  • The World of 17 Syllables: Reading Taki's Haiku, Taki Publishing, 2005
  • Curved Flame — Haiku Collection, Tokyo Shiki Publishing, 2009
  • The Whale's Voice: 'Taki' Selections, Taki Publishing, 2012
  • From the Whale's Notebook: Tokiya Sugawara Haiku Lecture Collection, Taki Publishing, 2012
  • The Whale's Ear: Focusing on 'Taki' Haiku, Taki Publishing, 2012

Style & Themes

Literary Style
traditional haiku style emphasizing kigo (seasonal words)delicate, symbolically rich expression
Recurring Motifs
naturesea and tidewhalesseasonal transition

Legacy

As a haiku poet based in Miyagi, he influenced the regional haiku community and, as editor of the magazine 'Taki', worked to nurture younger poets and promote haiku. A recipient of awards including the Kadokawa Haiku Prize, he holds a firm place in the haiku world from the late 20th century into the 21st.

Academic Societies

  • Modern Haiku Association

Trivia

  • Born October 8, 1940 in Sendai, Miyagi.
  • Founded and presides over the haiku magazine 'Taki'.
  • Won the Kadokawa Haiku Prize in 1980 and the Miyagi Prefecture Arts Award (Newcomer) in 1981.