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Yasuko Tsushima

つしま やすこ

Tsushima Yasuko

Profile

Gender
Female
Born
1953-10-22 （Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan）
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan → New Haven, Connecticut, USA → Bangkok, Thailand → Tokyo, Japan

Career

Occupations
haiku poet, magazine editor, university staff
Active Years
1972-
Affiliations
Magazine 'Mugi', Haiku journal 'Ten'i', Gendai Haiku Association, Tokyo Haiku Federation, International Haiku Exchange Association, Japan Writers' Association
Memberships
Gendai Haiku Association, Tokyo Haiku Federation, International Haiku Exchange Association, Japan Writers' Association
Influenced By
Gan'igo Nishimura, Seison Yamaguchi, Akito Arima

Education

Japan Women's University
Faculty of Letters / Department of Japanese Literature
Period: 1972-1976
Year of Graduation: 1976
Country: Japan
Wrote for literary club during university; began composing haiku while a student

Awards

28th Mugi Writers' Prize
1984
Work: Works from her overseas period
Organization: Magazine 'Mugi'
Result: 受賞
Commendation by the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
2015
Work: Long-term haiku activity and contributions to promotion of haiku
Organization: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)
Result: 受賞
Arakawa Ward Special Service Award
2015
Work: Contributions to cultural promotion in Arakawa Ward
Organization: Arakawa Ward
Result: 受賞
10th Katsura Nobuko Prize
2019
Work: Haiku collections and long-term haiku activities
Organization: Katsura Nobuko Prize Committee
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Aikoku (Patriotism)

Haiku

A haiku collection containing works that weave personal observation with a sense of the seasons.

seasonsdaily lifesocial perspective

Junjo (Purity)

Haiku

A haiku collection with many poems that capture emotional subtlety and human relationships.

emotionfamilyintrospection

Collected Works of Yasuko Tsushima

Haiku collection

Selections of representative haiku and collected works.

selected worksoverview

Ten-no

Haiku collection

Haiku collection and works related to the journal of the same name.

naturespirituality

Kyomei

Haiku collection

A haiku collection containing poems composed from a distinctive perspective.

observationrestraint in language

Bibliography

  • Aikoku (Patriotism)
  • Junjo (Purity)
  • Collected Works of Yasuko Tsushima
  • Ten-no
  • Kyomei
  • Selection Haijin 13: Collected Works of Yasuko Tsushima
  • Co-edited: 'Shinsen 21', 'Cho-Shinsen 21', 'Encyclopedia of Modern Haiku Appreciation', etc.

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Plain, near-colloquial expression with sharp observational eyeFusion of traditional seasonal word usage and modern perspectives
Recurring Motifs
seasonal depictionsmall scenes of daily lifefamily and human relationshipslandscapes informed by overseas experience

Legacy

Through long-term haiku composition, editorial work and international exchange, she contributed to the promotion of modern haiku and international haiku collaboration. She served as chair of the magazine 'Mugi' and editor-in-chief of 'Ten'i', influencing the development of younger poets.

Academic Societies

  • Gendai Haiku Association
  • Tokyo Haiku Federation
  • International Haiku Exchange Association
  • Japan Writers' Association

Trivia

  • Married Gan'igo Nishimura in 1978.
  • Lived in New Haven from 1981 to 1983 during Nishimura's Yale study.
  • Established and ran the 'Asia Haiku' column in the Asahi Shimbun international satellite edition from 1994 to 2003.
  • Received the MEXT Commendation in 2015.
  • Received the 10th Katsura Nobuko Prize in 2019.