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Hiroshi Yoshino

よしの ひろし

Yoshino Hiroshi

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1926-01-16 （Sakata, Yamagata, Japan）
Died
2014-01-15 （Fuji, Shizuoka, Japan） age 87
Nationality
Japan
Languages
Japanese
Residence History
Sakata, Yamagata, Japan → Kita-Iriso, Sayama, Saitama, Japan → Fuji, Shizuoka, Japan

Career

Occupations
Poet, Lyricist, Essayist
Active Years
1952-2014
Influenced By
Kotaro Takamura, Keiji Tomioka
Influenced
Shogo Hamada, Taichi Yamada, Hirokazu Kore-eda

Education

Yamagata Prefectural Sakata Commercial School
Period: 〜1942
Year of Graduation: 1942
Country: Japan
Graduated early due to wartime acceleration

Awards

Yomiuri Literature Prize (Poetry/Verse category)
1972
Work: Kanshō Ryokō
Category: 詩歌俳句賞
Organization: Yomiuri Shimbun
Result: Winner
Shika Bungakukan Prize
1990
Work: Shizen Jūtai
Organization: Poetry & Song Literature Museum
Result: Winner
Sakata City Special Merit Award
1996
Organization: Sakata City
Result: Winner
Saitama Cultural Award (Arts)
1998
Category: 芸術部門
Organization: Saitama Prefecture
Result: Winner

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Wedding Song (Shukonka)

Poetry

A poem written and sent for his niece's wedding; widely known for being quoted at wedding receptions.

FamilyBlessingLife

Sunset

Poetry

A short poem depicting everyday scenery in a gentle tone; has been included in Japanese language textbooks.

NatureEveryday life

I was born

1952 Poetry

One of his representative poems published in the magazine 'Shigaku' in 1952; quietly contemplates existence and birth.

BirthSelf

Rainbow's Feet

Poetry

A lyrical poem using metaphoric imagery; known as one of his representative works.

NatureImagery

Bibliography

  • Shōsoku
  • Maboroshi / Method
  • 10-Watt Sun
  • Hiroshi Yoshino Collected Poems (Shichōsha)
  • Kanshō Ryokō
  • Kita-Iriso
  • Shizen Jūtai
  • Complete Poems of Hiroshi Yoshino
  • Selected Poems Chosen by His Wife and Two Daughters

Adaptations

  • Choral Suite 'Seasons of the Heart' (music by Saburō Takata)
  • Partial quotation of poems by Shogo Hamada (permission for album inclusion)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Plain, conversational styleLyrical imagery rooted in everyday experience
Recurring Motifs
FamilyNatureEveryday scenesLife

Health

  • Pulmonary tuberculosis
    1949-1952
    Began writing poetry during convalescence
  • Pneumonia
    2014
    Died in 2014 due to pneumonia

Legacy

He is widely appreciated for his plainspoken, humane poetry; works such as 'Shukonka' became popular at weddings and in school textbooks. After his death, exhibitions and readings in places connected to him have continued.

Museums

  • Saitama Literature Museum (exhibition venue) Okegawa, Saitama, Japan
  • Sayama City Civic Exchange Center (held memorial exhibition) Sayama, Saitama, Japan

Archives

  • Materials held by the National Diet Library
  • Exhibition materials in Sayama and Fuji (personal effects, manuscripts)

In Popular Culture

  • Shogo Hamada was inspired by Yoshino's poem and sought permission to include it in an album.
  • Quotations of his poems in TV/drama and films (e.g., Taichi Yamada, Hirokazu Kore-eda).

Quotes

  • The 'Wedding Song' is like my folk song, so for this poem only, do not worry about copying or usage fees.
    Source: Interview/statement (compiled from multiple sources)

Trivia

  • 'Shukonka' was written and sent for his niece's wedding and was later published.
  • Shogo Hamada has stated he was inspired by Yoshino's poem 'On a Snowy Day'.
  • After working in labor union activities postwar, he fell ill with tuberculosis and began writing poetry during his convalescence.