This critical collection discusses the varied faces of modern haiku, centering on Shiki Masaoka, Kyoshi Takahama, Seishi Yamaguchi, and others. It reads modern and postmodern haiku history from multiple angles, including the practice of shasei, poets' lives, and women haiku poets in postwar alleyway culture.

From Shiki to postwar haiku, the book traces the depth of modern haiku through documents and close reading.