Takuboku Ishikawa
Takuboku Ishikawa, originally named Hajime Ishikawa, was a significant Japanese poet born in the mid-1880s in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. He grew up in a religious environment, as his father was a Buddhist priest. Ishikawa showed an early interest in literature, publishing his first literary work at a young age and composing tanka poems that gained recognition in local publications. In pursuit of his literary aspirations, he moved to Tokyo but faced health challenges that forced him to return home. Despite his struggles with poverty and chronic illness, he published notable poetry collections, including "A Handful of Sand," which is celebrated in contemporary Japanese literature. His later work, "Sad Toys," reflects the hardships he experienced, capturing a poignant and melancholic essence. Tragically, Ishikawa passed away at only twenty-six years old, yet his contributions remain influential, with translations of his work reaching audiences worldwide. His legacy endures through his poetry, diaries, and essays, which offer valuable insights into Japanese culture and literature.
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Subject Terms
Takuboku Ishikawa
- Born: February 20, 1886
- Birthplace: Jokoji Temple, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
- Died: April 1, 1912
Biography
Hajime Ishikawa, later known as Takuboku Ishikawa, was born either in October of 1885 or February of 1886, at Jokoji Temple in Iwate Prefecture, Japan, to Ittei and Katsu Ishikawa. His father, Ittei, was a Buddhist priest. In 1887 the family moved to Hotokuji Temple in Shibutami Village. Takuboku attended the Shibutami Primary School from 1891 to 1895 and then entered the Morioka Upper Elementary School and later Morioka Junior High School.
In 1899, Takuboku demonstrated his interest in literature with the publication of a hand- lettered literary pamphlet, “Choji-kai.” In the same year, he also met Setsuko Horiai, his future wife. Around 1900, he formed the Union Club, a study group to help him learn English. By the time he was sixteen, Takuboku was already writing the thirty-one-syllable poems called tanka. They first appeared in a local newspaper. Soon, his tanka were being published in the literary magazine Myojo. In 1902, he quit school to pursue a career in literature, traveling to Tokyo to visit with noted poets Taken and Akiko Yosano. He became ill, however, in 1903, and was forced to return home to Shibutami. Nevertheless, he continued to write and publish both poetry and articles in newspapers and magazines and begins using the pen name Takuboku.
In 1905, his first collection of poetry, Akagore (admiration), was published. In the same year, Takuboku married his sweetheart and founded the literary journal Shotenchi. He took a job as a substitute teacher at Shibutami Primary School to support himself and his family, which included his daughter who was born in 1906. Over the next years, he traveled from city to city, working as a journalist and writing poetry. In 1910, he published another volume of poetry, Ichiaku no Suna (A Handful of Sand). The poems in this volume are among the best-known and beloved tanka in contemporary Japanese literature.
Takuboku and his family lived in extreme poverty during these years, and they all suffered from serious health problems. In 1911, he was admitted to the hospital with chronic peritonitis. His health problems, poverty, and political unrest contributed to the dark nature of his last collection of poems, Kanashiki gangu (Sad Toys). The volume comprises the poems Takuboku wrote during his last year of life—his most beautiful, yet deeply sad, work. Kanashiki gangu was published in 1913, after the poet’s death.
In March, 1912, Katsu, Takuboku’s mother, died of tuberculosis. Takuboku followed his mother in death in April of the same year, and his wife Setsuko died in 1913.
Although Takuboku only reached the age of twenty-six, there is no doubt of his important contributions to Japanese literature. His tanka, free-style poems, diaries, and essays are all valuable representations of both genre and culture. In addition, the widespread translation of these works into English and other languages speaks to the international importance of Takuboku and his work.