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Paper short abstract

Bashō’s 1689 journey produced kasen sequences preserved in multiple sources, revealing revisions and Bashō’s critical remarks. Focusing on the Yamanaka hot springs kasen, this presentation compares haikai rules with practice, offering insight into collaborative composition and Bashō’s poetic vision.

Paper long abstract

During his journey through the “Deep North” of Japan’s main island in Genroku 2 (1689), Bashō met with rural haikai poets to compose linked verse in various forms. While these gatherings are alluded to in the famous Oku no Hosomichi, the actual records of the linked poetry survive in other sources. Of the twelve fully preserved kasen sequences – each consisting of thirty-six stanzas – two appear in two distinct versions: one reflecting the original record of the historical session, the other a later revision. In one case, the identity of the reviser remains uncertain. The original texts reveal significant departures from established conventions, such as the prescribed placement of seasonal topics like “moon” and “flower,” and the inclusion of inappropriate themes.

Of particular interest is the kasen composed at the Yamanaka hot springs. Absent from Sora’s travel diary (the so-called Sora tabi nikki), it is preserved instead in the anthology Ushin-shū (Utatsu-shū), compiled by the Kanazawa poet Sojō. This sequence, titled “Autumn of Genroku 2: Escorting the Master and Enjoying Yamanaka Hot Springs – A Three-Person Sequence,” is the only linked verse from the 1689 journey incorporated into Utatsu-shū (through Hokushi) and later into other anthologies. The Yamanaka-shū contains both the original version and – according to its title – a revised version attributed to Bashō himself. This kasen is especially significant because Hokushi, a highly esteemed local haikai poet, included it in Utatsu-shū, and because the revised version preserves Bashō’s critical remarks. These comments offer a rare glimpse into Bashō’s aesthetic principles.

By analyzing these remarks, I examine Bashō’s vision of haikai poetry. Drawing on the shikimoku (rules for linked verse) and the Tsukeawase-shū (a compendium of associative word groups), I compare normative guidelines with actual poetic practice. The kasen transmitted in multiple sources thus provide a unique opportunity to explore the complex dynamics of collaborative composition and the evolving standards of haikai in the late seventeenth century.