Buson-ki (Yosa Buson Memorial Day)

What Is Buson-ki?

December 25 is "Buson-ki," the memorial day of Yosa Buson, a haiku poet and painter of mid-Edo Japan. It is also called "Shunsei-ki." Buson died on the 25th day of the 12th month of Tenmei 3 in the old lunar calendar -- January 17, 1784, by the modern calendar.

Poet and Painter Both

Buson left his name in two arts at once, and stands among the notable literati of the Edo period.

• Dates: born 1716 (Kyoho 1), died on 12/25 of Tenmei 3 (January 17, 1784)
• Roles: haiku poet, and a painter in the bunjinga (nanga) literati tradition
• Birthplace: Kema village, Higashinari district, Settsu Province (now Kema, Miyakojima Ward, Osaka)
• Family name: Taniguchi, or Tani; "Buson" was an art name, his given name Nobuaki
• The other name: "Shunsei-ki," after his painting name Shunsei

Where the Name "Buson" Comes From

The art name Buson is thought to derive from "Guiqulaici," a poem by the Chinese poet Tao Yuanming. He used several names over his life -- Sai-cho and Yahantei (the second) as haiku names, Shunsei and Sha-in as painting names. Among his best-known works is the Important Cultural Property "Black Hawk and Two Crows."

Tips for Marking This Day

• Read a few of Buson's haiku
• Set the poet and the painter side by side
• Look up images of his paintings, including the hawk and crows
• Try writing a verse of your own on a winter scene

A Lunar Date Kept on the Modern Calendar

Buson died on the 25th of the 12th lunar month, which fell on January 17 by the modern reckoning. The numbers were carried over anyway, and the memorial is now observed on December 25.