A classmate reunion to commemorate the erection of a monument bearing Masatoshi Yamagishi's haiku "The grip habit that remains on the gloves of the rice field closing ceremony" @ Yew Forest, Hokuryu Town

Tuesday, November 10, 2020

On Wednesday, September 16th, as part of efforts to promote cultural activities in Hokuryu Town, the Hokuryu Town Board of Education erected a haiku monument in the yew forest in recognition of the achievements of Masatoshi Yamagishi (77 years old), who has contributed to the local disaster prevention and cultural improvement of Hokuryu Town.

Yew forest where Masatoshi Yamagishi's haiku monument stands



Yew Forest (from the information sign)

This forest is a handmade symbol of the town, made with the cooperation of Dr. Dorogame (aka Nobukiyo Takahashi), members of the Mountain and River Plant Cultivation Group, the Sapporo Hokuryu Association, children from Wa Nursery School, students from Shinryu and Hekisui Elementary Schools, and many townspeople, and is made with local tree species, mainly broad-leaved Quercus mizunara and Siberian cherry, as well as the town tree, the Japanese yew. We hope that the trees will grow big and strong for the future. Hokuryu Town

Several monuments have been erected

A monument to Masatoshi Yamagishi's haiku

My classmates from Hokuryu Town Elementary and Junior High School

To commemorate the erection of the monument, a reunion for classmates from Hokuryu Town's elementary and junior high school days was held at Sunflower Park Hokuryu Onsen on Sunday, November 8th.

Prior to the social gathering, all the classmates gathered in the yew forest for a commemorative photo shoot. All 18 participants came to celebrate.

Classmates who came to celebrate (in no particular order, titles omitted)

Yamagishi, M., Sato, K., Yamashita, Y., Watanabe, T., Ishida, M., Katsu, N., Shibeya, Y., Takada, Y., Takimoto, I., Fujii, A., Yamamoto, K., Oji, S., Iwakura, M., Takagi, M., Takada, N., Kita, S., Ichinowatari, K., and Asano, S.

A monument with a haiku: "The grip habit remains in the gloves of the field closing ceremony"

Masatoshi Yamagishi: Received the "Michi" Haiku Association Haiku Writer Award and the 21st Hokkaido Haiku Poets Association Award

Yamagishi Masatoshi has served as a member of the Haiku Poets Association, chief of the Hokuryu Town Fire Department, and chairman of the Hokuryu Town Cultural Federation.

Born in Hokuryu Town on April 11, 1943 (Showa 18). In 1973 (Showa 48), he studied under Kita Kosei, the head of the Hokkaido Haiku Association, and from 2001 (Heisei 13), he studied under Minamoto Onihiko.

While farming, he devoted himself to haiku, and in 2015 (Heisei 27), he became a member of the Hokkaido Haiku Society "Tsubute," and published his collection of haiku, "Taru Ikki," in 2017 (Heisei 29). In October of the same year, he won the "Michi" Haiku Society Writer's Award, in 2018 (Heisei 30) the 21st Hokkaido Haiku Poets Association Award, and in 2020 (Reiwa 2) the 53rd Hokkaido Haiku Association Runner-up Award.

Yamagishi's thoughts on agriculture in his haiku

"This haiku expresses my way of life, and was written when I was in my 50s.

I studied under Kita Kosei, a carpenter haiku poet who advocated haiku for workers, and later under Minamoto Onihiko. I wanted to write a poem about my own occupation, farming.

"Tanshimai" is an event held to celebrate the end of a year's work in the fields with family and relatives. Although the year's work is over, the well-worn work gloves have a bad grip.

The image of the farmer working hard and with a single-minded love for the profession of agriculture is expressed through the creases on his removed gloves.

"I wanted to be able to write about the farming life that I have lived throughout my life, alongside farming, and leave it in my haiku," said Yamagishi, speaking with a warmth about his feelings towards haiku.

Presenting a bouquet to Yamagishi

The stone monument with a haiku by Masatoshi Yamagishi, which embodies the soul of farmers residing in the yew forest,
With boundless love, gratitude and prayers...

Other photos

・Click here for 32 photos of the classmate reunion to commemorate the erection of Masatoshi Yamagishi's haiku monument, "The grip habit that remains on the gloves at the end of the rice field."

Related articles

・Masatoshi Yamagishi's first haiku collection "Taru Ikki" is published(July 3, 2017)
・The Hokkaido Haiku Association, Hokuryu Branch, has been composing haiku for half a century(February 13, 2014)
・Masatoshi Yamagishi (resident of Hokuryu Town)(January 27, 2014)

◇ Photography and editing: Noboru Terauchi Interview and text: Ikuko Terauchi