Narrow Road to the Deep North tourist information
Matsuo Basho
Born Matsuo Munefusa in 1644 in the town of Ueno near Kyoto, Matsuo Bashō (松尾芭蕉) is generally regarded as Japan's greatest haiku poet, largely responsible for creating the art form with its 5-7-5 syllable syntax. His pseudonym Bashō means "banana tree", chosen after a fruitless tree near his hut. He achieved a modest degree of fame during his lifetime with gems such as this:
- 古池や (Furuike ya)
- 蛙飛び込む (Kawazu tobikomu)
- 水の音 (Mizu no oto)
- An old pond!
- A frog jumps in—
- the sound of water.
Tired with a sedentary life, in 1684 he embarked on the first of his many trips, traveling to Mount Fuji and Ise. His art reached its greatest form during his five-month trip to the Deep North in 1689, during which he wrote his masterpiece The Narrow Road to the Deep North developing his concept of sabi, the identification of man with natural beauty.
Basho died in 1694 shortly after leaving Kyoto on another trip, and is buried in the town of Otsu.
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One of the most famous travelogues ever, the Narrow Road continues to inspire Japanese art and visitors to Tohoku, and each of the places Basho visited continues to revere his poems and observations.
In Basho's day, the land of Oku (奥), literally "Within", was the back of beyond in Japan, where farmers eked out a meager living and bandits and hermits roamed in the mountains. Well aware of the dangers awaiting him, Basho fully expected to never return, selling his house and preparing a will.
When reading Basho's work, it is important to note that he takes more than a few poetic liberties with the exact route chosen and the sights seen. Fortunately, he traveled for most of the way with fellow poet Sora, whose more factual diary has allowed the reconstruction of the route.
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