Water Country Yanagawa and Other Writings

Kitahara Hakushū turns familiar landscapes into strange, luminous worlds. In his native Yanagawa, canals flow beneath old kitchens and white walls, carrying the memories of a childhood shaped by festivals, sake brewing, and the sea. In Asakusa, nighttime entertainments become a chain of uneasy, vivid images. A visit to Inuyama Castle with his young son brings humor, family tenderness, and reflections on place and history.

The collection also follows a household into a bamboo grove after the devastating 1923 earthquake. Against ruins, rumors, and fear, the poet watches plants continue their lives and searches for steadiness. His Pearl Selections compress longing and sorrow into brief songs; Green Seeds moves through cinema, flowers, and shadow; the long poems linger over snow, mountain light, frogs, and the quiet exchanges of husband and wife.

One of modern Japan’s major poets, Hakushū brings an exact ear for sound and a restless fascination with color to both poetry and prose. These nine works offer a varied encounter with his art, including the tensions and prejudices of his time. A new English translation with concise explanatory notes. AI-assisted translation.