Asakasha - Asakasha

A tanka poetry society. It was founded in February 1893 (Meiji 26) by Ochiai Naobumi, who named it "Asaka-sha" after the name of the town where he lived in Asaka-cho, Hongo-ku, Tokyo (now Honkomagome 3-chome, Bunkyo-ku). It is a private school-like organization presided over by Naobumi, and is a source of modern tanka poetry societies. Its purpose was to innovate tanka poetry, but it gradually came to focus on waka poetry. Its members included Ayukai Kaien, Omachi Keigetsu, Yosano Tekkan, Kubo Inokichi, Hattori Motoharu, Takeshima Hagoromo, Onoe Saishu, and Kaneko Kunen, totaling about 40 people. It respects individuality in its writing instruction and adopts a free policy. Their works were published in the newspapers "Nihon," "Jiyu Shimbun," and "Niroku Shinpo." When Tekkan and Kaien went to Korea, their activities naturally died out and essentially ended in July 1894, with the last poetry gathering being held in April 1896 when Tekkan returned to Japan. It is significant in that it encouraged the younger generation to innovate waka poetry, breaking away from old customs, and allowing young people to demonstrate their talents.

[Takeo Fujioka]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

短歌結社。落合直文(おちあいなおぶみ)が東京・本郷区浅嘉(あさか)町（現文京区本駒込3丁目）に住んだその町名にちなんで1893年（明治26）2月「あさ香社」と命名、結成した。直文主宰の歌文革新の私塾的団体である。現代の短歌結社の源流ともなる。歌文の革新を目的としたが、しだいに和歌を中心とした。社友は鮎貝槐園(あゆかいかいえん)、大町桂月(けいげつ)、与謝野鉄幹(よさのてっかん)、久保猪之吉(いのきち)、服部躬治(はっとりもとはる)、武島羽衣、尾上柴舟(おのえさいしゅう)、金子薫園(くんえん)ら約40名。作品指導は個性を尊重、自由な方針をとる。作品は新聞『日本』『自由新聞』『二六新報』紙上に発表した。鉄幹や槐園が朝鮮に渡ると活動が自然消滅の形となり実質的には1894年7月までで、鉄幹が帰国した1896年4月に歌会をもったのが最後となった。若い世代に和歌革新を待望し、古習を打破、青年の才能を発揮させたところに意義がある。

［藤岡武雄］

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