Kitamura Kigin

A scholar of Japanese classics, haiku poet, and tanka poet in the early Edo period. Commonly known as Kyusuke. Other names included Roan, Shusuiken, and Kogetsutei. A native of Yasu District (present-day Yasu City) in Omi Province (Shiga Prefecture), he was born on December 11, 1620, as the eldest son of the physician Kitamura Soen. He moved to Tokyo at a young age and first studied haiku under Yasuhara Teishitsu (1610-1673), then Matsunaga Teitoku, who taught him the classics. At the age of 24, he published the seasonal poem Yama no I, followed by Shiwasu no Tsukiyo and others. After Teitoku's death, he became an independent master of haiku and was active in haiku, producing kuawase and anthologies such as "Gion Honou Renga Haikaiawase" and "Shinzokuinu Tsukubashu" (1660, preface), and also devoting himself to annotating classics, completing "Yamato Monogatari Sho" (1653), "Tosa Nikki Sho" (1661), and "Ise Monogatari Juho Sho" (1680). In 1683 (Tenwa 3), he became the chief priest of Shin-Tamatsushima Shrine in Kyoto, but in 1689 (Genroku 2), at the age of 66, he was called to be a waka scholar for the shogun's household along with his eldest son Koshun (1648-1697), and lived in Edo. In 1699, he was appointed a Hoin and given the title of Saishoin, reaching the height of his success. Kigin is said to have been Basho's teacher, but this was only for a short time in his youth, and there is no evidence of any contact between the two of them after that. Kigin's edited works include haiku works such as "Kigin Jukkaishu" (1672), "Zokurenju" (1676), and "Umoregi" (1673), as well as commentaries such as the voluminous "Kogetssho from the Tale of Genji" (1673), "Makura no Soshi Shunshosho" (1674), and "Hachidaishusho" (1682), as well as other poetry collections. He died on June 15, 2nd year of the Hoei era.

[Suueo Kumo May 19, 2016]

It's a cherry blossom viewing party for just me and myself

"Kitamura Kigin's Person and Work" by Nomura Takatsugu (1977, Shintensha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸前期の国学者、俳人、歌人。通称久助。別号は芦庵(ろあん)、拾穂軒(しゅうすいけん)、湖月亭など。近江(おうみ)国（滋賀県）野洲(やす)郡（現、野洲市）の人で、医師北村宗円の長男として寛永(かんえい)元年12月11日に生まれる。若くして上京し、初め俳諧(はいかい)を安原貞室(やすはらていしつ)（1610―1673）に師事し、ついで貞室の師松永貞徳(まつながていとく)に従って、広く古典を学んだ。24歳のとき季寄(きよせ)『山之井(やまのい)』を刊行し、ついで『師走(しわす)の月夜』などを刊行。貞徳没後は俳諧宗匠として独立し、積極的に俳諧活動を行い、『祇園(ぎおん)奉納連歌誹諧合(はいかいあわせ)』『新続犬筑波集(しんぞくいぬつくばしゅう)』（1660序）等の句合や撰集(せんじゅう)を出し、また古典の注釈にも力を注ぎ、『大和(やまと)物語抄』（1653）『土佐日記抄』（1661）『伊勢(いせ)物語拾穂抄』（1680）などを完成させている。1683年（天和3）には京都新玉津島神社の社司となったが、1689年（元禄2）66歳のときに将軍家の歌学方として、長男の湖春（1648―1697）とともに召され、江戸に居住した。1699年には法印に叙せられ、再昌院(さいしょういん)の号を受け、栄達の極みに達した。季吟は芭蕉(ばしょう)の師とされるが、それは若年の一時期で、以後二人の交流はみられない。季吟の編著は『季吟十会集(じっかいしゅう)』（1672）『続連珠(ぞくれんじゅ)』（1676）『誹諧埋木(うもれぎ)』（1673）などの俳諧関係、大部な『源氏物語湖月抄』（1673成立）『枕草子春曙抄(まくらのそうししゅんしょしょう)』（1674成立）『八代集抄』（1682）などの注釈書、その他歌集などがある。宝永(ほうえい)2年6月15日没。

［雲英末雄　2016年5月19日］

　一僕(いちぼく)とぼくぼくありく花見かな

『野村貴次著『北村季吟の人と仕事』（1977・新典社）』

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