Taneda Santoka

Haiku poet. Born in Hofu Town, Yamaguchi Prefecture (present-day Hofu City). His real name was Shoichi. His mother's suicide when he was a child had a major impact on Santoka's life. In 1902 (Meiji 35), he entered the humanities department of Waseda University, but dropped out due to a nervous breakdown and returned home. He ran a sake brewing business with his father, but it failed and the family went bankrupt. Santoka opened a picture frame shop in Kumamoto City, but he was not passionate about the family business, so he left his wife and children and moved to Tokyo. However, he was unable to find a permanent position and returned to Kumamoto. He became addicted to alcohol and his life became chaotic. In 1924 (Taisho 13), he became a monk at Hoon-ji Temple in the city. His Buddhist name was Koho. He became the caretaker of the Ajitori Kannon temple in Ajitori, Ueki-machi, in the north of the city. In 1926, he began a journey of begging, and lived in Gochuan in Ogori, Yamaguchi Prefecture (present-day Yamaguchi City), but he often traveled abroad as a beggar, and passed away in 1940 (Showa 15) at Issoan in Matsuyama City. He began submitting his haiku to "Soun" in 1913. His haiku works during his wanderings are distinctive. He has a collection of haiku called "Somokuto" (1940).

[Motomi Izawa]

The rain is falling from behind. Even in the iron bowl, hail is falling.

The definitive complete works of Taneda Santoka, 7 volumes (1972-1973, Shunyodo) ▽ Murakami Mamoru's The Wandering Haiku Poet Santoka (1972, Tohto Shobo) ▽ Ohashi Takeshi's Taneda Santoka - His life and the journey of his soul (1997, Shindokushosha) ▽ Murakami Mamoru's Taneda Santoka - Is his figure turning dark? (2006, Minerva Shobo) ▽ Watanabe Toshio's The life and death of Taneda Santoka - Tattered and torn apart (Bunshun Shinsho)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

俳人。山口県防府(ほうふ)町（現防府市）に生まれる。本名正一(しょういち)。幼時の母の自殺が山頭火の生涯に大きな衝撃を与えた。1902年（明治35）早稲田(わせだ)大学文科に入学したが、神経衰弱で退学して帰郷。父と酒造業を営むが失敗し、家は破産。山頭火は熊本市で額縁店を開くが、家業に身が入らず妻子と別れ上京。しかし、定職を得ず、熊本に帰る。酒におぼれ生活が乱れた。1924年（大正13）市内の報恩寺で出家。法名耕畝(こうほ)。市北部の植木町味取(うえきまちみとり)の味取観音の堂守となった。1926年、行乞(ぎょうこつ)の旅を始め、山口県小郡(おごおり)（現山口市）の其中庵(ごちゅうあん)に住したが、行乞漂泊すること多く、諸国を巡り、1940年（昭和15）松山市の一草庵(いっそうあん)で没した。句は1913年から『層雲』に投句。漂泊中の作に特色がある。句集『草木塔』（1940）がある。

［伊澤元美］

　うしろすがたのしぐれてゆくか
　鉄鉢の中へも霰(あられ)

『『定本種田山頭火全集』全7巻（1972～1973・春陽堂）』▽『村上護著『放浪の俳人山頭火』（1972・東都書房）』▽『大橋毅著『種田山頭火――その境涯と魂の遍歴』（1997・新読書社）』▽『村上護著『種田山頭火――うしろすがたのしぐれてゆくか』（2006・ミネルヴァ書房）』▽『渡辺利夫著『種田山頭火の死生――ほろほろほろびゆく』（文春新書）』

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