Sachio Ito

Poet and novelist. Born on August 18, 1620, to a farming family in Tonodai Village, Musa County, Chiba Prefecture (now Sanmu City). His real name was Kojiro. He also had other names such as Muichijinanshujin. He dropped out of Meiji Law School (now Meiji University) due to eye disease. He returned to Tokyo and worked on various farms before going independent and running a milking business. He composed old-school poems early on, but in 1900 (Meiji 33) he studied under Masaoka Shiki, and after his death he became a central poet in the Negishi Tanka Society. He founded Ashibi in 1903 and its successor Araragi in 1908. He is known for his unique style of poetry, such as "When a cowherd recites a poem, many new poems are born in the world," which is said to have been written when he was a student of Shiki, and established his own Manyo-style style of poetry. "I am gathering jewels on the Kujukuri beach, where the four sides of heaven and earth are gathered together," and "I endure the extreme loneliness and truly think of the life that is attached to heaven and earth." Compared to his fellow student, Nagatsuka Takashi, his poems are more emotional. He was an early proponent of "serialized tanka," and in his later years, he advocated the so-called "scream theory," placing importance on the pure emotion expressed in the melody. He also made a great contribution by nurturing Saito Mokichi, Tsuchiya Bunmei, and others, and laying the foundation for the rise of the Araragi school. In addition to his studies of the Manyoshu and his poetry, he also wrote novels, including the well-received "The Grave of the Wild Chrysanthemum" (1906), "The Bride Next Door" (1908), and "The Branch Family" (1911-1912).

[Katsuo Motobayashi]

"The Complete Works of Sachio, 9 volumes (1976-1977, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "Ito Sachio, by Tsuchiya Fumiaki (1962, Hakutama Shobo)" ▽ "Ito Sachio, by Nagatsuka Isao (1981, Ohfusha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

歌人、小説家。元治(げんじ)元年8月18日、千葉県武射郡殿台(とのだい)村（現、山武(さんむ)市）の農家に生まれる。本名幸次郎(こうじろう)。別号無一塵庵主人(むいちじんあんしゅじん)など。明治法律学校（現、明治大学）を眼病のために中退。ふたたび上京して諸方の牧場で働いたのち、独立して牛乳搾取業を営んだ。早く旧派の歌をつくったが、1900年（明治33）正岡子規(しき)に師事し、その没後は根岸短歌会の中心歌人として活躍。1903年『馬酔木(あしび)』を、1908年にはその後継誌『アララギ』を創刊した。子規入門時の作と伝えられる「牛飼(うしかい)が歌よむ時に世の中の新しき歌大いにおこる」のような歌柄(うたがら)に特色があり、独自の万葉的歌調を樹立した。「天地(あめつち)の四方(よも)の寄合(よりあい)を垣(かき)にせる九十九里の浜に玉拾ひ居り」「さびしさの極(きわ)みに堪へて天地に寄する命をつくづくと思ふ」。同門の長塚節(たかし)に比べて、その歌には主情性が著しい。早く短歌の「連作」を提唱し、晩年には、いわゆる「叫びの説」を唱えて、調べに表れる純粋な感動を重んじた。斎藤茂吉(もきち)、土屋文明(つちやぶんめい)らを育て、アララギ派興隆の基礎をつくった功績も大きい。万葉研究や歌論のほか、小説の筆もとり、好評を得た『野菊の墓』（1906）以下、『隣の嫁』（1908）、『分家』（1911～1912）などの作がある。大正2年7月30日没。

［本林勝夫］

『『左千夫全集』全9巻（1976～1977・岩波書店）』▽『土屋文明著『伊藤左千夫』（1962・白玉書房）』▽『永塚功著『伊藤左千夫』（1981・桜楓社）』

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