A short essay from Oi

Basho's haiku travelogue. He left Edo in October 1687 (Jokyo 4), passed through Narumi (Midori Ward, Nagoya City) and Homi (Tahara City, Aichi Prefecture), spent the New Year in his hometown of Iga Ueno (Iga City, Mie Prefecture), visited Ise Shrine in February, traveled with Tsuboi Tokoku to view the cherry blossoms in Yoshino, visited Mount Koya and Wakanoura, and arrived in Nara on April 8. The travelogue describes his wanderings from Osaka to Suma and Akashi, and is estimated to have been written between late autumn in 1690 (Genroku 3) and the summer of the following year. It became known to the world when Kawai Otsukuni published it under the title "Ogi no Kobun" in 1709 (6th year of the Hoei era). In addition to the discussion of elegance at the beginning, this is an important work that gives a glimpse into Basho's artistic views in his travel writings and travel essays. As the content of this book is not necessarily a complete work, there are some theories that it is an unfinished manuscript, or that Otsukuni edited the drafts he wrote during his travels.

[Tetsuo Hisatomi]

"Complete Collection of Japanese Classical Literature 41: Matsuo Basho Collection" edited and translated by Noichi Imoto (1972, Shogakukan)" ▽ "Study on the Creation of Oi no Kobun (Variant Version)" by Yoshio Oiso (1981, Hitaku Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

芭蕉(ばしょう)の俳諧(はいかい)紀行。1687年（貞享4）10月江戸をたち、鳴海(なるみ)（名古屋市緑区）、保美(ほび)（愛知県田原(たはら)市）を経て郷里伊賀上野（三重県伊賀市）で越年、2月には伊勢(いせ)参宮、3月には坪井杜国(つぼいとこく)との2人旅で吉野の花見をし、高野山(こうやさん)、和歌浦(わかのうら)を経て4月8日奈良に到着、さらに大坂から須磨(すま)、明石(あかし)まで漂泊した際の紀行文で、成立年時は1690年（元禄3）晩秋から翌年夏ごろまでの間と推定される。1709年（宝永6）に河合乙州(かわいおとくに)が『笈の小文』の書名で出版して世に知られた。冒頭の風雅論のほか、紀行文論、旅行論などに芭蕉の芸術観をうかがうことのできる重要な作品である。本書は内容的にかならずしもまとまった作品とはいいがたい点があるので、未定稿説や、旅中の草稿類の乙州編集説などもある。

［久富哲雄］

『井本農一校注・訳『日本古典文学全集41　松尾芭蕉集』（1972・小学館）』▽『大礒義雄著『笈の小文（異本）の成立の研究』（1981・ひたく書房）』

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