The Narrow Road to the Deep North - The Narrow Road to the Deep North

Japanese: おくのほそ道 - おくのほそみち

Basho's Haikai Travelogue. On March 27, 1689 (2nd year of the Genroku era, Basho was 46 years old), he left Edo with his disciple Kawai Sora, traveled around Oshu and Hokuriku, and arrived in Ogaki around August 21, before setting off to visit Ise Shrine. This haiku travelogue is based on their journey of about 150 days. The title of the book is thought to have been chosen after the chapter on Sendai, which reads "At the foot of the mountain on the Narrow Road to the Deep North, there is a place called Tofu no Sugeari," a famous local place of interest, with the meaning of a long, narrow road continuing into Michinoku, a narrow strip of road in haiku poetry, and also with a nod to "Tsutano Hosomichi," a utamakura (poem-filled verse) on the Tokaido road, famous for Ariwara no Narihira's journey eastward. The draft version is thought to have been completed between June 1692 and the end of April the following year, but further revisions were made to make it into the final version, and the clean copy, which was commissioned to the calligrapher Soryu, was completed in the early summer of 1694. This book was passed on to Kyorai in Basho's will after his death, but is currently in the possession of the Nishimura family in Tsuruga, Fukui Prefecture (Nishimura edition). There is no completed version written by Basho himself, but there is the Sora edition, which was copied by Sora from the rough draft, and the Kakimori edition, which was copied by Soryu, who was asked to make a fair copy of the completed version. In 1702, after Basho's death, it was published by Kyoto book dealer Izutsuya Shobei, and has since gone through many editions and become widely available.

[Tetsuo Hisatomi]

Basho set out on the journey early in the morning on March 27th (May 16th in the solar calendar), accompanied by his disciple Sora, expressing his feelings of separation from his familiar, friendly, and disciples in the poem, "Spring is passing, the birds sing, the fish's eyes are filled with tears." They passed through the eight islands of Soka and Muro and made a pilgrimage to Nikko Toshogu Shrine. While staying in Kurobane, they visited the site of the mountain residence of Priest Butcho Osho at Ungan-ji Temple, and saw the Sessho-seki Stone and Yugyoyanagi, famous spots from Noh plays. After that, they crossed the site of the long-awaited Shirakawa Barrier, and finally felt ready to set off on their journey. He visited his old friend Tokyu in Sukagawa and performed "The Elegant Beginning of Rice Planting in the Deep". After visiting Mt. Asaka, the Shinobu Mojizuri Stone, the former site of Sato Shoji, and the Takekuma Pine, he entered Sendai on May 4 (June 20 in the Gregorian calendar) and visited the utamakura sites in the vicinity, where he was struck by the elegant spirit of the painter Kaemon. He saw the Tsubo no Ishibumi (Taga Castle Monument) and visited Shiogama Shrine, where he praised the beautiful scenery of Matsushima as being comparable to the views of Lake Dongting and Lake Xihu in China, but did not write a hokku, following the Chinese literati's attitude of refraining from composing poetry when viewing a magnificent view. He passed through Ishinomaki and arrived at Hiraizumi, where he shed tears at the remains of the glory of three generations of the Oshu Fujiwara clan, composing a poem: "Summer grass, the remains of the dreams of soldiers." He also praised the Hikarido Hall, which had withstood the fierceness of nature, writing: "The Hikarido Hall, lingering even in the May rain." After visiting Obanazawa in Dewa Province to relax in the fresh breezes, he visited Risshakuji Temple and heard "the quietness of the cicadas seeping into the rocks." He went down the Mogami River, made a pilgrimage to the Dewa Sanzan mountains, and arrived at Kisakata from Tsuruoka and Sakata. He described Matsushima as a smiling beauty and Kisakata as a sad beauty in contrast, writing, "Kisakata, in the rain, the flowers of the nebu trees." On the Echigo route, he wrote a melancholic poem, "The rough sea and the Tenkawa River lying on Sado." He visited Kanazawa, Komatsu, Natadera, and Yamanaka Onsen, and then parted ways with Sora. From Fukui, he went to Tsuruga with Tosai, and played on the colorful beach associated with Saigyo, writing, "The loneliness of autumn on the beach that resembles Suma." He was welcomed by Rottsu and entered Ogaki, where he was warmly received by his disciples, but then on September 6th (October 18th in the solar calendar), he left Ogaki to attend the rebuilding of the Ise Shrine, leaving behind the poem, "I am parted like two clams and have departed for autumn," and the travelogue concludes.

[Tetsuo Hisatomi]

Evaluation and Impact

"Oku no Hosomichi" is well-known as the most excellent and complete of Basho's travelogues, and is considered one of the best travelogues in the history of Japanese literature. The writing is of a high quality, and the narrative text and opening verses correspond to each other to create a poetic world. Moreover, in order to take the facts of the journey as material and to complete it as a literary work, the author does not focus on the facts of the journey, but instead develops a plan to heighten the interest. "Oku no Hosomichi" is not simply a record of the experiences of the journey, but is a work rich in creativity, as can be seen by comparing it with the articles in "Sora's Travel Diary," which were carefully written down by his companion Sora. It should also be remembered that Basho devised new developments in haiku style during this journey and invented the theory of immutability and fashion. It is noteworthy that after this book was published, many people began to follow the Oshu and Hokuriku pilgrimages. Many writers, including Rotsu, Shiko, Torin, Tantan, Buson, Kyotai, Shirao, and others, each left behind a travelogue. From the Meiji period onwards, such as Masaoka Shiki and Kawato Hekigoto, to the present day, there is no end to the people who admire Basho's poetic spirit and follow in the footsteps of "Oku no Hosomichi."

[Tetsuo Hisatomi]

"Nishimura Masako (ed.), "A revised version of Oku no Hosomichi" (1981, Fukutake Shoten)" ▽ "Imoto Noichi (ed.), "A Study of Basho's Literature" (1978, Kadokawa Shoten)" ▽ "Abe Kimio (ed.), "A Detailed Study of Oku no Hosomichi" (1979, Niheisha) with supplements by Hisatomi Tetsuo" ▽ "Hisatomi Tetsuo (ed.), "A Complete Translation and Annotations of Oku no Hosomichi" (Kodansha Academic Library)"

[Reference item] | Basho | Fukufuku

Oku no Hosomichi footprints
©Shogakukan ">

Oku no Hosomichi footprints

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

芭蕉(ばしょう)の俳諧(はいかい)紀行。1689年（元禄2・芭蕉46歳）の3月27日、門人河合曽良(かわいそら)を伴って江戸を旅立ち、奥羽、北陸の各地を巡遊、8月21日ごろ大垣に入り、さらに伊勢(いせ)参宮へと出発するまでの、約150日間にわたる旅を素材とした俳諧紀行である。書名は、仙台の章の次に「おくの細道の山際に十符(とふ)の菅有(すげあり)」とみえる地方的名所の地名により、陸奥(みちのく)に細々と続くはるかな道筋、俳諧の細き一筋の道の意をも込め、さらに在原業平(ありわらのなりひら)の東下(あずまくだ)りで著名な東海道の歌枕(うたまくら)「蔦(つた)の細道」をも意識したうえでの命名であったと考えられる。草稿本の成立は1692年6月以後翌年4月末までの間と思われるが、これにさらに推敲(すいこう)を加えて決定稿とし、能書家の素龍(そりゅう)に依頼した清書本が完成したのは1694年初夏である。本書は芭蕉の没後遺言により去来(きょらい)に譲られたが、現在は福井県敦賀(つるが)市の西村家蔵となっている（西村本）。芭蕉自筆の成稿本は伝存していないが、草稿本を曽良が書写した曽良本、成稿の清書を依頼された素龍書写の別本に柿衛(かきもり)本がある。芭蕉没後の1702年、京都の書肆(しょし)井筒屋庄兵衛(いづつやしょうべえ)方より板行され、以後版を重ねて広く世に行われた。

［久富哲雄］

内容

芭蕉は3月27日（陽暦5月16日）の早朝、門人曽良を道連れに、知友門弟たちとの離別の情を「行春(ゆくはる)や鳥啼(とりなき)魚の目は泪(なみだ)」の句に託して旅立ち、草加(そうか)、室(むろ)の八島(やしま)を経て日光山東照宮に詣(もう)で、黒羽(くろばね)滞在中には雲巌寺(うんがんじ)に仏頂和尚(ぶっちょうおしょう)山居の跡を訪ね、謡曲の名所殺生石(せっしょうせき)、遊行柳(ゆぎょうやなぎ)を見たのち、待望の白河(しらかわ)の関址(せきし)を越えて、ようやく旅心が定まった。須賀川に旧知の等窮(とうきゅう)を訪ねて「風流の初(はじめ)やおくの田植うた」を披露。浅香山、信夫(しのぶ)もじ摺(ずり)の石、佐藤庄司(しょうじ)の旧跡、武隈(たけくま)の松などを見て、5月4日（陽暦6月20日）仙台に入り、近郊の歌枕を訪ね、画工加右衛門(かえもん)の風流心に打たれる。壺碑(つぼのいしぶみ)（多賀城碑）を見て塩竈(しおがま)神社に詣で、松島の勝景を中国の洞庭湖や西湖の眺めにも劣らぬと賞賛するが、絶景を眺めたときには詩作を控えるという中国の文人的姿勢に倣って発句を記載しない。石巻(いしのまき)を経て平泉に至り、奥州藤原氏三代の栄華の跡に涙を流して「夏草や兵(つはもの)どもが夢の跡」と詠み、自然の猛威に堪えぬいた光(ひかり)堂をたたえて「五月雨(さみだれ)の降(ふり)のこしてや光堂」と残す。出羽(でわ)国尾花沢(おばなざわ)に清風(せいふう)を訪ねてくつろいだのち、立石寺(りっしゃくじ)に詣でては「閑(しづか)さや岩にしみ入蝉(いるせみ)の声」。最上(もがみ)川を下り、出羽三山を巡礼して、鶴岡、酒田から象潟(きさかた)に至り、松島は笑顔の美人、象潟は悲愁の美人と対比的に叙述して「象潟や雨に西施(せいし)がねぶの花」。越後(えちご)路では「荒海や佐渡によこたふ天河(あまのがは)」と旅愁を詠じ、金沢、小松、那谷寺(なたでら)、山中温泉と来て曽良に別れ、福井から等栽(とうさい)とともに敦賀(つるが)に行き、西行(さいぎょう)ゆかりの色(いろ)の浜に遊んでは「寂しさや須磨(すま)にかちたる浜の秋」。露通(ろつう)の出迎えを受けて大垣に入り、門人たちから歓待されたが、やがて9月6日（陽暦10月18日）伊勢の遷宮を拝もうと「蛤(はまぐり)のふたみにわかれ行秋(ゆくあき)ぞ」の句を残して大垣を旅立つところで紀行は結ばれる。

［久富哲雄］

評価・影響

『おくのほそ道』は芭蕉の紀行のなかでもっとも優れた、完成された作品として定評があり、日本文学史上でも屈指の紀行作品として位置づけられている。その文章は格調の高い名文で、地の文と発句とが照応映発して詩的世界を構成している。また旅の事実を素材としてとらえ、文芸作品としての完成を目ざすために、旅の事実にこだわらず構想を練り、興趣を盛り上げている。『おくのほそ道』が単なる旅の体験的事実の羅列的記録ではなく、創作性豊かな作品であることは、随行者曽良が丹念に書き留めた『曽良旅日記』の記事と対比してみれば明らかとなる。なお、芭蕉がこの旅において俳風の新しい展開についてくふうし、不易流行(ふえきりゅうこう)論を考案したことも忘れることはできない。本書が世に出てから、奥羽・北陸行脚(あんぎゃ)の追随者が多く出たことが注目される。路通、支考(しこう)、桃隣(とうりん)、淡々(たんたん)、蕪村(ぶそん)、暁台(きょうたい)、白雄(しらお)その他数多く、それぞれに紀行作品を残している。明治時代の正岡子規(しき)、河東碧梧桐(へきごとう)以降現代に至っても、なお芭蕉の詩魂を慕って『おくのほそ道』の足跡をたどる人は後を絶たない。

［久富哲雄］

『西村真砂子編著『校本おくのほそ道』（1981・福武書店）』▽『井本農一著『芭蕉の文学の研究』（1978・角川書店）』▽『阿部喜三男著、久富哲雄増補『詳考奥の細道』（1979・日栄社）』▽『久富哲雄著『おくのほそ道全訳注』（講談社学術文庫）』

[参照項目] | 芭蕉 | 不易流行

おくのほそ道足跡図

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例

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