I always felt like I should call him "Mr. Fukuda"
but he always insisted on being called "Shinku."
One time, when he was here in the U.S., he gave us haiku gifts.
This was written on card with golden sparkles that don't show in the scan
This one hangs in a place of honor in my writing room,
that was posted after his death. He was renowned for his revision of the information
about Basho's death verse, and his theory is now widely accepted. For many years
he was also a leading spirit in the revival of renku writing. It was because of Shinku
that Yuki Teikei members were able to visit Sado Island on our trip to Japan.
Sado Island is very special to haikuists because of Basho's famous haiku
about the Milky Way.
the rough sea—
flowing toward Sado Isle
the River of Heaven
translated byMakoto Ueda,
Bashō and His Interpreters
Here are some of Shinku's own haiku from his memorial page.
He was a Professor of Literature in Tokyo for many years.
hatsuyume ya sekai ni kakaru niji no hashi
first dream
the rainbow
that bridges the earth
irokusa ya gakuen no asa sugasugashi
colorful grasses
a refreshing morning
on campus
Fukuda Masahisa
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