2019 Traffic Culture Exhibition Winning Haiku

translations by Emiko Miyashita and Michael Dylan Welch

First published in the Traffic Culture Exhibition, held 25–30 October 2019 at Ueno Station in Tokyo, Japan, and in the associated results book and on the website (scroll down to see the haiku section). See also the 2018 Haiku Winners, 2020 Haiku Winners, and 2021 Haiku Winners. +

交通総合文化展 2019 選評

Traffic Culture Exhibition 2019 Haiku Winners

Haiku Section | The Japanese Railways, the Fascination of Japan

【協賛句】 Judge’s Haiku

来てもみよ焦がれてもみよ松明(まつあか)し 長谷 川櫂

do come and see

do feel the burning fire

torch festival HASEGAWA Kai

須賀川、松明(たいまつ)あかし

The Pine Torch Festival, Sukagawa City

【日本交通文化協会会長賞】 Japan Traffic Culture Association Chairman Award

一本の大樹が見たき夏の旅 占部 耕三

ippon no / taiju ga mitaki / natsu no tabi

just to see

the big tree

my summer trip URABE Kozo

一本の木を見にゆくとは、なんて素敵な旅だろう。ふつう旅行は観光目当てか仕事の用事、保養というのもあるだろうか。しかしそんな実用ではなく、一本の木を見にゆく。どんな木なのだろうか。いつかそんな旅がしてみない。

“What a wonderful trip just to see a tree! Usually we travel for sightseeing, business, or perhaps for recreation. Unlike practical trips, here the author travels to see a tree. I wonder what kind of tree it is. One day, I shall make such a journey.” —Hasegawa Kai

【一席】 First Place

がたんごとん窓に見知らぬ空高し 田上 銀平

gatangoton / mado ni mishiranu / sora takashi

clickety-clack . . .

an alien sky

high in the window TANOUE Ginpei

空を眺めているだけで旅をしているのだと思う。誰にでもわかるやさしい言葉でできているが、俳句に旅情があふれている。列車に揺られて初めての土地へ旅をする。窓には高く澄みきった秋の青空が広がっている。

“Just looking up at the sky makes one feel like traveling. Although this haiku is composed with simple words that everyone can understand, it depicts the mind of the traveler well. In the vibrating train, traveling to a new place, we see the spread of a blue autumn sky through the window.” —Hasegawa Kai

【二席】 Second Place

たんぽぽはでん車にくっつきとうちゃくす 大西 敦樹

tanpopo wa / densha ni kuttsuki / touchaku su

dandelion puffs

stuck on the train car

now arriving ONISHI Atsuki

【三席】 Third Place (tie)

大阪の猛暑の中を新幹線 小関 新

osaka no / mousho no naka o / shinkansen

in Osaka

through the heat wave

the Shinkansen KOSEKI Shin

その昔貨物列車の牛暑し 澤田 慎一郎

sono mukashi / kamotsuressha no / ushi atsushi

in the old days

inside a freight train

cows were hot SAWADA Shinichiro

単線の一直線の帰省かな 野村 かおり

tansen no / icchokusen no / kisei kana

the straightness

of a single-track line

returning home NOMURA Kaori

【入選】 Selected Winners

白波の立つ夏みえて常磐線 黒川 芳昭

shiranami no / tatsu natsu miete / jyōbansen

summer whitecaps

jump into view

Joban Line KUROKAWA Yoshiaki

駅弁に丸ごと入る秋の山 山田 知明

ekiben ni / marugoto hairu / aki no yama

in my station bento

all the tastes

of autumn mountains YAMADA Tomoaki

一つ駅越せばふるさと田植終ふ 田中 厚夫

hitotsu eki / koseba furusato / taue ou

one last station

before I reach my hometown—

rice planting over TANAKA Atsuo

年用意東京駅にある故郷 岡田 本重

toshiyōi / yōkyōeki ni / aru kokyō

preparation for New Year—

in Tokyo Station

my hometown OKADA Motoshige

茶摘女に一日晴れて駅にお茶 川野 忠夫

chatsumime ni / ichinichi harete / eki ni ocha

the day stays fine

for the tea-pickers—

tea at the station KAWANO Tadao

はつ夏のホームの端に君の待つ 鳥畑 泉

hatsunatsu no / hōmu no hashi ni / kimi no matsu

early summer

you wait

at the platform’s end TORIHATA Izumi

遠征の子らを引率してる夏 中谷 ひとみ

ensei no / ko ra o insotsu / shiteru natsu

leading the children

on their sports trip

my summer NAKATANI Hitomi

羽田から特急成田夏来る 田辺 一男

haneda kara / tokkyūnarita / natsu kitaru

a limited express

from Haneda to Narita—

summer’s come TANABE Kazuo

青春に帰り真夏の一人旅 草道 久幸

seishun ni / kaeri manatsuno / hitoritabi

back to my youth—

in the middle of summer

I travel alone KUSAMICHI Hisayuki

文庫本一冊分の夏の旅 田中 由起

bunkobon / issatsubun no / natsu no tabi

my paperback lasts

just as long

as my summer trip TANAKA Yuki