2022 Traffic Culture Exhibition Winning Haiku

translations by Emiko Miyashita and Michael Dylan Welch

First published in the Traffic Culture Exhibition, held 19–24 October 2022 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, 2019 Haiku Winners, 2020 Haiku Winners, and 2021 Haiku Winners.       +       +   +

交通総合文化展2022 俳句入賞作品

Traffic Culture Exhibition 2022 Haiku Winners

Haiku Section   |   The Japanese Railways, the Fascination of Japan

協賛句   Judge’s Haiku

少年に大いなる夏浅間山 長谷川　櫂

shōnen ni / ōi naru natsu / asamayama

a great summer

for boys

Mt. Asama HASEGAWA Kai

公益財団法人日本交通文化協会理事長賞   Japan Traffic Culture Association Director General Award

自由たのしみ平和かみしめ夏の旅 小畑　律子

jiyū tanoshimi / heiwa kamishime / natsu no tabi

enjoying freedom

savoring peace

a summer trip OBATA Ritsuko

今年春に勃発したロシアのウクライナ侵略。その惨状を見るにつけ自由と平和のありがたさが身にしみる。旅に出ればなお。

Russia invaded Ukraine in the spring of this year. When I see the devastation, I am deeply grateful for freedom and peace. This is true even more if you go on a trip. —Hasegawa Kai

一席   First Place

車窓には未知の世界の夏休み 豊島　縁

shasō ni wa / michi no sekai no / natsuyasumi

summer vacation

an unknown world

in the train window TOYOSHIMA Enishi

車窓を流れる初めて見る風景。夏休みに出会う未知の世界に胸を躍らせている。埼玉県立坂戸ろう学園からたくさん応募があった。

Scenery seen for the first time through a train window. We are excited about encountering the unknown world during the summer holidays. There were many applications from Saitama Prefectural Sakado Deaf Academy. —Hasegawa Kai

二席   Second Place

菜の花が咲いた咲いたとローカル線 笹谷　豊子

nanohana ga / saita saita to / rōkarusen

rape flowers

blooming, blooming

the local line SASATANI Toyoko

三席   Third Place (tie)

網棚の麦藁帽子ふるさとへ 信安　淳子

amidna no / mugiwarabōshi / furusato e

a straw hat

on the baggage rack

heading for my hometown NOBUYASU Junko

炎天やレールは沈思黙考す 湯本　康二

enten ya / rēru wa chinshi / mokkō su

blazing sun—

the rails are lost

in deep thought YUMOTO Koji

一章を読み終え窓は夏野原 三縞　勇輝

isshō o / yomioe mado wa / natsunohara

a chapter finished—

the window

of summer MISHIMA Yuki

入選   Selected Winners

ひさびさの旅ひさびさの鰯雲 竹澤　聡

hisabisa no / tabi hisabisa no / iwashigumo

a trip taken after a long time

the mackerel sky

after a long time TAKEZAWA Satoshi

背もたれて春を真横に観て帰省 磯部　不二夫

semotarete / haru o mayoko ni / mite kisei

on my back

looking at spring sideways

I return home ISOBE Fujio

切符買うもう旅人になって夏 中村　一彦

kippu kau / mō tabibito ni / natte natsu

buying a ticket

already I’m a traveler

in summer NAKAMURA Kazuhiko

遠い日の買い出し列車積乱雲 小林　重雄

tōi hi no / kaidashi ressha / sekiran’un

a food shopping train

on a long-remembered day . . .

cumulonimbus clouds KOBAYASHI Shigeo

夏草に線路が埋もれ時止まる 生馬　昭夫

natsukusa ni / senro ga umore / toki tomaru

rails buried

under summer grasses

time stops IKUMA Akio

廃線の地にひまわりの咲き乱れ 篠原　昇司

haisen no / chi ni himawari no / sakimidare

around the abandoned line

sunflowers bloom

in profusion SHINOHARA Shoji

ふるさとの駅は野焼きの煙なか 北村　純一

furusato no / eki wa noyaki no / kemuri naka

my hometown station

in smoke

from a burning field KITAMURA Junichi

膝枕の子の汗拭ひローカル線 宮村　史子

hizamakura no / ko no ase nugui / rōkarusen

wiping sweat from a child

resting his head on my lap

the local line MIYAMURA Takako

夏休み終わった駅の静けさよ 吉岡　敏郎

natsuyasumi / owatta eki no / shizukesa yo

a station

after summer holidays

the silence YOSHIOKA Toshiro

牛啼きて大草原を貨車の夏 貞住　昌彦

ushi nakite / daisōgen o / kasha no natsu

a cow moos

summer freight trains

through the prairie SADASUMI Masahiko