2023 Traffic Culture Exhibition Winning Haiku

translations by Emiko Miyashita and Michael Dylan Welch

交通総合文化展2023 俳句入賞作品

Traffic Culture Exhibition 2023 Haiku Winners

Haiku Section   |   The Japanese Railways, the Fascination of Japan

協賛句   Judge’s Haiku

旅一夜一夜秋めく白鳥座 長谷川　櫂

tabi ichiya / ichiya akimeku / hakuchōza

one night on a journey

one night feeling like autumn

the Cygnus HASEGAWA Kai

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

どこまでもレールがあった遠い夏 髙梨　純一

dokomade mo / rēru ga atta / tōi natsu

the rails seemed

to stretch endlessly

distant summer TAKANASHI Junichi

鉄道が単に輸送手段でなく、人々の夢を運ぶ乗り物であった時代があった。汽車、ディーゼル車、電車……。どの時代にもレールがどこまでもつづいていた。まだ見ぬ遠い未来へも。

There was a time when railroads were not just a means of transportation, but vehicles that carried people's dreams. Trains, diesel cars, and electric trains. . . . In every era, the rails led everywhere. Even into the distant future that we have yet to see. —Hasegawa Kai

一席   First Place

網棚に平和を乗せて夏の旅 石関　恵子

amidana ni / heiwa o nosete / natsu no tabi

placing peace

on the net rack—

summer journey ISHIZEKI Keiko

のどかな夏の旅。網棚の上に「平和」が乗っているという発想がおもしろい。今の世界はこうはゆかないが、列車内、網棚の上だけは「平和」が保たれているようだ。網棚の上の平和がいつまでもつづくように、世界中に広がればいいのにという願いのこもる一句である。

An idyllic summer trip. The idea of “peace” on a net rack is interesting. The world today is not like this, but it seems that “peace” is maintained only on the train, on the net-shelf. This haiku expresses the wish that the peace on the shelf will last forever and spread all over the world. —Hasegawa Kai

二席   Second Place

快晴の富士を見逃す昼寝かな 松下　喜彦

kaisei no / fuji o minogasu / hirune kana

Mt. Fuji on a clear day—

I missed it

while napping MATSUSHITA Yoshihiko

三席   Third Place (tie)

おでこ付け車窓に富士を探す夏 寺山　美喜子

odeko tsuke / shasō ni fuji o / sagasu natsu

my forehead

on the train window

looking for Mt. Fuji in summer TERAYAMA Mikiko

十津川の虹より高し家二軒 島村　幸重

totsugawa no / niji yori Takashi / ie niken

taller than the rainbow

over River Totsugawa

the two houses SHIMAMURA Yukishige

退職を祝ふこの日よ花の旅 稲田　貴稔

taishoku o / iwau kono hi yo / hana no tabi

on this day when I celebrate

my retirement

cherry blossom trip INADA Takatoshi

入選   Selected Winners

冒険がはじまる夏の時刻表 花町　淳一

bōken ga / hajimaru natsu no / jikokuhyō

where adventure

is about to start . . .

summer timetable HANAMACHI Junichi

無目的夏の一日ローカル線 逸見　修

mumokuteki / natsuno ichinichi / rōkarusen

with no purpose

on a summer day . . .

local line OSAMU Itsumi

鉄塊の灼かれ真夏の貨車である 菅　伸明

tekkai no / yakare manatsu no / kasha de aru

a mass of iron

scorched

mid-summer freight train SUGA Nobuaki (KAN-chan)

十八のわれが手を振る大夏野 馬場　博美

jūhachi no / ware ga te o furu / ōnatsuno

eighteen-year-old me

waves at me—

broad summer fields BABA Hiromi

分岐線辿れば駐屯地の夏 贄川　吉明

bunkisen / tadoreba chūtonchi no natsu

the branch line leads

to a military camp

in summer YOSHIAKI Niekawa

鈍行に術後の眼ごとゆられ秋 福永　敬子

donkō ni / jutsugo no me goto / yurare aki

in the local train

with my post-operation eye

swaying in autumn FUKUNAGA Keiko

スイッチバック右に左に桜かな 河合　祐貴子

suitchbakku / migi ni hidari ni / sakura kana

to the right and left

of the switchbacks

cherry blossoms KAWAI Yukiko

遮断機の音が見送る夏列車 舛田　美子

shadanki no / oto ga miokuru / naturessha

the sound

of the crossing gate sees off

the summer train MASUDA Yoshiko

吊り革の涼しくゆるゝ湖西線 清岡　千恵子

tsurikawa no / suzushiku yururu / koseisen

hanging straps

swaying in the coolness—

the Kosei Line KIYŌKA Chieko

大空でふるさと探す白い雲 折笠　謙一

ōzora de / furusato sagasu / shiroi kumo

in the vast sky

looking for my hometown

white clouds ORIKASA Kenichi

(pen names in parentheses)