Matsumoto Takashi

Takashi Matsumoto (松本たかし, Matsumoto Takashi, 5 January 1906 – 11 May 1956) was a Japanese haiku poet active in Showa period Japan. Matsumoto was born in the Kanda district of Tokyo into a family of Noh theater players of the Hosho school. His stage debut was at the age of eight. From the earliest age, he was devoted to honing his skills as a Noh actor. He also had a strong interest in classical Chinese literature, calligraphy and the English lang... more

Takashi Matsumoto (松本たかし, Matsumoto Takashi, 5 January 1906 – 11 May 1956) was a Japanese haiku poet active in Showa period Japan. Matsumoto was born in the Kanda district of Tokyo into a family of Noh theater players of the Hosho school. His stage debut was at the age of eight. From the earliest age, he was devoted to honing his skills as a Noh actor. He also had a strong interest in classical Chinese literature, calligraphy and the English language, and was also fond of popular theater and rakugo comic storytelling. While recovering from an illness in 1921, he came across the haiku literary magazine Hototogisu. Later, he joined Shippo-kai, a haiku circle predominately for Noh actors and began to study haiku under the famed poet Takahama Kyoshi. At around the age of 20, Matsumoto abandoned the idea of becoming a Noh actor because of his ongoing health problems and turned to composing haiku professionally. After spending the summer of 1925 recuperating from illness in Kamakura,... less