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Akiko YosanoJapanese poetess
Date of Birth: 07.12.1878
Country:  Japan |
Content:
Biography of Akiko Yosano
Akiko Yosano (born as Ho Shoeko) was a Japanese poet, literary critic, and novelist. She was also known as a theorist of tanka and senryu poetry. Yosano gained popularity among Russian readers for her tanka poem "I was told that this road would lead me to the ocean of death…", which was used as an epigraph by the Strugatsky brothers in their work "Roadside Picnic".
Early Life
Akiko Yosano was born in 1878 in the trading city of Sakai. Her father, Ho Shosho, owned a confectionery shop and was a supplier to the imperial court. However, he was more interested in art and science than business. Akiko received an excellent education and developed a passion for classical Japanese poetry.
Writing Career
Her first romantic tanka poems were published in the magazine "Mezjo" ("Morning Star"), edited by the influential poet Yosano Tekkan. He became the subject of her poetry, and despite being married, a romantic relationship developed between Akiko (who was still writing under her real name) and Tekkan.
In 1901, Yosano published her first collection of poems, "Disheveled Hair" ("Midaregami"; in medieval poetry, loose hair symbolized passion, such as in Izumi Shikibu). The collection immediately caught the attention of poetry enthusiasts. Akiko left her parental home and went to live with Tekkan, who had already divorced his first wife, Takino. She continued writing poetry, publishing new books such as "Little Fan" and "Cloak of Love". Her works appeared in "Mezjo" and another romantic publication, "Subaru" ("Pleiades"). Critics recognized that the poems Akiko Yosano wrote between 1901 and 1910 were her best.
Literary Achievements and Activism
Yosano gained true fame as she wrote essays, served as a literary critic, and translated classical medieval works such as "The Tale of Genji" and "Eiga Monogatari" into modern language. She also founded the women's institute Bunka Gakuin, where she taught for a while. Akiko fought for women's rights and did not neglect her family, having eleven children with Tekkan.
In 1935, Yosano Tekkan passed away, and Akiko dedicated a collection of poems, "The Collected White Seagull," to his memory. Akiko Yosano passed away in 1942. The period between the 19th and 20th centuries is known as the "Silver Age of Japanese Poetry." After the so-called "Meiji Restoration," Japan opened up to Western influences, calling for a reform of traditions, including poetry. Akiko Yosano was part of the romantic "School of Morning Star" along with serious poets like Yosano Tekkan, Kitahara Hakushu, and Ishikawa Takuboku. In her poems, Yosano challenged traditional morality, advocated for free love, and the liberation of individuality. She skillfully combined symbols from classical poetry (such as blooming cherry blossoms, hagi, koto, and fireflies) with Western influences. Some of her poems faced criticism for their explicit eroticism. The main theme of Akiko's poetry was love, with most of her works dedicated to Tekkan. She was heavily influenced by the poems of famous medieval female poets, Izumi Shikibu and Ono no Komachi.
