Learn Japanese through Haiku: Masaoka Shiki 正岡子規 [Paperback]

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86 pages | Paperback | Includes FREE MP3s and eBook formats

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正岡(まさおか)子規(しき) (Masaoka Shiki) (1867–1902) was a Japanese poet, essayist, and literary critic, best known for his work in revitalizing traditional Japanese poetry forms such as 俳句(はいく) (haiku) and 短歌(たんか) (tanka) during the Meiji period.

Born in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, his birth name was Masaoka Tsunenori (正岡(まさおか) 常(つね)規(のり)), but he later adopted the pen name "Shiki 子規(しき)," which means "cuckoo." According to legend, the cuckoo is said to cough up blood when it sings, a poignant symbol for Shiki, who suffered from tuberculosis for much of his life.

Despite living only 34 short years, Shiki is credited with writing nearly 20,000 haiku. Many consider him one of the four great haiku masters, alongside Matsuo Bashō, Yosa Buson, and Kobayashi Issa.

This book is intended to help the beginning to intermediate student of Japanese not only learn Japanese vocabulary and grammar, but also to reveal some of the hidden nuance in translation.

What you'll get:

• Read and understand twenty of Masaoka Shiki's most famous haiku.
• For beginner to intermediate students of Japanese
• Download sound files of all the haiku in Japanese and all the commentary of the haiku
• Every word is defined, and major grammar or haiku elements explained
• Every haiku and commentary have a QR code which you can scan to instantly get the sound recording for that text

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