かへり見れば行きあひし人霞みけり
kaerimireba yuki-aishi hito kasumi keri


When I turned my head
the person I just passed
disappeared into the mist
—Shiki


(Tr. David LaSpina)

_{(Print by Takahashi Shotei)}

It's always slightly eerie when the mist is thick and you are walking through it, feeling that isolation as you are surrounded by nothing but white. The eeriness goes up several degrees when you pass someone someone but then they quickly disappear behind you. It's not especially spooky per se, at least not during the day, but it does feel a bit strange.

Some have suggested Shiki is also making a spiritual comment here. I don't think so. As a product of Japanese culture of course he was influenced by Buddhist ideas, but he was also an atheist and generally disliked hidden meaning of that nature. Rather, this poem is a perfect example of Shiki's idea of shasei, or sketches from life, which was his vision for haiku. And a great example it is. If we close our eyes, we can see and feel this exact scene that he is describing in the verse.

❦

Don't miss other great haiku in the Haiku of Japan series!

#1–10 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #1
#11–20 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #2
#21–30 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #3
#31—40 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #4
#41–50 — Haiku of Japan :: Collection #5
#51 — Dewdrop World
#52 — A Fleeting Life
#53 — The Only Sound
#54 — Autumn Clouds
#55 — Playing Dewdrops
#56 — To the Last Drop

If you enjoyed this post, please like and resteem. Also be sure to follow me to see more from Japan everyday.

I post one photo everyday, as well as a haiku and as time allows, videos, more Japanese history, and so on. Let me know if there is anything about Japan you would like to know more about or would like to see.

Who is David?
	David LaSpina is an American photographer lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time.