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Yosa Buson

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Yosa Buson was a famous Japanese poet and painter.

Yosa Buson uk
Yosa Buson uk

He lived during the Edo period. He is known as one of the greatest poets of that time. Buson also helped create a special art style called haiga. Haiga combines painting and poetry together. He also worked with haibun, which is a way to mix prose and poetry.

A black hawk and two crows by Yosa Buson
A black hawk and two crows by Yosa Buson

Buson believed that poems should be natural. He did not like using very strict rules. He wanted every writer to have their own unique style. Some people thought his poetry was old-fashioned. However, people in his time loved his paintings very much.

Buson used art to make a living. He often painted to earn money for his life. He was a master of many different ways to create. One way was through haiga-style picture scrolls. He worked on a collection called Buson yōkai emaki between 1754 and 1757.

Xiao He chases Han Xin by Yosa Buson (Nomura Art Museum)
Xiao He chases Han Xin by Yosa Buson (Nomura Art Museum)

He also experimented with a mixed Chinese-Japanese style of poetry. His poems often focused on the beauty of the natural world. He wrote about plum flowers in cold nooks and corners. He also wrote about the colors of morning glory flowers. These small details helped people see nature in a new way.

Buson was born in the village of Kema. This place is in the present-day Miyakojima Ward of Osaka. His original family name was Taniguchi. Some stories say his mother was a servant named Gen. She came from a place called Yosa in Tango Province. Buson later took the name Yosa from his mother's birthplace. When he was about 20 years old, he moved to Edo. Edo is the old name for Tokyo. In Edo, he studied poetry with a master named Hayano Hajin. Hajin taught at a place called Yahantei, or the Midnight Pavilion.

Buson spent much of his life traveling through Japan. He followed the footsteps of his hero, Matsuo Bashō. He traveled through the wilds of northern Honshū. This area inspired Bashō's famous travel diary. In 1744, Buson published his own notes from this trip. This was the first time he used the name Buson. He later moved to Kyoto when he was 42 years old. He married at age 45 and had a daughter named Kuno. Later in life, he lived in Kyoto and taught poetry at the Sumiya. He even used the pen name Yahantei II to honor his teacher.

Today, many people around the world can see Buson's work. His art is kept in many famous museums. You can find his pieces at the British Museum. They are also at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Other museums include the Seattle Art Museum and the Harvard Art Museums. The Kimbell Art Museum and the Worcester Art Museum also have his work. The University of Michigan Museum of Art holds his art too. Buson died at the age of 68 in Kyoto. He is buried at the Konpuku-ji temple. His life and art still connect people to the beauty of Japan.

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🖼️ Images & Media (3)
File:Yosa Buson uk.jpg
Yosa Buson uk.jpg
File:Xiao He chases Han Xin by Yosa Buson (Nomura Art Museum).jpg
Xiao He chases Han Xin by Yosa Buson...
File:A black hawk and two crows by Yosa Buson.jpg
A black hawk and two crows by Yosa Buson.jpg
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