English Haiku
Tour
Journey to Haiku: Colors of Autumn
English Haiku Tour in Matsuyama
Matsuyama City,
Ehime Prefecture,
The hometown of Masaoka Shiki, a pioneer of haiku innovation.
Shiki defined the term "haiku" and built the foundations of modern haiku culture, placing sketching at its core. There are about 90 "haiku posts" in the city, and haiku has taken root in the lives of residents through events such as the Haiku Koshien.
Matsuyama is a place beloved by many haiku poets and the gateway to tourism in Shikoku, where you can enjoy unparalleled history, culture, and cuisine. It's packed with attractions, including Dogo Onsen, Japan's oldest hot spring, Matsuyama Castle, one of 12 remaining castle towers, a charming tramway, temples on the Shikoku Pilgrimage route, and citrus sweets. As the largest city in Shikoku, it offers affordable accommodation, beautiful views of the Seto Inland Sea, abundant nature, and exquisite cuisine, providing new inspiration for visitors.
Why not spend an exciting and relaxing time on this tour and create a haiku that reflects your emotions?
Tour highlights
⚫︎ Visit great spots in Matsuyama and neighboring cities and towns
⚫︎ Daily "poetry walks" and "haiku meetings"
⚫︎ You can choose to participate in any section or all of the 4-day itinerary including the Welcome Dinner.
⚫︎ You can choose and purchase dinner the night before and a 4-day itinerary according to your preferences.
⚫︎ Get a great deal by booking all tours as a set
⚫︎ You can choose your preferred course according to your convenience
Shiki Memorial Museum
Koshinan (taken in early summer)
Uchiko Town Yokaichi Gokoku District
Masako Kakutani
Born in Tokyo, Kakutani has studied haiku under Yuko Kagiwada since 1988. She has published several haiku collections, including Honryū (The Mainstream), Genryū (The Source) and Chikasui Myaku (Underground Aquifer). Her critical works include Reading 100 Haiku by Seishi Yamaguchi and Seeking the Currents of Haiku: Poets Who Passed Away in the Heisei Era (winner of the Association of Haiku Poets and Museum of Haiku Literature Criticism Award). She has co-authored works such as English Quatrains and Floral Saijiki. Kakutani used to be a supervisor of the NHK World Haiku program. Now an instructor of English haiku courses, a board member of the Association of Haiku Poets and Museum of Haiku Literature and the International Haiku Association. She is also a councilor of the Museum of Modern Japanese Poetry, Essays and Literature, and a member of the Japan P.E.N Club and wrote the “Haiku Critique” column for the Asahi Shimbun.
Kit Nagamura
Kit Pancoast Nagamura is a poet, author, and travel writer who settled permanently in Japan and completed her doctoral studies here. She co-hosted NHK World’s HAIKU MASTERS TV program for three years and has received numerous haiku awards, including top prizes at the Ito En Oi Ocha International Haiku Contest, the Setouchi-Matsuyama International Photo-Haiku Contest, and first prize in the 2020 Santōka International Haiga Contest. Nagamura serves as a judge for various international haiku competitions. Her photographic works are held in private collections worldwide. She also wrote The Backstreet Stories column for The Japan Times (2008‒) and co-authored 1,800 Japanese Expressions for Everyday Conversation (Kodansha International, 2010).
inquiry
JTB Corporation Matsuyama Branch Address: 5th floor, K-13 Building, 3-9-3 Sanbancho, Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture, 790-0003
TEL： 81-89-943-3321
FAX： 81-89-934-6626
Email: matsuyama_eigyo@jtb.com
Person in charge: Takeshi Tadashige, Tourism Development Producer
Supported by
Association of Japanese Classical Haiku,
Association of Haiku Poets and Haiku Literature,
Modern Haiku Association,
Haiku International Association
