Pen name Tatsunojo Nationality Japanese Role Poet | Occupation Poet Name Yokoi Yayu Died July 15, 1783 | |
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Notable works Uzuragoromo 鶉衣(The Quail's Cloak) | ||
Yokoi Yayu (横井 也有, October 24, 1702 – July 15, 1783) was a Japanese samurai best known for his haibun, a scholar of Kokugaku, and haikai poet. He was born Yokoi Tokitsura (横井 時般), and took the pseudonym Tatsunojo. His family are believed to be descendants of Hojo Tokiyuki.
Contents
Life
Yayu was born in Nagoya, the first son of Yokoi Tokitsura (時衡) who served the Owari Domain. He inherited the Yokoi House's patrimony at twenty-six and held important posts of the Owari Domain. He was for example yonin (manager of general affairs), Obangashira (chief of guard) and Jisha-Bugyo (manager of religious affairs). In 1754, at age 53, he retired for health reasons. Yayu moved to Maezu (前津) (now in Naka-ku, Nagoya), and lived in the Chiutei (知雨亭) hermitage. He was a prolific and respected composer of haibun, Classical Chinese poems, waka and Japanese satirical poems, and was an adept of the Japanese tea ceremony.
Works
Yayu also excelled in Japanese martial arts, studied Confucianism and learned haikai from Muto Hajaku (武藤巴雀) and Ota Hajo (太田巴静). Hajaku and Hajo were pupils of Kagami Shiko (各務支考), a leading disciple of Matsuo Basho. Mori Senzo (森銑三), a student of old Japanese literature, compared his hokku to senryu, and said they were not as interesting as his haibun. Yayu has been described as a master of haibun, and Nagai Kafu 永井荷風 called Yayu's haibun a model of Japanese prose.