Takarai Kikaku (; 1661–1707) also known as Enomoto Kikaku, was a Japanese haikai poet and among the most accomplished disciples of Matsuo Bashō.Eighteen Haiku by Kikaku, translated by Michael K. Bourdaghs, in Big City Lit, Feb 2004 Katō, Shūichi and Sanderson, Don. A History of Japanese Literature: From the Man'yōshū to Modern Times,Routledge, 1997, p.159

Early life His father was an Edo doctor, but Kikaku chose to become a professional haikai poet rather than follow in his footsteps.

Literary career Kikaku set the tone for haikai from Basho's death until the time of Yosa Buson in the late 18th century. He also left an important historical document describing Bashō's final days, and the immediate aftermath of his death, which has been translated into English.Takarai, Kikaku. An Account of Our Master Basho's Last Days, translated by Nobuyuki Yuasa in Springtime in Edo. Keisuisha, 2006. , pp.15-26

Later influence

In commemoration of the 300th anniversary of Kikaku's death, Nobuyuki Yuasa led an international bilingual (Japanese and English) renku, or collaborative linked poem, which opened with the following hokku by Kikaku:Yuasa, Nobuyuki et al. Springtime in Edo. Keisuisha, 2006. , pp.3-9

鐘ひとつ賣れぬ日はなし江戸の春

Springtime in Edo, Not a day passes without A temple bell sold.

Bashō's criticism Kikaku wrote of coarser subjects than Bashō, and in this respect his poetry was closer to earlier haikai, as well as to senryu,R H Blyth, A History of Haiku Vol I (1963) p. p. 132 and his master is known to have denigrated Kikaku's 'flippant efforts'. Comparing Kikaku's paired haiku in 'The Rustic Haiku Contest', Bashō remarked of one that "these are artifices within a work of art; too much craft has been expended here".Makoto Ueda, Matsuo Bashō (1982) p. 153 One day, Kikaku composed a haiku, Red dragonfly / break off its wings / Sour cherry which Bashō changed to, Sour cherry / add wings to it / Red dragonfly; thus saying that poetry should add life to life, not take life away from life.The Conversation Continues – Page 28

See also Hattori Ransetsu Mukai Kyorai

References

External links A selection of Kikaku's haiku translated into English Kikaku's An Account of Our Master Basho's Last Days Springtime in Edo , the international renku composed in memory of the 300th anniversary of Kikaku's death