Rooka, Saint Roka

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Memorial Day for Saint Roka

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Early Winter
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation

Memorial Day for Saint Roka,
Rooka Ki 浪化忌 (ろうかき)

November 17. (1672 - 1703)

寛文11年12月17日（1672年1月16日） － 元禄16年10月9日（1703年11月17日）

He was born in Kyoto. His boyhood name was "Shoo Maru" 正丸.
His haiku names are 自遣堂・応々山人・休々山人.

He was a monk of the Pure Land Sect and also a famous haiku poet. His father Takunyo 琢如（たくにょ) had been priest at the famous temple Higashi Honganji in Kyoto.



Zuisen-Ji village

He lived at the temple Zuisenji 越中国井波瑞泉寺, where he became abbot in 1677 at the tender age of 7. He often travelled to Kyoto to meet his father and his brother, both haiku students of Kitamura Kigin.
Later he became a haiku student of Mukai Kyorai, one of the 10 important disciples of Basho.

In 1694 he met Matsuo Basho for the first time at the Haiku Group in Saga/Kyoto, Rakushi sha 落柿舎（らくししゃ）and became his disciple.

He was very fond of Basho and built a memorial for him after the death of Basho. He received a bit of the hair of Basho as mememto and later build his recluse, "Black Hair Hermitage" Kurokami An 黒髪庵.


"Black Hair Hermitage"


His Haiku Publications
『Ariso umi 有磯海』『Tonami yama となみ山』




Japanese Reference


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Worldwide use


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Things found on the way


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HAIKU

Haiku by Roka himself

下積の　蜜柑ちひさし　年の暮
shitazumi no mikan chihisashi toshi no kure

the lower layer
of mandarins is rather small ...
end of the year

Haiku about Trees



いなづまの濡れて走るや砂の上
inazuma no nurete hashiru suna no ue

getting wet
and running from the thunderstorm
on the sand

Haiku about Sand
Tr. Gabi Greve


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More Haiku by Roka

「のら猫の声もつきなや寒の内」
「初春のおちつくかたや梅柳」
「待春や机に揃ふ書の小口」
「朝立つや鳥見かへれば雲にいる」
「一本をくるりくるりと花見かな」
「霊前に新茶そゆるや一つまみ」
「首立て鵜のむれのぼる早瀬哉」
「釣りそめて蚊屋のにほひや二三日」
「秋深し昼も馴れたる小夜着哉」
「賑やかに菊は咲きけり初しぐれ」
「柊の花のこぼれや四十雀」
「久々で野に出る馬や大根引」


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Related words

***** Kitamura Kigin 北村季吟


***** Memorial Days of Famous People
....... A WORLDWIDE SAIJIKI

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