Kobayashi Nobuyki (Issa) was born in Kashiwabara, Shinano province, to a farming family and began writing in his childhood, which was marred by misfortune and sadness, his mother died and his father remarried resulting in torment at the hands of his step mother and step brother.
In 1777 he was despatched to Tokyo to study the Haiku form under s ...
my favorite among the great haiku triumvirate. so human. i became familiar with him through robert hass's the essential haiku and recommend it heartily. i don't usually buy books when i can borrow them, but i bought this one to refer to over and over. -glen kappy
Basho, Issa Kobayashi, Buson, Shiki..4 shining stars..!
A Bath When You'Re Born
His death poem:
A bath when you're born,
a bath when you die,
how stupid.
Translated by Robert Hass
After Kobayashi Issa’s death, haiku poetry began a steady descent into mediocrity... until Masaoka Shiki saved it