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A railway station
filled with local accents
I go into the crowd
to listen for mine

(by Takuboku Ishikawa, translated by me)

For Japanese poet Takuboku Ishikawa (1886-1912), Hakodate had something special that made him say that he would like to die there.  One of the well-known figures in Japanese literature, most notably for his tanka and free-style poems, Takuboku wrote many poems that tug at our heartstrings.

He lived for less than half a year in Hakodate in his short, poverty-stricken life of 26 years.  The time he spent there was perhaps the happiest for him thanks to the camaradarie with his colleagues.  He was also reunited with his family there.  His family grave has been set up in Hakodate, near Tachimachi Cape, overlooking the Tsugaru Strait that lies between Honshu and Hokkaido.  To read some of his poems, visit this link (in Japanese).

Hakodate Sunset, Japan I

A large digital file available on request.

Media: Original watercolor on paper
Image Size: 15.5 x 11.5 inches (39 x 29 cm)

Frame/Mat: No

Purchase: Please send me an email for details.

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