The World Haiku Festival 2002
with Basho Journey /Kamakura Option

&

R. H. Blyth Haiku Award

At Yuwa Town, Akita, Japan
September This Year!

DETAILS & APPLICATION

Practical Details (Revised: 21 April 2002. Some of the details are still to be finalised)

SECRETARIAT:  Outside Japan: Headquarters, The World Haiku Club, Leys Farm, Rousham, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX25 4RA, England  Tel: +44 1869 340261 Fax: +44 1869 340619   E-mail: WHC.takiguchi@susumu.freeserve.co.uk (For Japan: Yuwa Town, Akita)

INTRODUCTION

An attractive package for this coming autumn in JAPAN: the seven-day Basho Journey of Oku-no-Hosomichi, leading up to the climax of three-day festival for world haiku poets at Yuwa Town, Akita, with two optional gatherings centred in Kamakura and Kyoto. Participants can enjoy some or all of these component parts, depending on their time and budget.

Set during September between the harvest time and deep autumn, rich rustic scenery will welcome visitors. Everybody is recommended to take part in the Oku-no-Hosomichi Journey and the World Haiku Festival 2002, forming magical ten days.

WHF2002 is supported by many haiku and non-haiku organisations and individual poets (see below). James W. Hackett, the doyen of haiku, will be the guest of honour. Competition judges include Tota Kaneko, Teiko Inahata, George Swede, Cor van den Heuvel, Michael McClintock and Hisao Yamazaki. Good speakers are lined up such as Kiyoko Uda, Professor Katsushi Wada, Bruce Ross, Ikuyo Yoshimura, Kris Kondo, Kazuhiro Kudo, Professor Masahisa Fukuda and Professor Tatsuhiko Taira.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

By completing and returning the attached application form (SEE BOTTOM OF PAGE) as soon as possible, which will be considered according to criteria pertaining to the aims of WHF2002 and of the World Haiku Club (WHC). Higher priorities will be given to those applicants keenest on, and/or most likely to contribute to the success of, the event. Successful applicants will be notified forthwith and requested to pay a stated non-returnable deposit. Overseas participants are limited to 25 people but may be increased if necessary. Participation is by invitation and by application only and is co-ordinated exclusively by the Headquarters of WHC (see top of this document).

DATE & PLACE

WHF2002:  Friday 20, Saturday 21 & Sunday 22 September 2002 in Yuwa Town, Akita Prefecture, Japan (various venues and locations: see the outline programme below)

Oku-no-Hosomichi (Basho Journey):  Provisionally, from Friday 13 to Thursday 19 September 2002 starting in Nikko and finishing in Sakata/Yuwa Town, Akita Prefecture

Kamakura Option: Provisionally, for 3 to 5 days, ending on Thursday 12 September 2002 in Kamakura, except for 12 September which will be spent in Tokyo

Kyoto Option: Monday 23 - Friday 27 September in Kyoto and its environs, including Basho’s burial place at Zeze along the Lake Biwa

PARTICIPATION FEE FOR WHF2002

The participation fee for the three-day WHF2002 is 100 British Pound Sterling or its equivalent. This will help finance all the meals, two receptions, all WHF2002 sessions, transport for official events, exhibitions and administrative costs. It will not cover accommodation.

(Note) There will be a Rogetsu Exhibition (his calligraphy works) at Yuwa Town Centre for the Improvement of Agricultural Environment (the Main Hall)

ACCOMMODATION

WHF2002 participants are requested to stay at designated Conference accommodation in the town, all reasonably priced, which the participation fee does not cover (except for meals). Please indicate what sort of accommodation you want in the application form (see the end of this document), stating your first, second and third choices. There are three designated Conference accommodation:

Plaza Crypton Hotel: very close to MinnesotaState University Akita where the first day Conference will be held, 14 single rooms, 6 Japanese Inn-style rooms (shared by 2 or 3 people), 14 twin rooms (must be shared), Yen 5,500 per person per night excluding meals

Yuwa Town Cycling Terminal: 1 Western-style room (shared by 3), 7 Japanese Inn-style rooms (shared by 4 to 6 per room), Yen 3,500 per person per night excluding meals

Furusato Onsen Yuasis: 5 Japanese Inn-style rooms (shared by 5), Yen 3,930 per person per night excluding meals

(Note) These rooms will be bulk-booked by Yuwa Town. In case all available rooms becoming full, there are some other inns in the town with onsen hot spring available.

[Accommodation for Basho Journey and the two Options will be dealt with separately by the designated organising travel agency]

Outline WHF2002 Conference Programme

BASHO JOURNEY & KAMAKURA AND KYOTO OPTIONS

These are now being organised by the designated travel agency and will be announced as soon as basic details are decided. If you want to know urgently how these details are being worked out, please write to Susumu Takiguchi at WHC.takiguchi@susumu.freeserve.co.uk  However, the rough idea is as follows.

The Basho Journey will begin probably on Friday 13 September 2002 when participants are expected to move from Tokyo to Nikko in the early part of the morning. Overnight at Nikko, the party will proceed to visit the choicest sites following in Basho’s footsteps and arrive in Sakata on Thursday 19 September before finally moving to Yuwa Town for attending the WHF2002 the following day. 

The sites to visit will be selected from such places as Shirakawa-no-Seki, Fukushima, Kasajima, Sendai, Tsubo-no-Ishibumi, Matsushima, Zuiganji, Hiraizumi, Shitomae-no-Seki, Obanazawa, Ryushaku-ji, the Mogami-gawa River, Haguro-yama, Gassan, Yudono-yama and Sakata before joining the WHF2002 at Yuwa, taking into consideration such constraints as costs, hotels and the pace of travelling.

The Kamakura Option will be for those who wish to meet up on a voluntary and individual basis before the Basho Journey starts and Kamakura will be used as the base location. They must bring themselves on their own to Kamakura on the day of their choice and spend 3 to 5 days, or even one day, in Kamakura before moving to Tokyo on Thursday 12 September to visit Basho Museum in Fukagawa. The plans for Kamakura include ginko to places such as R. H. Blyth’s burial temple (Daisetsu Suzuki as well), kukai, meeting with local haiku poets and/or excursion to Hakone, Fuji or Odawara.

The Kyoto Option will be run on the same basis as the Kamakura Option. Those who wish to join this option will fly from Akita Airport to Osaka (or by Shinkansen if preferred) to arrive in Kyoto on Monday 23 September and spend 3 to 5 days depending on their plans. The programme can include visits to temples/gardens and places where Basho stayed, such as Rakushi-sha. Excursions are possible to places such as Zeze, Otsu on the shore of Lake Biwa, where Basho is buried. Participants are expected to fly home from Kansai Airport off Osaka.

WHF2002/Basho Journey Provisional Schedule

September 2002

Tue 10    Start of the “Kamakura Option”

               Kukai (and/or renku-kai) and other events

Wed 11  The proposed public lecture series (to be confirmed): Tsubaki Hoshino or Takashi Hoshino,
James W. Hackett, Dorothy Britton (Lady Bouchier): Negotiation with the proposed speakers in progress.

Meeting with Tsubaki Hoshino and/or Takashi Hoshino and other haiku poets in and around Kamakura

Thu 12  am Move to Tokyo: Short visit to Kabuki? – pm Basho Shrine/Basho Museum-Paying supper –[Stay at Accommodation A, Tokyo]

Fri  13    Start of the Oku-no-Hosomichi Basho Journey (subject to change) 9am Dept Hotel A, Tokyo for Nikko on chartered coach )   [Stay at Accom. B, Nikko] Places to visit (Toshogu, Kurokami-yama or Nantai-zan, Urami-no-Taki etc.)

Sat  14   am Dept Nikko  [Stay at Accom. C, Fukushima or Iizaka] Places to visit (Kurobane-Unganji Temple, Nasu-Sasshoseki, Ashino-Yugyou-yanagi, Shirakawa-no-Seki)

Sun 15    am Dept Fukushima or Iizaka [Stay at Accom. D, Matsushima] Places to visit (Tagajo-Tsubo-no-Ishibumi, Matsushima, Boat trip in Matsushima) 

Mon 16  am Dept Matsushima  [Stay at Accom. E, Naruko-no-Yu] Places to visit  (Hiraizumi – Naruko-no-Yu)

Tue 17   am Dept Naruko-no-Yu  [Stay at Accom. F, Ryushaku-ji] Places to visit  (Ryushaku-ji or Yamadera)

Wed 18  am Dept Ryushaku-ji [Stay at Accom. G, Tsuruoka] Places to visit (Mogami-gawa River, Kusanagi, Gassan, Haguro-yama)

Thu 19   am Dept Tsuruoka [Stay at Accom H, I and J, Yuwa Town, Akita] Places to visit (Yudono-san, Sakata, Fukiura)

Fri  20   Day 1 of WHF2002 Conference and reception

Sat  21  Day 2 of WHF2002 Ginko to places of beauty, Chokai-san & Kisagata

Sun 22  Day 3 of WHF2002

               R. H. Blyth Award Competition Announcement

               Panel Discussion

Mon 23    Start of “Kyoto Option” (for 3 to 5 days)

THE 45TH SHORT VERSE COMPETITIONS
IN PRAISE OF ROGETSU

There are three main categories, (a) haiku, tanka and general poems for adult Japanese, (b) ditto for Japanese children, and (c) haiku in English or English translation for everybody in the world. For (a) and (b), details are widely advertised in Japanese, including Yuwa Town website: http://www.town.yuwa.akita.jp/haikutaikai/

Here, the particulars of (c) only is shown:

The World Haiku Festival 2002 –Yuwa, Akita, Japan - World Haiku Competition Commemorating the 130th Anniversary of the Birth of Rogetsu and in Honour of Shiki, Basho & R. H. Blyth

HAIKU IN ENGLISH OR ENGLISH TRANSLATION COMPETITION

Incorporated into the First R. H. Blyth Award

Guidelines

(These guidelines will apply to this particular competition only)

 Category Haiku poems in any form, style, subject or convention. They can either have kigo or be muki (no season words). In other words, each poem will be judged in its own merit. However, they should reflect your understanding of what all, or some or one of these four great individuals mean to you – Rogetsu, Shiki, Basho & R. H. Blyth.

 Standards & Quality Highest standards and quality will be sought in this competition.

 Language English (haiku written in any other languages must be translated into English. Please, therefore, aim at top-quality translation. Other languages will not be considered)

Eligibility Open to everybody in the world. Your works must be new, original, unpublished and not being considered elsewhere. By submitting them, you shall be deemed to have agreed to give permission that the works may be published in the announcement, publication or any other use which the organisers deem fit. The copyrights shall revert to the authors once their works are published. Any work in breach of these requirements, or any other normal practice of international haiku contests, including those under WHC, which the organisers deem reasonable, will be rejected and prizes awarded will be rescinded.

Submission of Works You can submit up to 3 haiku. As already mentioned, they should be written in, or translated into, English. Type your works, your first names, your SURNAME (in capital letters), address, tel/fax, e-mail address, haiku pen name, if any, with a brief bio. How you lay your poems on paper may not necessarily be observed in the event of publication.

Deadline - (revised) MONDAY 10 JUNE 2002 (Midnight your local time, or postmark). The deadline is tight because the works to be published must go to the printers by end June.

Fees - REVISED FOR YEAR OF 2002: - NO FEES  (See revision below)

How to submit works

By e-mail  or By post            

If you cannot use e-mail, send your works etc. by post (snail mail) to the Headquarters of The World Haiku Club at Leys Farm, Rousham, Bicester, OX25 4RA, England. The submission must be typed, otherwise it could be rejected

Judges A panel of judges shall consist of leading international haijin

Ion Codrescu (Romania)

James W. Hackett (USA)

Michael McClintock (USA; Co-ordinator)

Visnja McMaster (Croatia)

Jane Reichhold (USA)

George Swede (Canada)

Serge Tome (Belgium)

Cor van den Heuvel (USA)

Nobuyuki Yuasa (Japan)

Susumu Takiguchi (UK, Japanese, Secretariat, i.e. not a judge & no vote)

Announcement and award celebrations  The results will be announced during the Short Verse Competitions Meeting at the Chomin Taiiku-kan (Yuwa Town Gymnasium) and at the same time on WHC’s mailing lists and the press. No individual enquiries regarding works submitted will be answered.

Awards The World Haiku Club has created an important annual award, called the “R. H. Blyth Award”. This year, considering the fact that the WHF2002 is partly dedicated to R. H. Blyth, it has been decided that the R. H. Blyth Award will be appropriated to WHF2002 Haiku in English and English Translation Competition. The details will be finalised by the panel of judges.

Anthology All submissions will be considered for publication in the proposed World Haiku Festival Anthology 2000 & 2002.

* * *

17/05/02
Re: Announcement:

Important Changes of Guidelines for the R. H. Blyth Award
Haiku Competition


Two changes have been made and are effective retrospectively: (1) The fees are abolished for this Competition, and (2) the new deadline is set for Monday 10 June 2002. It is hoped that people will make the most of these changes and as many of them as possible will submit their best works soon. The extracts regarding these changes and the revised guidelines are as follows.

Deadline  NEW EXTENDED DEADLINE: The original deadline of 31 May 2002 has now been extended to MONDAY 10 JUNE 2002 (Midnight your local time, or postmark). The deadline is tight because the works to be published in the proposed WHF Anthology 2000 & 2002 must go to the printers by end June.

Fees CHANGED: NOW FREE OF CHARGE:  It has been decided not to charge anyfees in this instance. All monies already received will be returned. Many people have found the payment of fees confusing and complicated and are unable to cope with the transmission of money, while the administrative burden dealing with these enquiries has become untenable. Taking also into consideration the tight deadline of the submission of entries, we are no longer charging for this competition the fees which would cause delays and confusion. (However, those who do not mind it would be welcome to make a payment but in the form of donation of the amount of their choice, as the competition needs to be financed somehow. To donate, send International Money Order or sterling cheque drawn at UK banks in favour of “World Haiku Festival” to Headquarters, The World Haiku Club, Leys Farm, Rousham, Bicester, England OX25 4RA. However, payment in cash (sending banknotes in
the normal letter) is a preferred option to avoid high commission costs (no problems have been experienced so far, but make sure to put the banknotes within at least two sheets of your folded letter paper) but will be at the sender’s risk.

Please address entries to Susumu Takiguchi at this e-mail address:

WHC.takiguchi@susumu.freeserve.co.uk

Kind regards,

The World Haiku Club
WHC.takiguchi@susumu.freeserve.co.uk

WHF2002 ORGANISATIONAL DETAILS

Main Organisers

The World Haiku Club and the Steering Committee, Yuwa Town, Akita, Japan, with important local bodies involved

Supporting Organisations

Akita Prefectural Government, Yuwa Town Council, Haijin Kyokai, Nihon Dento Haiku Kyokai, Gendai Haiku Kyokai, Akita Prefectural Haiku Friendship Association, Akita Branch of Haijin Kyokai, Akita Branch of Gendai Haiku Kyokai, Minnesota State University Akita School, Akita Sakigake Shimpo Newspaper, Asahi Shimbun Akita, Mainichi Shimbun Akita, Yomiuri Shimbun Akita, NHK Broadcasting Corporation Akita, ABS Akita Broadcasting Corporation, AKT Akita TV, AAB Akita Asahi Hoso, Shukan Akita Weekly (also organisations outside Japan)

WHF2002 Secretariat

For Japan: Social Education Section, Education Committee, Yuwa Town Council, Akita Prefecture, Japan

For the rest of the world: Headquarters, The World Haiku Club, Leys Farm, Rousham, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX25 4RA, England  Tel: +44 1869 340261 Fax: +44 1869 340619   E-mail:  WHC.takiguchi@susumu.freeserve.co.uk

WHF2002 (FESTIVAL/CONFERENCE)

APPLICATION  FORM

Please copy this form (copy and paste into an e-mail), complete and send it back to:

WHC.takiguchi@susumu.freeserve.co.uk

as soon as possible, or send it to:

The WHC Headquarters, Leys Farm, Rousham, Bicester, Oxfordshire OX25 4RA, England)

I wish to apply for participating in WHF2002 from 20 to 22 September 2002.

Date of Application:

Full Name and haiku name in bracket, male or female:

Postal address, Tel/Fax, e-mail address, country of residence, nationality:

Occupation:

Accommodation: Please specify your preferences for accommodation:

Room, single, twin for two or sharing: First choice, Second choice and Third choice

Accommodation: First choice, Second choice and Third choice from the following:

Plaza Crypton Hotel: very close to MinnesotaState University Akita where the first day Conference will be held, 14 single rooms, 6 Japanese Inn-style rooms (shared by 2 or 3 people), 14 twin rooms (must be shared), Yen 5,500 per person per night excluding meals

Yuwa Town Cycling Terminal: 1 Western-style room (shared by 3), 7 Japanese Inn-style rooms (shared by 4 to 6 per room), Yen 3,500 per person per night excluding meals

Furusato Onsen Yuasis: 5 Japanese Inn-style rooms (shared by 5), Yen 3,930 per person per night excluding meals

(Note) These rooms will be bulk-booked by Yuwa Town. In case all available rooms becoming full, there are some other inns in the town with onsen hot spring available.

About yourself: please briefly state your reasons why you wish to attend WHF2002, your personal background and your involvement with haiku (this will particularly be considered in case of over-subscription but also used for helping to make your visit and participation a success)

The Basho Journey: please state whether or not you are also participating in the Basho journey (planned to take place for about a week immediately before WHF2002) and/or the Kamakura Option and Kyoto Option (see Practical Details above). Those who are participating in them will be contacted individually to start discussing details which are now being worked out by a designated travel agency.

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