Matsuo Bashō

Lore & Background

Matsuo Bashō was born in 1644 near Ueno, in Iga Province, into a family of samurai descent; his father was probably a musokunin, a class of landowning peasants with certain samurai privileges. Little is known of his childhood, though the Matsuo were a major ninja family and Bashō was trained in ninjutsu. In his late teens, he became a servant to Tōdō Yoshitada, likely in a humble capacity, and shared Yoshitada's love for haikai no renga, a collaborative poetry form. After Yoshitada's sudden death in 1666, Bashō left home and eventually moved to Edo around 1672 to further his study of poetry. In Edo, Bashō's simple and natural style gained recognition, and by 1680 he had twenty disciples. He moved to a rustic hut in Fukagawa, where a banana tree (bashō) gave him his permanent haigō. Despite success, he grew dissatisfied and began practicing Zen meditation. After his hut burned down in 1682 and his mother died in early 1683, he embarked on the first of four major wanderings in 1684, traveling alone off the beaten path. His journey produced the travel essay Records of a Weather-Exposed Skeleton. In 1686, he composed one of his best-remembered haiku, which became instantly famous. He continued teaching and holding contests, and in 1689 left with his student Kawai Sora on the journey that became his masterwork Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North).

Reader's Guide

Matsuo Bashō's significance lies in his elevation of haikai no renga and its opening verse, the hokku (later called haiku), from social pastimes to serious artistic expression. Although he is famous in the West for his hokku, Bashō himself believed his best work was in leading and participating in renku, stating that many followers could write hokku as well as he could, but his true skill was in linking haikai verses. His poetry was influenced by firsthand experience of the world, often capturing a scene's feeling in simple elements. His travel essays, beginning with Records of a Weather-Exposed Skeleton, combined poetic observation with personal reflection. Bashō's legacy endures through his poems inscribed on monuments and traditional sites in Japan, and his international renown as a master of haiku. His work continues to be studied and admired for its depth, simplicity, and connection to nature.

Did You Know?

• Bashō was trained in ninjutsu, as the Matsuo were a major ninja family.
• His haigō 'Bashō' came from a Japanese banana tree planted in his yard by disciples.
• He traveled 600 ri (2,400 km) on his 150-day journey for Oku no Hosomichi.
• Bashō's first extant poem was published in 1662, and two of his hokku were printed in a 1726 compilation.
• He believed his true skill was in linking haikai verses, not writing hokku, saying 'Many of my followers can write hokku as well as I can.'