Carpe Diem "Ask Jane ..." #6, Basho's Kanshicho-style (1683-1685)

Dear Haijin, visitors and travelers,

It's my pleasure to publish a new episode of our "Ask Jane ..." feature and this time the question is brought up by myself. As you maybe know I am a big fan of Basho, but I am even more a big fan of his so called Kanshicho-style haiku in which he didn't use the 5-7-5 rule. I discovered this style in the preface of a haiku-anthology compiled by Henri Kerlen, a Dutch Sinologist and Japan expert, titled "Het geluid van water" or in English "the sound of water". In the preface of this anthology Kerlen describes the Kanshicho-style, a style in which Basho wrote his haiku several years as a response on the Danrin-school.
As I started my friendship with Jane Reichhold, back in 2013, I asked her about this Kanshicho-style and that same question I have asked her again several weeks ago. In this episode of "Ask Jane ..." she will respond on that question.
At first I thought I will not publish it, because in a way ... I like the Kanshicho-style ... but it turned out to be a hoax according to Jane. Jane and I have corresponded on this and for this "Ask Jane ..." episode I have chosen to re-produce our correspondence about Kanshicho-styled haiku.

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Dear Jane,

As we started our friendship back in 2013 I ask you a few questions in my first e-mail to you. I can recall that I also asked you if you were familiar with the "Kanshicho"-style of haiku writing. I remember that you told me that you had never heard of this haiku-style in which Basho wrote from 1683-1685, but that you thought it was "haiku-writing in the way of the Chinese poetry".
In this Kanshicho-style the strict sound-units count 5-7-5 isn't used.

Can you tell us what the connection is between the Chinese poetry and the Japanese (classical) haiku? I know for example that Basho would have been to China and that he was influenced by the Chinese poetry as we also can read in several of his haiku.

Looking forward to your answer.

Kristjaan

Matsuo Basho, my master

Dear Kristjaan.

Your question has taken more time to find a correct answer! Thanks for being so patient. I could not find anything in all my books on Basho about him making a trip to China nor could I find anything about the word Kanshicho in his works. So I did a web a web search and found only one place where any of this is mentioned – on a website blog run by someone named Atkins. This made me ask a Chinese friend if there was any information in Chinese of a trip by Basho to China. He said there was nothing in Chinese on the subject and that in Chinese there is no reference to the word Kanshicho.

So this brings me to the idea that this is one of those internet legends. Someone has started a story that is completely false and others, reading his work, has taken his words to be a truth. In fact, everything this Atkins fellow has written is only his fantasy. I am sorry you have been taken in by it. By carrying this information on your site, too, you are giving credit to his false theory. I think it is time to say the truth and to clear up this wrong information on the web. I am sorry to be the bearer of this bad news.

I will leave it up to you whether you use my letter answer to “Ask Jane” and what you chose to do about the situation.

Blessings on all your endeavors!

\o/ Jane

Dear Jane,

Henri Kerlen, a Dutch researcher, has written a anthology of haiku by Basho (in Dutch: Geluid van Water; Tr.: Sound of Water) and in his preface to that anthology he mentioned the Kanshicho-style. Kerlen, a Sinologist and Japan expert, studied at the university of Leiden (The Netherlands) and in Beijing tells us in that same preface that Basho used this style from 1683-1685, but returned to the classical 5-7-5 idea after those years. he even re-wrote haiku from his Kanshicho-style time to the classical style. It's in that anthology's preface that I discovered the Kanshicho-style in which I write the main part of my haiku.

Thank you by the way for your answer and I will publish it later on this week at Carpe Diem Haiku Kai.

Kristjaan

Dear Kristjaan.

I did some research on Henri Kerlen on the web. I found he was born in Minnesota in USA in 1883! Do you have any of his books written in Dutch or English? I tried to find one I could buy but they are all listed as being not available.  This is slightly suspicious. Can you correspond with him in Dutch (if he is Dutch?) Or do you have a copy of the book you got your information from? Or can you give me a web site? I still think his information is not correct, but it can be that he published one of his books with this idea in it and thus you found it in a reputable place.

I am totally mystified on the whole subject. but am very eager to find out what is going on. Any help you can give me will be greatly appreciated!

\o/ Jane

Dear Jane,

I haven't a spare copy, but I can scan the preface (in Dutch) if you want to have it? It's published by Kairos, a Dutch publisher. It's in the above mentioned preface that I read this "Kanshicho"-styled haiku by Basho.

Kristjaan

PS. Ihave found their website: http://www.amerigo.nl/uitgeverij/kairos/kairos.html The Basho haiku are now titled "Een kikker springt" or in English "A frog jumps".

Henri Kerlen has also translated haiku by Issa, Buson and Shiki into Dutch.

Dear Kristjaan,

Thanks for the offer, but my Dutch is hardly worth the effort. Knowing you have a book with this information in it is enough for me.

My problem with the whole situation is the fact that you are accepting this one book as factual when everyone else believes something else. I am not out to get you to change your mind. You can believe what you want to believe.

Do you really wish to discuss this situation with me in public? That is up to you. You can do with my answer whatever feels right to you. I am okay with you dropping the subject and my answer. Do whatever you feel is best for yourself and other haiku writers. How important is this idea that Basho went to China to helping people write good haiku 400 years later? Will understanding of the word "Kacnshicho" help any of us write better haiku?

\o/ Jane

Dear Jane,

I think I will bring this question up on our weblog. Just to open up the discussion. And ... it makes no difference to me if the Kanshicho-style isn't that clear. I like the way of the "so called" Kanshicho-style .... maybe I can bring it up as an idea of my own ... to make haiku even better ....

I will give it a thought ....

Thank you Jane for answering my question ....

Kristjaan

Jane Reichhold

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Well ... it was quit a ride on this Kanshicho-style, but I will remain writing in that style ... I recently read the earlier mentioned anthology by Henri Kerlen again and I still think that Basho has written in that Kanshicho-style, but maybe the name "Kanshicho" is an idea of Henri Kerlen.

From the preface of that anthology I have translated a few quotes:

[...] "Basho himself was several years a disciple/student of Teitoku's disciple, Kitamura Kigin (1624-1705), but after a while he (Basho) became a student of Soin in 1675. Soin has different ideas about renga and one of his ideas is to write the chains by association of meaning, kokorozuke. His (Soin) poetry style means for haiku more simplification and letting go of the 5-7-5 rule. The theme's and language of Soin's poetry is of the people. [...]

[...[ "In response of this change in haiku-poetry Basho and others introduce the Kanshicho: in the tone of the Chinese verse. In Kanshicho the breaking of the 5-7-5 rule is no exception. Basho uses this Kanshicho-style during the years 1683-1685 as he lives as a recluse in Fukagawa. Basho's Kanshicho-style is prominent in an anthology compiled by Kikaku "An Empty Chestnut" (1683). The Kanshicho-style disappears after three years (1685) and Basho re-writes several Kanshicho-styled haiku into the classical way. [...]

As is said above ... maybe Kanshicho is a hoax, but ... well I like that style nevertheless if it is a hoax or not. In a way I think that our Western haiku are all in the way of Soin's or Basho's Kanshicho-style. The Western languages aren't compatible with the 5-7-5 onji (sounds) and therefore we have chosen to use syllables, but ... is counting syllables what haiku is?

I really am glad that Jane has answered my question about Kanshicho and of course I feel sad that my beloved Kanshicho-style turned out to be a hoax, but ... well ... haiku writing/composing is fun and gives me the freedom to share my ideas, feelings and thoughts and that's the most important thing (to me) of haiku ...

To close this episode I love to share another haiku (in Kanshicho-style) which I wrote after Jane's answer:

tears fall
on an empty sheet of paper 
a new day rises

© Chèvrefeuille

PS. Do you have a question for Jane Reichhold? Please email them to our special emailaddress:

carpediemhaikukaiaskjane@gmail.com

and I will take care that your questions will forwarded to Jane. She is the best and I am glad that Jane hosts this "Ask Jane ..." feature. Jane ... thank you from the bottom of my heart that you are part of Carpe Diem Haiku Kai, your work for our haiku-community is very much appreciated.

Kristjaan