HIGHLIGHT

This work is an autograph manuscript by Kobayashi Issa (1763–1827), documenting his haiku diary over nine years, from New Year’s Day of Bunka 7 (1810) to December of Bunsei 1 (1818), when he was 48 to 56 years old. Issa himself titled the volume Nanaban Nikki. It contains over seven thousand poems, making it the longest of his haiku diaries. It was created during his return to his hometown of Kashiwabara, a peak period in his life and creative career, and reflects one of the most eventful periods of his life.<br>

The diary is carefully transcribed. At the beginning of each page, the date, weather, and daily events are recorded, while the lower section contains haiku and haikai prose. The colophon bears seals from the Nakamura family of Kashiwabara Honjin, Nakamura Rokurō (founder of the “Issa Dōkōkai”), and the Saku haiku poet Kinseki.<br>

The work includes a black persimmon cheek rest (Wakizue), carved by Issa’s disciple Bunkyō in the shape of a short sword. The cheek rest was designed to support the body like a small armrest. Samurai traditionally rested their elbows on their short swords (Wakizashi), and this piece was made as a substitute. Its form and carving mimic a Wakizashi. The material is black persimmon wood, length 47.5 cm (one shaku five sun). The handle bears the inscription “Mudai-mono” and the reverse “Masamune-saku,” playfully evoking the famous master swordsmith Masamune of Sagami. The sheath section is carved with a dragon and inscribed “● (unread) / Shin’yō Kashiwabara Nushi Hayashi Bunkyō-saku.” In the accompanying Shunpo scroll of Issa, a short sword-like object is depicted, likely representing this Wakizue.<br>

The work also includes a hanging scroll with a portrait of Issa by his fellow poet Muramatsu Shunpo, accompanied by an inscription written by Issa himself. This portrait was created from a live model while Issa was still alive. Among known depictions of Issa as a living model, this and the Renshū Gazō in the Yoriai-sho are the only examples. Shunpo, from Naganuma, was a close disciple of Issa and a skilled painter, making this portrayal the most faithful likeness of Issa. The inscription reads: “Yare utsuna / Hae ga te o suri / Ashi o suru.” This haiku was composed in Bunsei 4, when Issa was 59, a style he favored in his later years. The portrait likely commemorates his sixtieth birthday. The Wakizue is shown resting at Issa’s left hand in the painting.<br>