Poems of 17syllables Madoka Mayuzumi


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[Japanese] last update: March 16, 2003 Profile of Madoka Mayuzumi Ms. Mayuzumi is a poet and the founder of a haiku club for women. She is also the editor-in-chief of the monthly haiku publication called the "Monthly Hepburn". Ms. Mayuzumi was born in Kanagawa prefecture on July 31,1965 and is a graduate of Ferris Women's College. Upon graduating she was employed by the head office of Fuji Bank. After being selected as "Miss Kimono", she left her job at the bank and became involved in the mass media as a television reporter. After reading the book "Hanagoromo" by Seiko Tanabe, Ms.Mayuzumi was inspired by the works of Hisajo Sugita, a female haiku poet of the Meiji, Taisho and early Showa eras. Soon after she covered the story on Sugita for one of her television programs, she began her career as a haiku poet. In 1994, Ms. Mayuzumi received a promotional award for the 40th Kadokawa Haiku Prize. Since then, she has been an active leader in the new haiku boom. Her haiku have become the focus of considerable attention for her use of love, cities, and foreign words, all of which have been considered to be "taboo" in traditional haiku circles. Hepburn Club currently has about 500 members. And the "Monthly Hepburn" actively promotes the development and introduction of new seasonal words, a horizontal writing style and sense of the modern times, while maintaining respect for the use of traditional haiku conventions such as the use of defined seasonal words and old kana. Monthly Hepburn's main supporters are found among the current generation of young women. She has been writing haiku and essays in many periodic publications. Ms. Mayuzumi's activities are not only in the area of publication. She is also active in developing and using haiku to highlight programs on television, radio and on stage.

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September, 1994 ? Published her first haiku collection, “The Summer on the B Side.” It became a best seller, unusual for a haiku collection. - Started a haiku club called, “Tokyo Hepburn.” 1995 ? 1999 ? Became a judge for Haiku contests in Mie Prefecture. Number of haiku sent in for each contest: (Period of 3 months for each contest) 1995 : 60,000 “A haiku for sea” 1996 : 137,000 “A haiku for journey” 1997: 216,000 “A haiku for flowers” 1998: 204,662 “A haiku for roads” 1999: 205,295 “A haiku for festivals” - Served as a judge for many other contests. January 20, 1996 ? An extensive article in New York Times was written about her as “a person who made haiku more popular in Japan.” May, 1996 ? Introduction articles appeared in newspapers and magazines in Australia. August, 1996 ? The first edition of “Monthly Hepburn” was published. Since 1996 －Judged for the “Big Prize as Creative Poet in Japan.” Judged for the “Caster Poem Contest.” February, 1998 ? During the Winter Olympic in Nagano, she wrote haiku for a daily series (Asahi Newspaper titled: Hyo-ten-ka) October, 1998 ? Visited China as a delegated Goodwill Ambassador. (Lectured at Beijing Foreign Language University and Tenshin Nanhai University) Since 1998 ? A committee member of the “8th Tokyo Cultural Confabulation.” - A committee member of Asahi Newspaper’s “wakaru wakaru (understand).” - Judged for the “Advertisement Prize” of Nikkan Sports. - Judged for Hokumeisha “Haiku World” and “Haiku Salon.” Since 1999 ? A member of Japan-Korea Culture Confabulation Committee - Ministry of Education, Life Time Study Review Committee. - Judged for “Haiku Koshien” sponsored by Asahi Newspaper. 1999: First year 200,531 haiku 2000: Second year 210,640 haiku 2001: Third year 166,865 haiku May to July, 1999 ? Walked through 900km on the Santiago Pilgrimage Roads in Northern Spain. 2000 ? Visited U.S.A. (Chicago and Minneapolis) as Japan-US Haiku Ambassador. - Chosen as the Asian leading cast in the documentary movie, “Within the Way Without” (on production) - A member of Committee for Think about Shiga Prefecture’s Future. 2001 ? A member of Cultural Ministry’s Culture Council Committee for Japanese Language Division. - Producer for INPAK (Internet Fair)’s “Healing Journey” in Wakayama. - A member of Wakayama Advisory Conference Committee. August, November, December, 2001 ? Walking journey from Pusan to Seoul in Korea. (Since October, 2001 - Serial publication articles on Yomiuchi Newspaper titled, “Haiku Journey in Korea”) Since April, 2002 ? Appeared regularly on NHK Educational TV’s Hangul Language Program “Annyon Hash-munika” Awards: 1994: The 40th Kadokawa Haiku Award, Encouragement Prize 1997: Received the Mademoiselle Perfume Award (French Superb Perfume Association) 1998: Received the Hearty Dresser Award (Wellness Committee Award) 2000: Received the Second Kato Ikuo Award 2002: Received the Second Yamamoto Kenkichi Literature Award in Haiku Division (Collection of Haiku “Kyoto no Koi”) mm hepburn@hotmail.com poem of this week　 [Japanese] Haiku & Books Information 「Nagasaki Love Story」
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Profile of Madoka Mayuzumi