Yamato as cultural memory: Maekawa Samio's poetry on Nara

Maekawa Samio, a celebrated 20th-century tanka poet and modernist pioneer, deeply embedded the landscape of Nara—his birthplace and cultural heartland—in his poetry, crafting over 1,000 verses that celebrate its Arcadian beauty and historical richness. Through a detailed analysis of his works, including Shokubutsusai (1930), Yamato roppyakuka (1971), and Yamato mahoroba no ki (1982), this study reveals how Nara's topography and traditions shaped Maekawa's poetic evolution. His verse not only reflects the enduring allure of rural Yamato but also traces shifts in his perception of landscape, from youthful reverence to a mature synthesis of history, culture, and personal memory. The research employs close textual analysis to illustrate Nara's significance as both a physical and symbolic foundation for Maekawa's poetic identity.

Morton, L. (2015). Yamato as cultural memory: Maekawa Samio’s poetry on Nara. Proceedings of the Association for Japanese Literary Studies, 14. https://doi.org/10.26812/pajls.v14i.1358