The Carp in the Valley

Kaneko Tohta sought to maintain calligraphy as a living, developing art form in the contemporary world. Kaneko began writing haiku when he was eighteen years old and became a vocal and sometimes controversial theorist on the subject. In 1962, he founded the avant-garde haiku group Kaitei 海程. His work has been published in over fifty volumes. This poem dates from a period when he was closely studying the haiku of Kobayashi Issa (1763–1828), and the non-conformist poet Taneda Santōka (1882–1940). The thick brush and rhythm of smaller and larger characters give this work playful sensuality that corresponds with its theme. 谷に鯉もみ合う / 夜のかんきかな The Carp in the valley / Jostle together / Nighttime ecstasy