Niigata City Aizu Yaichi Memorial Museum

The Life of Aizu Yaichi

Childhood days

  • 1881Aizu Yaichi is born at the fifth block of Furumachi Dori, Niigata City on August 01.
  • 1899He meets Ozaki Kouyou, who had arrived for a visit, and is given the haiku poet pseudonym of Tessho. He is deeply moved by a lecture given by Tsubouchi Shoyo.
  • 1900: Age 19He graduates from the Niigata Jinjo Junior High School (currently the Niigata Prefectural High School). He visits Masaoka Shiki who lives in Tokyo, and introduces Ryokan and later sends him a collection of Ryokan’s poems.
  • 1901: Age 20He becomes a selector of haiku poems in Tohoku Nippo.

Young adulthood days (University student and Yuukou Gakusha teacher days)

  • 1902: Age 21He enrolls in the Tokyo Senmon Gakko (currently Waseda University). He enters the Waseda University Faculty of Literature the following year.
  • 1906: Age 25He graduates from the Waseda University Faculty of Literature.
    He is appointed English teacher at the Yukou Gakusha (currently the Niigata Prefectural Yukou High School) in Itakura-mura, Nakakubi-gun, Niigata (currently Joetsu City).
  • 1907: Age 26He becomes a selector of haiku poems in the Niigata Shimbun newspaper.
  • 1908: Age 27He finds a copy of Rokuban Nikki (The Sixthe Diary) written by poet Kobayashi Issa in the home of brewer Nyumura Shiro in Arai-machi, Nakakubi-gun, Niigata (currently Myoko City). He travels to Nara for the first time and composes a collection of twenty tanka poems.
    (Later entitled “Saiyu Eisou.” He visits Nara more than 35 times following this.)

Days at Waseda Junior High School as a teacher

  • 1910: Age 29After resigning from Yukou Gakusha, he is appointed English teach at Waseda Junior High School.
  • 1914: Age 33He moves to Toyokawa-cho, Koishikawa-ku, Tokyo.
    He lays down his Gakki (four principles for study).
  • 1920: Age 39He establishes the Greek Society of Japan.
  • 1922: Age 41He moves to Kansho-an, a villa belonging to Ichishima Kenkichi in Shimo-Ochiai, Ochiai-mura in the suburb of Tokyo, and names it Shusoudo.
  • 1923: Age 42Great Kanto Earthquake. He dissolves the Greek Society of Japan, and establishes the Association of the Study of Nara Art.
  • 1924: Age 43He supervises and publishes Muroji Taikan (Great View of Muroji Temple) by Asukaen.
    He publishes his first collection of poems, Nankyo Shinsho (New Songs from the Southern Capital).

Days at Waseda University as a professor

  • 1925: Age 44He resigns from the Waseda Junior High School, and becomes an English professor at the High School affiliated to Waseda University.
  • 1926: Age 45He moves to Toyokawa-cho, Koishikawa-ku, Tokyo.
    He lays down his Gakki (four principles for study).
  • 1931: Age 50He is appointed professor in the Waseda University Faculty of Literature.
  • 1933: Age 52He moves to Kansho-an, a villa belonging to Ichishima Kenkichi in Shimo-Ochiai, Ochiai-mura in the suburb of Tokyo, and names it Shusoudo.
  • 1934: Age 53He obtains a doctorate degree in literature. He opens a center for the history of Eastern art in Onshikan, Waseda University.
  • 1938: Age 57He establishes an art major department in the Waseda University Faculty of Literature, and becomes the department head.
  • 1940: Age 59He publishes a collection of tanka poems, Rokumeishu.
  • 1941: Age 60He holds an exhibition of contemporary calligraphy at the Ginza Kyukyodo, and publishes a pictorial record of this under the title Konsai Kinboku.
  • 1942: Age 61He constructs his first monument inscribed with a tanka poem entitled Chikazukite at the Shin-Yakushiji Temple in Nara.
    He publishes a collection of essays, Konsai Zuihitsu.
  • 1943: Age 62He constructs a monument inscribed with a tanka poem entitled Kasuganoni within the grounds of the Kasuga Taisha Shrine in Nara.
    He guides a group of students due to be drafted into the military on a study tour of Nara and Kyoto.
  • 1944: Age 63He publishes a collection of poems, Sankoushu by Yotokusha.
  • 1945: Age 64He resigns professorship at Waseda University.
    His home is destroyed by air raids, so lodges at Tango Yasuhei’s home in Nakajo-machi, Kitakanbara-gun, Niigata (currently Tainai City).
    Adopted daughter Kiiko dies of illness on July 10 (at Age 33).

Days as president of Yukan Niigata and final years

  • 1946: Age 65He becomes president of Yukan Niigatasha after establishing the Yugata Niigata, and moves to Niban-cho, Minami-Hama Dori, Niigata City.
  • 1947: Age 66He publish a collection of poems Kantoushu and a pictorial record Yujinnjo.
  • 1949: Age 68He adopts Ran, the daughter of his cousin Nakayama Goro.
  • 1950: Age 69He becomes an honorary guest of Niigata Nipposha (Yukan Niigata amalgamated with Niigata Nipposha).
    He constructs a monument inscribed with a tanka poem entitled Miyakobe Wo in the Niigata prefectural library.
    He constructs a monument inscribed with a tanka poem entitled Ohorakani in the Todaiji Temple, Nara, and one entitled in Ohoterano in Toshodaiji Temple.
  • 1951: Age 70He is elected honorary citizen of Niigata City.
    He publishes a collection of tanka poems of Aizu Yaichi, Aizu Yaichi Zen Kashu. For this, he receives the Yomiuri literary Award.
  • 1953: Age 72He is invited to attend the annual New Year’s Poetry Reading held at the Imperial Court.
    He publishes Jichu Rokumeishu.
  • 1954: Age 73The Waseda University Professor Aizu Memorial Western Art Showroom is relocated and reopened.
  • 1955: Age 74He writes the inscription on the bell installed in Yakuriji Temple at Gokenzan, Kagawa Prefecture
    He constructs a monument inscribed with a tanka poem entitled Kasumitatsu in the annex to the Museum of Northern Culture.
  • 1956: Age 75Aizu Yaichi dies of coronary arteriosclerosis on November 21.
    His posthumous Buddhist name for the afterlife was set as Konsai Shusou Doujin, and he was buried in the Zuikoji Temple at Sanban-cho, Nishibori-Dori, Chuo-ku, Niigata City.
PAGETOP
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