"Roses of Sharon are bloom
I wonder if Mr.Unrin would be well
As I passed his residence"(Shiki)
This Haiku was composed on Dec.2, 1895 (Meiji 28).
The following sentence is appeared in his posthumous work, "Sansaku-shu" ; "On Oct.2, I went out of my house and take a rest at Fujino's residence, and Ohara's residence and I across the Naka-no-River to go to the suburbs.(...)"
The expression as "Going by Mr.Uraya's residence" is appeared in the preface of this Haiku.
Unrin Uraya was born in 1840 (Tenpou 11). He was promoted from a page to "yuhitsu : writer" in Matsuyama Feudal domain and opened his privateschool, "Tougen-Gaku", and taught children.
Shiki got Unrin to proofreading his works of Chinese poem from the age of fourteen or fifteen to that time of 1896 (Meiji 29), together with the five friends.
Unrin was Shiki's senior by twenty-seven years.
It had been said that there was a pond of about 200tsubo (about 6.6 are) in the large garden of 700 tsubo (about 23 are), and clean and cool water welled up.
Unrin died on Dec.15, 1898 (Meiji 31) and his grave is in Houtouji Temple, Koromoyama.
[Notes] "the five friends are Shiki Masaoka, Ryou Minami, Masami Ohota, Tomoyuki Mori and Kitou Takemura (Hekigotou's elder brother). "Fujino's residence" is the birthplace of Kohaku Fujino (the first son of Shiki's mother's younger sister, "Toe"). "Ohara residence" is Kanzan Ohara's residence, kanzan was Shiki's grandfather (father of Shiki's mother). Rose of Sharon: The botanical name is "Hibiscus syriacus L.". Deciduous shrub that is native to China or India. It is planted as a hedge and for appreciation. Its trunk stands upright and grows up about three meters high. The color of twigs is gray and white. The flower of it is open between August and September and its color is generally red and violet.
