Isaniwa Shrine

"The hotspring of Isaniwa
is gushing out plentifully and the Ume
blossoms are in full bloom"
(Akio Kakurai)

Akio Kakurai (1909 - 1988) was born in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan and his real name is "Akio". He started to originate Haiku in 1933(Showa 8), and in 1938(Showa 13) studied under Fusei Tomiyasu. His specific characters consisit in the putting the material of Japan into the form of Haiku in a casual and sharp manner by the colloquial style of composing poem.
This monument lies on the right side of the top of the stone stairs of Isaniwa Shirine.
This Haiku boldly take in the words of the Akahito Yamabeno's "Choka" "a long Japanese poem originated to get to the hot spring in Iyo" in the third volume of "Manyo-shu". It was around Tenpo 8 (736) when Akahito Yamabeno had actually been here (referred to "The chronological table of Manyo" by Bunmei Tsuchiya).
In the autumn of 1959(Showa 34), the Haiku Poetry "Fuyu Kusa - Winter Grass" was first published at the National Ehime Sanatorium in Shigenobu-cho, Onsen county, Ehime Prefecture and was developed by the leadership of Fusei Tomiyasu and Akio Kakurai. In 1959(Showa 34) Akio moved the Poetry to Tokyo as the natinal journal and had edited it all his life.
Akio originated this Haiku in the Spring of 1976(Showa 51) when he had come to Matsuyama. This monument was built by the menbers of "Fuyu-kusa" and its branch in Ehime Prefecture celebrating his 77th birthday. The unveiling ceremony of it was held when Akio's second daughter, Miyoko Komatsubara and her husband came to Matsuyama for sick Akio.