In 1894 (Meiji 27), Soryu Noma was born in Kita Yanai-cho, Matsuyama, where is not so far from the location of this Haiku monument, a year after Shiki's birth.
He was one of the advocators of Haiku Association "Shofu-kai", organized by teachers of Matsuyama municipal high grade school.
On 16th March of 1895 (Meiji 28), the members of "Shofu-kai" met Shiki at first in the send-off party for Shiki, when Shiki came home before he went to the front as a war correspondent in the Shino-Japanese War. On August of this year, he came home after joining the army and he found shelter with the Soseki's temporary lodge of Gudabutsu-an hermitage on 27th.
Rokudo (alias Kyokudo) Yanagihara visited Shiki immediately, and ask for Shiki's guidance to Haiku. Shiki was willing to accept this request and the members of "Shofu-kai" got together to the first floor of this hermitage day and night.
On 17th Oct., Shiki's farewell party was took place at "Hananoya" in 2 ban-cho.
The Haiku on this monument was composed at that time.
The following Haiku is Shiki's farewell Haiku."The members see me off And I am going away by myself In the autumn breeze"Before Shiki sailed for Hiroshima from Mitsuhama Port, on 19th Oct., he selected the work of the members of "Shofu-kai", meanwhile he waited for the ship at the Shipping Agent, "Kubota" in Mitsu, on 17th.
Shiki left the following Haiku to the members of "Shofu-kai" as the farewell Haiku.
This is the last work of Shiki's Haiku in Matsuyama."I'll go all by myself Parting from the members' of eleven In this evening late in Autumn"
