Literary Promenade connected with Shiki and Soseki

In 24th Dec. 1900(Meiji33), the aniversary of Buson Yosa's death, this photoguraph was taken at his "Shiki-an hermitage" in Negishi, Taito-ku, Tokyo, at the age of 34. This is the last portrait(illustrated by ball-point-pen) in his life.
The picture on the right hand is the his own portrait painted in water colors in the same year, 1900(Water-colors, 384×260, 1900).
In 1902(Meiji 35), he passed away leaving his last three Haiku.

The excellent Haiku originator Shiki Masaoka, our native province Matsuyama has ever produced, was born the first son to Tsunehisa Masaoka at Shintama-cho, Matsuyama(on the west side of the street with car track by the present Hanazono-cho), in 17th Sept. 1867(Keio 3).
His childhood name was "Noboru". In 1883, he entered into Suehiro School(later on, changed the name to Chikan School), and transferred to Katsuyama School opened before long. Katsuyama School went through many changes, so it has become the first Matsuyama Primary School in 1890's and the present Bancho Primary School in succession. The place it located was the old feudral domain school "Meikyo-kan"(present NTT).
In May. 1892(Meiji 25), Matsuyama High-grade School was opened next to the Katsuyama School.
In May 1883, Shiki dropped out of Matsuyama Junior Highschool(The present Matsuyama Higashi Highschool) and went up Tokyo to entrance into the preparatory school for University, and went on to the literature course, Imperial University(Tokyo University), he got to know Soseki whom he made great friend with later.
Soseki, had been to Matsuyama to visit Shiki in mid-August 1892(Meiji 25), took his new post at Ehime Prefectural Mean Junior Highschool(Matsuyama Junior Highschool) as English teacher. He worked for salary of 80 yen a month(the principal Noboru Sumita's monthly sarary was 60 yen).
He stayed Japanese-style inn "Kido-ya" and settled "Aisho-tei" at the foot of Castle Hill late in June, and he moved to the annex of Yoshikata Ueno's residence which he named "Gudabutsu-an Hermitage" to derived from his pen name "Gudabutsu".
In this year, Shiki went China as a war correspondent in the Shino-Japanese War and he contracted hemooptysis on the ship back to Japan. After he stayed at Suma, Kobe to recuperate since 23th May, he came back his contry home, Matsuyama to rest himself. Shiki lodged with Soseki's temporary inn, and Soseki transferred to the 2nd floor, Shiki settled in the 1st floor for about 50days(from 27th Aug. to 17th Oct.). In the meantime, the local Haiku meeting of "Shofu-kai" took place by Shiki's leadership, day after day at "Gudabutsu-an Hermitage", and Soseki was tempted to start originating Haiku with absorbed interest.

"Arrangement balloonflower in a vase,
For short time, the room has
Been revised to temporary study"
(Shiki)

"Gudabutsu" is the name of
The master of it, pass the winter
Being confined to the room"
(soseki)

Though the period of their communal living at "Gudabutsu-an Hermitage" was very short, Soseki had learned much from Shiki at that time and Soseki really stirred his instinct of letarature and made the novel "Botchan" that scene staged at Matsuyama Junior Highschool, public on his own experiences of that, in Apr. 1901(Meiji 34). Their Haiku at parting at "Gudabutsu-an Hermitage" are following.

"I'm going on a trip
You stay here,the autumun separated into two
With sentimental feeling of parting"
(Shiki)

"Would you be away from home,
You should start on a trip
celebrating with sake(Japanese liquor) and chrysanthemum"
(Soseki)

Before dawn of 19th Oct. 1895, Shiki took a ship at Mitsuhama port for Tokyo and never set foot on Matsuyama soil again.
Shiki arrived in Nara via Hiroshima, Suma and Osaka, and he originated his most famous haiku in his works.

"Tasting a persimmon
The temple bell of "Horyuji temple"
Sounds to my ears"
(Shiki)

Getting through his last journey in his life, he arrived Shiki hermitage in Negishi, Tokyo at the end of October.
On the other hand, Soseki took post of professor of the 5th Highschool in Kumamoto, he took a ship at Mitsuhama port for Hiroshima with Kyoshi in the following year, 11th Apr. 1896(Meiji 29).
At his departure, he gave Gakan Kondho(a cholar of the Chinese classics), the menber of "Shofu-kai", the following two Haiku.

"When I'm saying good by
A bird is crying out and
Frying high into clouds"
(Soseki)
"The days grow long
I give a yawing to others
and part from them"
(Soseki)

After that, in 8th Sept. 1900, Soseki went to England to study, and came back to Japan after Shiki's death in 1903. He took the post of the first Highschool and Tokyo University lecturer in English literature department, in 1905, and he wrote the novel "I'm a cat" for "Hototogisu". And he wrote a large number of great works in the literature world.
The letter dated on the 6th of Nov. 1901, addressed to Soseki from Shiki and the letter dated on the 18th of Dec. 1901, addressed Shiki from Soseki had been to be the last time in their friendship.
In the last letter addressed to Soseki from Shiki, he said "I've already been ruined. I'm crying heart out every day. That is why I contribute no article to a newspaper or magazine. I don't write no letter. So that I apologize for my neglect to write to you(the rest is ommited).".
In 1902(Meiji 35), he went to his final rest leaving three Haiku, "Dishcloth came into flower I'm going to die Sticking phlegm in my throat" and so forth.
In his short life of 34 years and 11 months, he left 24,000 Haiku and 2,500 Tanka(Japanese poem of thirty-one syllables) and a great many of other literary works of chinese poem, essay, novel and so on. He made the way to go to break the old shell of Japanese literature and eagerly burned his life out getting over his illness.