Santoka Taneda(1882 - 1940)
Santoka Taneda was born in Hofu-city, Yamaguchi Prefecture. His real name was "Shoichi".
His pen name "Santoka" was named by fortune judgement after his teacher Ogiwara "Seisensui".
He deserted his family and the public, lived his life in the pilgrimage, united himself with the Nature, never lied about himself and went on compose Haiku through one way as he liked. Such his life-style had been booming after his death.
He originated and throw away about 84,000 Haiku in his life.
Santohka Taneda, Haiku originator of wander, came to Matsuyama on Oct. of 1939 (Showa 14), longing for Shurindo Nomura whose home country is Matsuyama. He visited Shurindo's grave and then went on a pilgrimage through Shikok
On Dec.of that year, he carried out the pilgrimage to whole temples in Shikoku that he had wanted to go on for a long time. and settled at a unoccupied house that Ichijyun Takahashi detected in the precinct of Miyukiji Temple at the foot of Miyukiji Temple Hill.
In his Haiku poetry, "Sohmoku-Toh - The tower of Grasses and Plants", he said ;
"My hermitage crouches at the foot of Miyukiji Temple Hill and be held in the shrine and the temple. In old ages, people used to get so tired, of everything, and they are satisfied with only simplicity of a grass for each person. There is nothing for me, but to carryout my silliness after all !".Santohka put the scenery of the Issoh-an Hermitage into such Haiku ;
The shrine was the Gokoku Shrine at the foot of Miyukiji Temple Hill and the temple was Ryutaiji Temple on the west side of Miyukiji Temple in that Issoh-an Hermitage was located."It's likely to be able to pass away In a calm frame of mind in the fresh green grasses"
Santohka had been in a clear mental state in ISO-an Hermitage just as if water has flowed quietly.We'd like to present his two Haiku showing his mental scene ;
"The morning sky is perfectly clear A gently flowing cloud is in a straight line" "The color of sunset is very beautiful I have just spent modestly my times of today"
