Two retirees from Osaka, Japan, with an interest in songs and poetry from the Japanese colonial era on Tuesday last week visited renowned contemporary poetry master Lee Chin-shang (李錦上) at his home in Taichung.
Kenichi Okada, 69, and 74-year-old Shuichi Horiguchi said that it is exceedingly rare in Japan to find a person like Lee who is proficient in the various forms of haiku, tanka, senryu and free verse, adding that they sought out Lee to ask about his methods.
Okada said he joined the Taiwan Senryu Association two years ago and that he and Horiguchi enlisted the help of association director Tu Ching-chun (杜青春) to arrange a visit with Lee.
Photo: Cheng Hsu-kai, Taipei Times
Okada said he first learned of Lee’s poetic prowess after joining the association and seeing his works written in various forms, including the limerick-like senryu, the 17-character haiku, the 31-character tanka and the more modern free-verse style.
Okada said Lee’s works have gained him a reputation in Japan, where he has been published in Yomiuri Shimbun’s art periodicals.
Lee completed elementary-school studies at colonial-era Lukang Second Public School, which is today called Wenkai Elementary School, in Changhua County before attending advanced studies at Lukang First Public School, which is at the site of today’s Lukang Elementary School, before sitting examinations at the Japanese Imperial Navy’s Sixth Fleet fuel plant.
After passing the tests Lee was selected for training at the Japanese Imperial Navy’s Second Fleet fuel plant worker training facilities in Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture, Japan.
Lee said that during World War II many Japanese navy vessels were sunk in waters between Taiwan and Japan, adding that the training institute thought its trainees would flee in fear.
Lee said that in reality Taiwanese candidates were excited about the prospects of studying in Japan.
He was passionate about Japanese literature and began reading his father’s collection of Japanese books while he was in elementary school.
Lee said he wrote many letters to Japanese servicemen during the war, often incorporating poems into them.
Lee, 90, says he still enjoys writing to Japanese newspapers and poetry associations.
Okada and Horiguchi said they were drawn to Taiwan because of the friendliness shown to Japan by Taiwanese, adding that Japanese are thankful that Chiang Kai-shek (蔣介石) did not seek reparations following the war, allowing Japan to focus on rebuilding its economy.
The two men said they wish to better understand why Taiwanese do not think highly of Chiang.
“Taiwan and Korea were both once under the rule of Japan. Animosity toward Japan is common in [South] Korea, but Taiwanese are friendly toward Japan. It is touching,” the men said.
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