Nakagawa Otsuyu:
(1675–1739).
Japanese haiku poet and artist, also known by the pen name Bakurin, who was born in Yamada, Ise Province (modern-day Mie Prefecture), Japan.
He was a lumber merchant by profession and is regarded as the founder of the Ise school of haiku, having been influenced by the style of Kyoto Iwata and possibly a disciple of the renowned haiku master Matsuo Bashō during Bashō’s later years.
Otsuyu is particularly known for his haiku paintings, or haiga, which combine poetry, calligraphy, and painting in a minimalist yet resonant artistic form.
One of his most famous works is the haiku painting titled “Deer,” which depicts a deer fleeing through a forest, accompanied by the haiku: “The mountain no deer’s cry has reached is still green”.
This artwork reflects his deep connection to nature and seasonal change, themes central to traditional Japanese aesthetics.
Autumn is marching on. Even the scarecrows are wearing dead leaves.
