Kobayashi Issa Haiku Monument

The Kobayashi Issa haiku monument is located in Dogo Park, in front of the Shiki Memorial Museum. It transmits haiku from the prominent poet of the late Edo period.

The Kobayashi Issa Haiku Monument is a haiku monument located in front of the Shiki Memorial Museum in Dogo Park. Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828), whose real name was Kobayashi Yataro, was a haiku poet of the late Edo period born in Kashiwabara, Shinano Province (current Shinanomachi, Nagano Prefecture). He is beloved for his simple style of haiku that reflects daily life, and is said to have left behind more than 20,000 haiku in his lifetime. His representative haiku includes "Yase-gaeru makeruna Issa kore ni ari."

Dogo Park is a park developed on the ruins of Yuzuki Castle and is also known as a famous spot for cherry blossoms, allowing visitors to enjoy the seasonal scenery along with a tour of haiku monuments. The park is dotted with haiku monuments of not only poets associated with Matsuyama but also these famous haiku poets, offering a literary walk characteristic of Matsuyama, the town of haiku. Visitors can stop by here along with a visit to the Shiki Memorial Museum.

Source: "Kobayashi Issa" Wikipedia (CC BY-SA) and others. Please check the local guidance for the content of the haiku and the history of its establishment. Last confirmed date: July 10, 2026

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