The 2nd Annual Japanese and Chinese Haiku Contest | Rohto Pharmaceutical: Product Information Website

The theme is "Physical changes that become apparent with age."
"The 2nd Japanese-Chinese Senryu Contest."
From all over the country 20,700 works They gathered.
Thank you for your application.
There are many works that I can relate to, and many that evoke vivid images and expressions.
The judging panel was a huge success.
A new "Family-Oriented Award" has been established, and this time it is for the health of the family.
Many thoughtful submissions were also received.
The winning entries for each category have been decided, and we are pleased to announce them.

A surprise from my body while I was sleeping

I was truly surprised that my haiku was selected. This time, I wrote a haiku expressing the surprise and pain of a sudden leg cramp in the middle of the night. I will use this award as encouragement to continue writing haiku about the ordinary moments of everyday life. Thank you so much!

Holiday-san (33-year-old female from Osaka Prefecture)

I was so happy when I received the notification of my award that I shouted out loud in delight! I'm so pleased. Thank you so much. There are times when I get discouraged by the changes in my body, but I will continue to accept them, find ways to make them work, and enjoy the process!

Rinta-san
(34-year-old woman from Kanagawa Prefecture)
Thank you for selecting me as the runner-up. While writing the haiku, my eyes were drawn to the fat around my stomach, and although I know it's a result of my daily eating habits, this is the work I came up with. It was a good opportunity to confront my own body.

Thomas Ren
(28-year-old male from Chiba Prefecture)

Lately, I've been gaining fat around my stomach, and even though I've reduced my food intake and exercised, it's not changing. Has my metabolism slowed down? Every time I look at my bulging belly, I get sad, so I've decided to think of it as happiness accumulating around my stomach. But still, I want to lose weight...

Shimaenaga-san
(54-year-old woman from Gunma Prefecture)
I tried to incorporate into my work the problem of not being able to wake up properly without an alarm clock after quitting my office job, but I wonder if I managed to convey that effectively.

KhunTa
(68-year-old male from Tokyo)
I am extremely happy to have been chosen. As I get older, my body changes, and I applied with the frustration of struggling to maintain my current condition, which is something I feel is not always the case. Thank you so much.

Dango Mama
(57-year-old woman from Yamagata Prefecture)
Thank you. It feels like I'm dreaming. I sometimes write senryu because I find them more interesting than haiku. I occasionally submit them to contests, but this is the first time I've won an award. I surrendered my driver's license when I turned 80. However, I still dream about driving quite often. I used to love driving.

Kei-chan
(83-year-old male from Tokyo)

From the author

Apparently, I've been talking in my sleep quite clearly lately, and my husband wakes up each time and answers me seriously. Of course, I don't remember anything. Please forgive my lively wife who sometimes gets angry, sometimes cries, and sometimes laughs.

Haruko Kanekiyo
(75-year-old woman from Yamaguchi Prefecture)
From the author

I saw the newspaper and decided to apply for the first time. I wasn't very confident, but I was surprised and delighted to receive notification that I had won. The story is about buying a pair of hiking boots I really liked and being excited to hike in the nearby mountains, so I went for a walk in Oku-Nikko to break them in, but then I hurt my foot playing golf, and my dream was interrupted, and my favorite boots ended up gathering dust in storage. I'm getting older now, and I'm starting to think that hiking might be too much for me.

Lol Lol
(83-year-old male from Tochigi Prefecture)

From the author

I came up with this haiku after observing my mother. I thought that expressing that even as one ages, one is still in a growth phase would create a positive impression.

Haruremon-san
(13-year-old female from Osaka Prefecture)
From the author

Lately, I've been going to a nearby hot spring facility. When I look in the mirror, it's not just someone else's problem.

Tsunehisa Sato
(77-year-old male from Chiba Prefecture)
From the author

I suddenly realized I had a bit of a belly, and when I tried on an old T-shirt, my belly button was showing. So, I'm wearing a matching outfit with my daughter, who also likes to show her belly button.

Puuyama Taro
(44-year-old male from Chiba Prefecture)

From the author

I am so happy to have received notification of my award! When I showed the haiku to my father, he was delighted and said, "It's all thanks to me." I'm glad he was pleased, but I wish he would have a little more sense of urgency.

Risako
(29-year-old woman from Aichi Prefecture)
From the author

I created this song thinking about my mother, who has trouble sleeping, and also drawing on my own experiences. It depicts the ray of hope that finally arrives as sleepiness is followed by the despair of morning, the realization that you have to get up. I was surprised to hear about the award. Thank you.

Traveling Cat
(50-year-old male from Tochigi Prefecture)
From the author

I went to work as usual and checked my email in the early afternoon. It was news of an award. All my fatigue vanished. My legs were cramping and I was dizzy. I have a lot of ailments, but I love that good things like this happen unexpectedly in life. Thank you!

The florist's daughter
(54-year-old woman from Mie Prefecture)
From the author

Thank you for selecting my work as an honorable mention. I had been refraining from drinking water because I didn't want to have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, but this tension made me want to go to the bathroom even more. I think it's important to stay hydrated after a bath, so I should prioritize my own health over going to the bathroom.

Yu Kusunoki
(24-year-old male from Chiba Prefecture)
From the author

Thank you so much for this opportunity. I never imagined I would be selected, so I'm filled with surprise and joy. I've been a long-time reader of the Yomiuri Shimbun, and they always feature fun events. I've always thought, "Even though I'm clumsy, I want to try it someday," and that's why I applied this time. I'm deeply grateful to the Yomiuri Shimbun and everyone in charge of the Japanese and Chinese Senryu section. Thank you again for everything.

Eiko Ikehara
(75-year-old woman from Tokyo)

A glimpse into everyday life and empathy
Take a step towards reflecting on your health with a senryu poem.
Once again, I was impressed by the many relatable entries we received. Many of the poems evoked vivid scenes and expressions, offering a glimpse into the daily lives of the people who wrote them. For the newly established "Family-Oriented Award," we selected works that observed family members and those around them, skillfully and flexibly summarizing human relationships. We hope that this award will help connect people's thoughts and encourage more people to talk about each other's health. Trying to create a haiku on the theme of "health" can also be an opportunity to reflect on your own health. We would be happy if these 17 syllables could help you feel more vibrant.

Many works convey a sense of earnestness.
Turning unexpected events into positive ones with haiku
Looking through the entries, I could tell that everyone had put a lot of thought into them. I think the reason the scenes are so easy to visualize is because the poems are based on personal experiences. For example, the person who wrote about their travel memories must have had a wonderful trip. But even amidst the fun, there were probably various incidents, and they captured their worries and feelings from those times in their haiku. It's a positive and wonderful attitude. Entries featuring family, like the "Family-Oriented Award" winner, are also great. I hope this contest continues for a long time.

Overcoming difficulties in a fun way
I was inspired by the artwork.
Thank you very much for participating in the "Wakan Senryu Contest." This project, which we started with the hope that people can enjoy their daily lives even while facing changes in their bodies, has now reached its second year thanks to your support. The entries painted a picture of people overcoming ailments with fun and creative ways, and the humorous interactions with their families, which gave us energy as well. We hope that Wakan Senryu and Rohto Pharmaceutical's herbal medicine "Wakan-sen" will be a part of your healthy days.

*Winners' names are listed using their pen names if they requested to be published under a pen name at the time of application, and their real names if they did not. Ages are as of the time of application.
*We are unable to answer inquiries regarding the results of the selection process. Thank you for your understanding.
*All rights, including copyright, to submitted works belong to Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Yomiuri Shimbun Co., Ltd. Rohto Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Yomiuri Shimbun Co., Ltd. also hold the rights to announce the winning works and to reuse them in productions, etc.

This is Rohto Pharmaceutical's Kampo series, designed to work from within your body. Feel good from the inside out. Wakansen®