Issa Soju Memorial House

Learn about haiku with Issa and his friend Soju

In the early 1800s, a haiku poet, Issa, would travel about the Kanto area. He befriended a local merchant, Soju, with whom he spent time writing poems. Issa Soju Memorial House is a treasure for its architecture and history. It's got a karasansui, dry landscape garden, which you can leisurely gaze at from the deck of the tea house. The tea house still serves tea and sweets. The menu us seasonal. You can have ice cold matcha latte in summer, or warm sakura cha in spring. Periodically, the house hosts a haiku festival, inviting anyone to write a poem which is printed in an anthology. They also have allowed English and other language haiku. My friend and I, both native English speakers, wrote the simple 5-7-5 syllables to honor the season in English. I recommend this place to those who love haiku, and families who have children speaking Japanese at home or at school. Haiku is a wonderful poetic form that even children can use to express themselves. You can read more on the website - http://www.issasoju-leimei.com/