Leaf 28 – Looking back
Sometime around the late summer of 2007, I had dinner in a very warm and friendly, family-run 食堂 ‘shokudō,’ called のびる ‘Nobiru,’ in Midorigaoka in Tokyo’s Meguro-ku. We got chatting with the owner, Mr Yasuda, who told us that some of the house specialty dishes which he served were inspired by recipes that were first written down in the Heian Period (794-1185). When you mention the Heian Period to anyone who is interested in Japanese literature, they will of course first think of Murasaki Shikibu’s famous epic, ‘The Tale of Genji,’ or Sei Shōnagon’s ‘Pillow Book,’ or perhaps even the ‘Sarashina Nikki,’ the ‘Diary of Lady Sarashina.’ I mentioned my interest in Japanese literature to Yasuda-san and told him that I was particularly keen on haiku, especially the work (from the later, Edo era) of the haiku poet, Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694). Whereupon he very delightedly introduced me to another diner, also sitting at the counter, who was a fellow ‘haijin.’ This man very politely introduced himself and said his name was Hideki Ishikura. Ishikura-san is a very distinguished and long-time member of the World Haiku Association (WHA). We had a fascinating conversation and he very kindly gave me a copy of a recently translated work by his friend, Ban’ya Natsuishi, who is the Director of the WHA and also a Professor at Meiji University. Ishikura-san and I later sent each other some poetry publications of our own. But that evening, this unexpected and mutually enthusiastic meeting of two poets greatly amused Yasuda-san and his wife. When I was getting ready to leave, Yasuda-san asked me if I would write a poem for him to hang on the wall of his restaurant. I promised him I would, and so, just in time for the New Year holiday, I sent him the following poem written in black ink on some nice washi paper. The restaurant’s name, のびる ‘Nobiru,’ means ‘to grow.’
Fresh flavours,
rooted in the Heian –
のびる.
