Kakio Tomizawa
1902 ~ 1962/Japanese
Kakio was born the first son of a doctor in Ehime; studied economics at Waseda University; while a student, wrote some haiku; in 1926, shortly after finding employment at a distribution company, was drafted into the Army’s corps of engineers; discharged less than a year later with the rank of second lieutenant; employed by a bank in 1930; sent haiku to the conservative Hototogisu (Cuckoo), which did not accept any; in 1934, started a business but failed; became an active contributor to Kikan (Flagship), which was started in 1935 to embody “a new spirit” and liberalism; in 1937, redrafted into the Army’s corps of engineers and fought in China until he was sent home on account of malaria in 1940; discharged with the rank of first lieutenant the same year; under increasing pressure against liberalism, democracy, and such, Kikan closed in May 1941 and merged with two other haiku magazines to become Kohaku (Amber) the following month; Kakio became its representative poet; in August, published his first book of haiku, Ten no Ōkami (The Wolf in Heaven); in October, drafted, once again, into the Army and deployed in the northern part of the Kurile Islands; discharged in March 1944; after the war, started a few magazines; in 1952, published his second book of haiku, Hebi no Fue (The Snake’s Flute); 1961, his third, Mokushi (Revelations); died of lung cancer the following year; in 1965, the definitive edition of his haiku was published. / /
