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What Is "Mushimegane" ?

The word "Mushimegane" means "loupe" in Japanese.
"Mushimegane" is a literary magazine published by Ryu Yotsuya & Niji Fuyuno.
We issue 1 or 2 numbers a year.
"Mushimegane" mainly prints haiku works of Ryu & Niji, and also carries criticisms of haiku, tanka, literature, art, movies, and music.
Adding to the printed "Mushimegane", we have opened this "Mushimegane on the Internet". We deliver our pieces and criticisms of haiku, tanka, literature, contemporary art, etc.



"Mushimegane" vol.1 (1987)


The Chronicle of "Mushimegane"

Literary magazine "Mushimegane" was first published in September 1987 in Kobe, Japan. From the No.5, we issued it in Tokyo.
Subjects of every number are full of originality, and delicate illustrations by Niji Fuyuno have won popularity.
We introduce you the subjects of Mushimegane's past numbers .


No. 1 (1987) "The media of haiku"

Inviting Mr. Toshinori Tsubouchi, haiku poet, we discussed how will change the means to make public our haiku pieces. At that time, we didn't imagine at all that there would appear new media, named "internet".


No. 2~3 (1988~89) "Revaluate Ippekiro Nakatsuka"

Do you know Ippekiro Nakatsuka, haiku poet in Taisho era (1912~1926) ? His haiku works are very creative and filled with genius, so it isn't easy to believe there lived such a modern haiku poet over 80 years ago.
In this number we introduced his unpublished haiku pieces and essays. These articles got great reputation in the haiku world.


No. 6 (1991) "Tracing the works of Seito Hirahata"

Seito Hirahata is a great haiku poet, but the real value of his works has not be recognized well in the haiku circles. We lightened his career form his student time to the present.


No. 10 (1994) "Between the war and haiku"

During the World War II, many famous haiku poets approved the war and made pieces glorifying the Japan army. We collected haikus concerning to the war and studied how the thoughts and the aesthetics of the haiku poets have related to the war.


No. 11 (1994) "Natsuyuki Nakahishi - 'G/Z HOHO Group'"

Natsuyuki Nakanishi is one of the artists representing the contemporary art scene.
We commented on the colors and the way of comprehension of space and time in his works, specially the paintings in the exhibition titled "G/Z HOHO Group"(1994).


No. 14 (1998) "Invitation to the history of world-wide haiku"

To commemorate the publication of "Haïku sans frontières: une anthologie mondiale", the first world-wide haiku anthology in history edited by André Duhaime in Canada, we inspected the process of Western haiku development. In this issue, we translated and placed such articles as:
"Turning with the Earth" (R. Yotsuya), "Historical Notes on Haiku in French" (B. Guillemette), "Historical Notes on Haiku in English" (E. S. Lamb), "Haiku in English" (G. Swede), "Trackless Tracks: the Development of Haiku in Britain" (M. Lucas), "Haiku in Belgium" (B. Mesotten), "Haiku in Romania" (C. Ifrim).


The Latest
No. 15 (2000) "World-wide haiku read by world-wide poets"

The latest number published in September 2000. We organized a international critique project, where 9 poets of 4 countries appreciate haikus written in other countries than theirs. You will find the critical level of these articles are very high. If you want to read them, click here.
We have published memorial articles for Haruko Iijima, too. Niji and Ryu respect her from the bottom of their hearts.


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e-mail to Ryu Yotsuya & Niji Fuyuno

loupe@big.or.jp