Haiku is a unique Japanese genre and probably the shortest poetic form in the world. The haiku is originally called a daiyaku, which is the first line of a haiku sequence. It is composed of three lines and fifteen syllables in five, seven, and five. In terms of style, it inherits the first three lines of the waka rhyme, but there are obvious qualitative changes in the material, expression, and aesthetic sense. Without completely abandoning the "elegant" taste of the aristocracy, it actively absorbs the "vulgar" taste of the common people, creating an art form that is shared by both the elegant and the vulgar. Matsuo Bashō (1644-1694) was the master who brought this form to the highest level. He is known as the "haiku sage" in the history of Japanese literature.

In this session, we invite Professor Cheng, Ching-Mao, a researcher of Japanese literature and the recipient of the "Orders of the Rising Sun" for his outstanding contribution to promoting academic exchange between Taiwan and Japan, to lead us in appreciating haiku and understanding Mr. Matsuo Bashō.