“Scattered in Loneliness”: Illness in the Haiku of Masaoka Shiki and Kobayashi Issa

This paper explores the characteristics and cultural underpinnings of Japanese illness haiku through the works of Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902) and Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828), two of Japan’s haiku masters. Shiki, a modern reformer of haiku, suffered from tuberculosis for most of his life and passed away at thirty-five, while Issa’s illness haiku primarily reflect the final days of his father. This study incorporates biographical details and applies insights from health psychology to deepen the analysis.