Toshiharu Oseko’s Basho’s Haiku: Literal Translations for Those Who Wish to Read the Original Japanese Text is an unusual and invaluable book. It is not a Basho anthology in the usual sense, but a pedagogical work that brings together Japanese texts, literal English translations, grammatical analysis, cultural context, and philosophical background. First published in 1990, it reflects Oseko’s dual expertise as a long-time haiku student and as an interpreter of Japanese literature for international readers.
