みじか夜や足跡浅き由比ヶ浜
mijika yo ya ashiato asaki Yui-ga-hama

short summer night
Faint footprints on the sand
Yui-ga-hama
—Buson

(Print by Arai Yoshimura )

The last line—Yui-ga-hama—refers to a beach in Kamakura. I have read that the where hot spring water wells up through the sand, making walking on the beach a pleasant experience. He paints the picture of a peaceful night walking on the beach, while making a subtle Buddhist comment on the transience of life and legacy. Like the footprints, we will soon fade.

Luckily for us, his faint footprints haven't yet vanished from our world.

Don't miss the other great haiku in the Haiku of Japan series!

#1 - Traveling to the inn
#2 - Childless Woman
#3 - Old Dancing Butterfly
#4 - Seeing the Moon
#5 - Checking the Scarecrow
#6 - Skill of Insects
#7 - The Spider Lilies
#8 - A Thousand Green Mountains
#9 - Falling Lead Enlightenment
#10 - Lonely Night
#11 - Her Day Off
#12 - Autumn Crow

David LaSpina is an American photographer and translator lost in Japan, trying to capture the beauty of this country one photo at a time and searching for the perfect haiku. He blogs here and at laspina.org.