Genjuan is the name of the cottage near Lake Biwa where, in 1690, Basho lived for a while and wrote one of his most famous haibun. It was probably the happiest period of his life. This is the second year of the contest crowned by the name of Basho’s cottage, and its purpose remains to provide a common arena for haibun writers of the world.

Fortunately, we had a warm response in 2012, receiving about 100 entries from 14 different countries. The award for Grand Prix will remain the same – a good replica of a Hokusai ukiyo-e print – and smaller gifts will be sent to authors winning an An (‘Cottage’) Prize. The writers of the decorated works will each receive a certificate of merit. We sincerely look forward to your participation. Some sample haibun can be read at the following site: http://hailhaiku.wordpress.com/

Guidelines for 2013

1 Subject: Free, but discretion must be used to avoid slander and obscenity.

2 Style: No restrictions, but attention should be paid to honour the spirit of haikai.

3 Length: In total, between 20 and 40 lines (at 1 line = 80 spaces) on a single page.

4 Haiku/Title: At least one haiku should be included, and a title should be given.

5 Format: Print on a sheet of A4-size paper and write at the bottom your name (and your pen name, if you have one), together with your address, telephone number, and your email address. Your privacy will be strictly protected, and the judges will not see your names while selecting works for decoration.

6 Deadline: All entries should reach the following address by 31 January 2013. Entries received after this date will not be accepted. Please send your entries by airmail to:

Ms. Motoko Yoshioka,
Regalia 907, 7-32-44 Fujimi-cho,
Tachikawa-shi,
Tokyo 190-0013, Japan.

You are requested not to use express airmail or extra-large envelopes, which can cause problems at delivery.

7 Entry Fee: None.

8 Restrictions: Entrants may send up to three pieces, each on a separate sheet of paper. They should be unpublished. As we cannot return your entries after screening, please don’t forget to retain your own copies.

9 Questions: All questions should be sent to the address above.

10 Winners: The authors of the decorated works will subsequently be requested to send us their pieces by email. This is important, and we expect your cooperation.