Ito Sachio (伊藤左千夫)
Sachio ITO (September 18, 1864 - July 30, 1913) is a poet and novelist in Japan. His real name is Kojiro. He was from a farm family in Tonodai village, Musha District, Kazusa Province (current Sammu City, Chiba Prefecture). He dropped out of Meiji Law School (present Meiji University).
In 1898, he contributed the report "Hi shin jisanka ron"(the theory of anti new self-contained anthem) to the news paper 'Nihon/Nippon.'
He was influenced by "Utayomi ni atauru sho" (Letters to The Tanka Poets) written by Shiki MASAOKA and became to study at Shiki MASAOKA. After the death of Shiki, he welded poets of the Negishi Tanka Society and took the lead in Tanka magazines, "Asebi" and "Araragi", and he educated Mokichi SAITO and Bunmei TSUCHIYA.
Moreover, he contributed the novel "Nogiku no haka" (The Wild Daisy), which was influenced by Shiki's literary sketches, to "Hototogisu" (a literary magazine) in 1905. The novel was praised by Soseki NATSUME. Sachio's representative works include "Tonari no yome" (a bride next door) and "Haru no ushio" (spring tide).
In 1913, he died of cerebral hemorrhage.
The birthplace of Sachio is located next to the Sammu City Folk Heritage Museum. A lot of materials about Sachio are on display at the museum. Also, Sachio ITO memorial park is in the town, in which there is a statue of Masao and Tamiko, the main characters of "Nogiku no haka." In addition, a Sachio's monument engraving a waka poem is built in Tokyo Prefectural Joto High School near the south exit of Kinshicho station.
Tea ceremony
Sachio also obtained a mastery of Japanese tea ceremony and Shiki called him 'Doctor of Tea', and Sachio's home was named 'Muichijin-an Hermitage'.
He wanted a separately-built tea room and built a tea room 'Yuishinkaku' on his own home premises with the help of his friend, Kesshin. Now the tea room has been relocated to his birth house.