Matsunaga Teitoku (松永貞徳)

Teitoku MATSUNAGA (1571-January 3, 1654) was a haiku poet, kajin (waka [a traditional Japanese poem of thirty-one syllables] poet) and a scholar of the study of waka.

His father was Nagatane MATSUNAGA. He is also said to have been a grandchild of Hisahide MATSUNAGA. His son was Sekigo MATSUNAGA who was a Neo-Confucian Scholar. His name was 勝熊 and his go (byname) were Chozumaru, Shoyu and so on. He was born in Kyoto. He learned renga (linked verse) from Joha SATOMURA who was a renga poet (linked-verse poet),and waka and the study of waka from Tanemichi KUJO and Yusai HOSOKAWA.

He thought that Haikai (seventeen-syllable verse) was the introduction to renga and waka and insisted to use haigon such as informal language and kango (words of Chinese origin). Teitoku's style of haiku remained within word plays, but he established a large school as the founder of haikai of the Teimon school and produced many talented persons.

[Original Japanese]