＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
I previously wrote an article titled “The Mystery of the Iroha Song,（＊）” in which I introduced the story that “the Iroha Song contains a hidden code.” This “code” is an “oriku,” a type of wordplay.
（＊）「いろは歌の謎」
Today, I would like to introduce “Oriku” (folded verse), “Kutsukaburi” (shoe crown), and “Kaiten Oriku” (rotating verse).
1. What is an “Oriku” (folded verse)?
An acrostic is “a type of wordplay that weaves words with different meanings into a single sentence or poem.” Most acrostic poems use the beginning of a verse, but those that use both the beginning and the end of a verse are called “kutsukaburi oriku” or simply “kutsukaburi.”
Acrostic poems began to be used in Japanese waka poetry in the early Heian period.
It’s easier to understand with some concrete examples, so let me introduce a few.
① “The pond where a frog jumps is a deep acrostic poem” (Yanagi Daru, Volume 6)（＊）
（＊）「蛙飛ぶ池はふかみの折句なり」（柳多留・六）
This old senryu is a comment on the fact that the opening line of Matsuo Basho’s famous poem “An old pond, a frog jumps in, the sound of water（＊）” begins with a deep suffix, as shown below. Of course, I don’t think Basho intended it to be an origami poem. It is merely a pun or wordplay, expressing the discovery of something interesting.
（＊）「古池や 蛙飛びこむ 水の音」
Furuikeya kahazu tobikomu mizu no oto
ふるいけや かはづとびこむ みづのおと
② “Because my wife, who is used to wearing a kimono, is my wife, I think of the long journey I have traveled.” (Tales of Ise, Eastward Departure Chapter)（＊）
（＊）「から衣きつつなれにし妻しあればはるばる来ぬる旅をしぞ思ふ」（伊勢物語・東下りの段）
Because my wife, who is used to wearing a kimono, is my wife, I think of the long journey I have traveled.（＊）
（＊）からころも きつつなれにし つましあれば はるばるきぬる たびをしぞおもふ
If you take the initials of this poem together, you can see that it incorporates the name of the flower “kakitsubata” (iris).
This waka poem was apparently composed by Ariwara no Narihira in a valley filled with iris flowers in Yatsuhashi, Mikawa Province (Chiryu City, Aichi Prefecture), after he was told to “place the five characters kakitsubata at the beginning of the poem and express the spirit of travel.”
③ “Three rounds of rain are abundant, a tribute to the richness of the rain” (Yanagi Taru, Vol. 5)（＊）
（＊）「三めぐりの雨はゆたかの折句なり」（柳多留・五）
This is a tribute to a rain-making poem written by Basho’s disciple, Takai Kikaku, at Mimeguri Shrine in Mukojima, Edo: “Evening showers, if the gods are watching over the fields.”（＊）
（＊）「夕立や 田をみめぐりの 神ならば」
Yuhudachiya tawomimegurino kaminaraba
Evening showers, if the gods are watching over the fields
ゆふだちや たをみめぐりの かみならば
④ “Words are evergreen, so I trust you, I gaze upon the pine tree, and it will wither and fall after I have passed（＊）” (Ono no Komachi), and the reply poem to this is, “Words are evergreen, so I trust you, I gaze upon the pine tree, and it will wither and fall after I have passed（＊＊）.”
（＊）「言の葉も常盤なるをば頼まなむ松を見よかし経ては散るやは」（小野小町）
（＊＊）「言の葉は常（とこ）懐かしき花折るとなべての人し知らすなよゆめ」
Words are evergreen, so I trust you, I gaze upon the pine tree, and it will wither and fall after I have passed.
ことのはも ときはなるをば たのまなむ まつをみよかし へてはちるやは
Kotonoha, I miss you so much, the flowers will heal, and all of us will be happy, so please don’t let the whitebait get in your dreams.
ことのはは とこなつかしき はなおると なべてのひとし しらすなよゆめ
These are waka poems and reply poems by Ono no Komachi, found in the Heian period poetry treatise “Shinsen Waka Zuiuno（歌論「新撰和歌髄脳」）.”
Ono no Komachi asks for a koto (harp)（「琴たまへ（ことたまへ：琴を貸してください）」）, but the recipient refuses, saying, “I don’t have a koto（「琴は無し（ことはなし）」）.”
⑤ Poems by Shuntaro Tanikawa（谷川俊太郎） (1931- )
Even today, Shuntaro Tanikawa writes interesting origami poems (incorporating “I love you（あいしてます）”), such as the following:
“I’m yawning, my anger is burning, I want to die, I’m bored as hell, you idiot, I’m slipping and falling.”（＊）
（＊）「あくびがでるわ いやけがさすわ しにたいくらい てんでたいくつ まぬけなあなた すべってころべ」
<Added July 12, 2020> Yukina Kinoshita’s “I Love You, Takashi” (「たかしあいしてる」) is also an “Oriku” (folded verse).
Yukina Kinoshita（木下優樹菜）, who divorced comedian Toshifumi Fujimoto（藤本敏史） in December 2019, posted a confession-like message on Instagram in July 2019.
The somewhat unnaturally arranged text, when read vertically（「縦読み」）, caused a stir online when it was revealed to read “I Love You, Takashi（「たかしあいしてる」）.”
She had been on a hiatus following the scandal involving the intimidation of a tapioca tea shop, but on July 1, 2020, she announced that she would be resuming her entertainment career, and five days later, she announced her retirement from the entertainment industry.
The reason for this appears to be her multiple extramarital affairs, but I was more surprised that even someone as young as Kinoshita Yukina was writing “Oriku” (folded verse). This may be the result of the recent quiz and brain training booms.
⑥ “Oasis Movement（「オアシス運動」）” Slogan
There is a greeting movement called the “Oasis Movement.” This slogan can also be considered an acrostic.
Good morning (or “Thank you for your hard work”)
おはようございます（または「お疲れ様でした」）
Thank you
ありがとうございます
Excuse me, I’ll be leaving first
しつれいします（または「しつれいしました」）
Excuse me (or “Excuse me”)
すみません（または「すみませんでした」）
2. What is a “Kutsukaburi” (shoe crown)
A type of waka poem called “Kutsukaburi Oriku,” “Oriku Kutsukaburi,” or simply “Kutsukaburi” refers to a poem that begins and ends each verse with a meaningful ten-character phrase.
① “Even at Osaka Pass, there’s no one there, and if you come to visit me, I won’t let you go” (Eiga Monogatari).（＊）
（＊）「逢坂もはては往来（ゆきき）の関もゐず尋ねて訪ひこ来なば帰さじ」（栄花物語）
This is a waka poem sent by Emperor Murakami to all of his favorite consorts. It means, “Osaka Pass, which separates men and women. The guard at Osaka Pass isn’t here tonight. Please come and visit me. If you come, I won’t let you go tonight.”（＊）
（＊）「男女の間を隔てる逢坂の関。その逢坂の関の関守も今夜はいません。訪ねて来てください。来たら今夜は帰しませんよ」
Most of the consorts replied with heartfelt poems, but one, Hirohata no Miyasudokoro, offered a “Awase-takimono”（「合わせ薫物（あわせたきもの）」）. “Awase-takimono” is a mixture of various spices kneaded with honey. One consort is said to have dressed up and hastily presented herself to the emperor.
Afusakamo, hatehayukino, sekinomoizu, tazunetetohiko, kinabakaesaji（＊）
（＊）あふさかも はてはゆききの せきもゐず たずねてとひこ きなばかへさじ
Only Hirohata no Miyasudokoro was able to read the Emperor’s intention behind the “kutsukaburi” – “Please give me some of the solidified spices.”
Unfortunately, the consort who presented herself to the emperor in full dressing subsequently lost the emperor’s favor.
② “The cool nights, the wind that separates my pillow and sleeves, the autumn wind, make no distinction between them” (Kenko Hoshi)（＊）, and the reply poem: “The cool nights, the wind that separates my pillow and sleeves, the autumn wind, make no distinction between them” (Ton’a Hoshi)（＊＊）.
（＊）「夜も涼し寝ざめのかりほ手枕（たまくら）も真袖（まそで）も秋に隔てなき風」（兼好法師）
“The night is cool, and my head is cold as I wake up. The autumn wind seems to separate my head from my pillow and my sleeves.”
よもすずし ねざめのかりほ たまくらも まそでもあきに へだてなきかぜ
「よねたまへ」（米をください）「ぜにもすこし」（お金も少しください）
Kenko Hoshi asked to Ton’a Hoshi, “Please give me some rice” and “Please give me some money,”
（＊＊）「夜も憂しねたく我が夫こはては来ずなほざりにだにしばし訪ひませ」
“My husband, who is sad and sleepy at night, has not come to visit me in the end, even though he is not here yet.”
よるもうし ねたくわがせこ はてはこず なほざりにだに しばしとひませ
「よねはなし」（米は無い）「ぜにすこし」（お金なら少しある）
Ton’a Hoshi replied, “There is no rice” and “There is a little money.”
These are the kutsukakaburi (footwear crown) sent by Kenko Hoshi, famous for his Tsurezuregusa (Essays on Tsurezuregusa), to Ton’a Hoshi, one of the “Four Heavenly Kings of Waka Poetry,” and their reply poem.
3. “Kaiten Oriku” (rotating verse,rotational acrobatics)
There are also rotational acrobatics that utilize shared kanji radicals. The following example is carved into a stone basin at Ryoanji Temple in Kyoto:
5
Arrows, Mouths, and Walls – Counterclockwise, “Yuigochisoku” (shared mouths)
Stop
五
矢 口 隹 – 左回りに「唯吾知足」（口を共有）
止