＜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) on X
(Reference) Original article in Japanese
1. Buriokoshi (a type of yellowtail preparation)
鰤起し（ぶりおこし）
“Buri-okoshi” is a seasonal word for “winter.”
“Buri-okoshi” refers to “thunder that rumbles with strong winds around December and January, when yellowtail are being caught.” In the Hokuriku region, it is considered a good omen, a sign of a bountiful catch.
For fishermen, it signals the start of the yellowtail fishing season, and for people, it announces the arrival of winter.
Examples of haiku include:
* Buri-okoshi, the cedar and cypress mountains remain unfaded – Awano Seiho
* Tateyama’s folds tighten as Buri-okoshi rumbles – Kura Kyosui
* Buri-okoshi from far above the tea fields – Iida Ryūta
* A single thunder roar of Buri-okoshi as we stay in Sado – Takagi Ryōta
・鰤起し杉山檜山色褪せぬ 阿波野青畝
・立山の襞引き締めて鰤起し 蔵巨水
・茶畑の空はるかより鰤起し 飯田龍太
・鰤起し一つとどろく佐渡泊り 高木良多
2. Konohagami (Leaf Hair)
木の葉髪（このはがみ）
“Konohagami” is a seasonal word for “winter.”
“Konohagami” refers to the phenomenon where hair growth is inhibited by summer’s ultraviolet rays and heat, resulting in increased hair loss from late autumn to early winter. This is likened to falling leaves.
Combined with the seasonal feeling, it evokes a sense of melancholy.
Examples of haiku include:
* My fine comb has aged like my body, my hair like leaves. – Matsumoto Takashi
* My hair like leaves lies like a large tree. – Hasegawa Kai
* His life was spent mining, his hair like leaves. – Oikawa Sada
* Do you, too, support your wife and children, with your hair like leaves? – Shimomura Kaita
・よき櫛の我が身と古（ふ）りぬ木の葉髪 松本たかし
・木の葉髪大木のごと横たはる 長谷川櫂
・その生涯入坑採鑛木の葉髪 及川貞
・木の葉髪汝も妻子養ふや 下村槐太
3. Fuyumoe (winter sprouts)
冬萌/冬萌え（ふゆもえ）
“Fuyumoe” is a seasonal word for “winter.” A related seasonal word is “fuyuki no me” (winter tree buds).
“Fuyumoe” refers to “the unexpected appearance of tree buds sprouting on a warm winter day.” Grass also sprouts in sunny spots.
Example haiku include:
* Fuyumoe, and the calf’s back is flat with the sea – Sunami Ichie
* Fuyumoe, the air is crisp, the mood is rising – Kato Chiyoko
* Fuyumoe, and the baby’s favorite piggyback ride – Mayama Tadashi
* The monument of autumn sounds, quietly budding in winter – Kato Koko
・冬萌や海と平らに仔牛の背 須並一衛
・冬萌冴ゆ調子昂（たか）めるよいとまけ 加藤知世子
・冬萌や赤子の好きな肩車 真山尹
・秋声（しゅうせい）の碑（いしぶみ）ひそと冬萌ゆる 加藤耕子
4. Night of Autumn
夜の秋（よるのあき）
“Night of Autumn” is a seasonal word for “summer.”
“Night of Autumn” refers to “the cool, somewhat autumnal feeling that comes at night towards the end of summer.”
Examples of haiku include:
* Placing my hand on my cool skin, night of autumn – Takahama Kyoshi
* A seasoned traveler, with just one suitcase, night of autumn – Hoshino Tatsuko
* Slurping porridge, the woodcutter’s stomach revolves around night of autumn – Hara Sekitei
* Night of autumn, a stalk of reeds stuck in the door – Kidou Ryume
・涼しさの肌に手を置き夜の秋 高浜虚子
・旅馴れてトランク一つ夜の秋 星野立子
・粥すゝる杣（そま）が胃の腑や夜の秋 原石鼎
・夜の秋や戸にはさまりし絲すゝき 木津柳芽
5. Late-night snack
夜食（やしょく）
“Late-night snack” is a seasonal word for autumn. Related seasonal words include “to eat a late-night snack,” “to eat a late-night snack,” “late-night porridge,” and “late-night snack time.”
“Late-night snack” refers to “a meal eaten in the middle of the night, in addition to a regular meal.” In old rural villages, people would eat late-night snacks such as rice porridge after working the night shift.
When I was a student preparing for exams, I ate instant ramen almost every night as a late-night snack. After becoming a salaried worker, I often had long hours of overtime, so I frequently ordered takeout fried rice, yakisoba, or udon, or ate instant cup noodles from vending machines.
Examples of haiku using “late-night snack” are as follows:
* With a haggard face, I greedily devour my late-night snack. – Takahama Kyoshi
* When the owl hoots, it’s time for a late-night snack. – Aoki Getto
* Silently eating my late-night snack behind others. – Omori Masamura
* I look at the evening sky before picking up my chopsticks for my late-night snack. – Ozaki Hosai
・面やつれしてがつがつと夜食かな 高浜虚子
・梟（ふくろう）が鳴けば夜食となりにけり 青木月斗
・黙々と人のうしろに夜食かな 大森雅村
・夕空見てから夜食の箸とる 尾崎放哉