Fine Japanese Calligraphy

The Art of Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase

Japanese Scroll of Haiku by Buson — Calligraphy by Eri Takase

Haiku by Buson

The long slow days of spring,
piling up,
so far away the past
[1]

遅き日のつもりて遠き昔かな
osoki hi no tsumorite tooki mukashi kana

12 1/4" W x 43" H Japanese Scroll
by Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase

Master Takase personally brushes your Japanese scroll when you order. These high-quality Japanese scrolls are imported from Nara Japan and are meant to last generations. Your scroll is shipped within 1-3 business days from Master Takase's studio in Washington State and arrives ready to display.

Each scroll is a personal work of art — not a print — and proudly bears Master Takase's seal and signature. The scroll has silk borders and fine Japanese paper, layered so it hangs straight and will not warp over time.

$180.00

Font Designs are Master Takase's unique designs. Often she will use her own style or a combination of fonts and, without a classification limit, create exactly the look she wants.

Coming Soon — Summer 2026

Master Takase is preparing a new collection of hand-brushed scrolls. Each scroll is personally brushed to order.

Interested in this scroll? Sign up and we'll let you know when it becomes available.

We'll only use your email to notify you about this.

Description

H3004 - Haiku by Buson - The long slow days of spring ... by Master Japanese Calligrapher Eri Takase

The long slow days of spring
piling up, so far away
the past
[1]

osoki hi no
tsumorite tooki
mukashi kana
遅き日の
つもりて遠き
昔かな
buson 蕪村

R. H. Blyth suggests the translation:

Slow days passing, accumulating, -
How distant they are,
The things of the past.
[2]

R. H. Blyth writes:

The sense of the passage of time, bound up with the feeling of the evanescence of things is inborn to the Japanese, but intensified by the Indian thought that remained in the Buddhism introduced to Japan. [2]

Haruo Shinane suggests the translation:

The long, slow days of spring
piling up -
so far away, the past!
[3]

Haruo Shinane writes:

'Long day' (osoki hi) is a late-spring day when the sun sets late and the day seems to last forever, reminding the poet both of the past, of youth, which seems so far away, and of the many springs and years that have come and gone since that time. This poem was composed in 1775. [3]

References:

[1] Translation by Timothy L. Jackowski, Takase Studios, LLC. Though clearly this translation relies heavily on Haruo Shinane's. [3]

[2] Blyth, R. H. (1982). Haiku Volume 4 Autumn-Winter. Tokyo. The Hokuseido Press. 984.

[3] Shinane, Haruo. (2004). Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology, 1600-1900 (Abridged Edition) (Translations from the Asian Classics). United States. Columbia University Press. 545.

Copyrights are retained by the original authors and used here under the Fair Use Doctrine.
We encourage you to support the authors, as we have, by purchasing the referenced works.

About The Art: This beautiful hand-brushed scroll by Master Takase is personally created at the time of your order and proudly bears her seal and signature. We exclusively import this high-quality scroll with light brown silk borders and fine Japanese paper from one of the finest scroll makers in Nara Japan. This is not a print but is hand-brushed to match the sample as closely as possible. This is a personal work of art that is designed to last generations.

Delivery: The scroll is completed within 1-3 business days and is shipped from Master Takase's studio in the beautiful state of Washington. The scroll arrives ready to display.