Otagaki Rengetsu
Encyclopedia
was a Buddhist nun who is widely regarded to have been one of the greatest Japanese poets of the 19th century. She was also a skilled potter and painter and expert calligrapher.
Born into a samurai
family with the surname Tōdō, she was adopted at a young age by the Ōtagaki family. She was a lady in waiting
at Kameoka castle from age 7 to 16, when she was married. However, her husband died in 1823. Ōtagaki joined the temple Chion-in and became a nun, taking Rengetsu ("Lotus Moon") as her Buddhist name. She remained at the Chion-in for nearly ten years, and lived in a number of other temples for the following three decades, until 1865, when she settled at the Jinkō-in where she lived out the rest of her life.
Though best known as a waka
poet, Rengetsu was also accomplished at dance, sewing, some of the martial arts, and Japanese tea ceremony
. She admired and studied under a number of great poets including Ozawa Roan and Ueda Akinari
, and later in her life became a close friend and mentor to the artist Tomioka Tessai
. A number of Tessai's works, though painted by him, feature calligraphy by Rengetsu.
Born into a samurai
Samurai
is the term for the military nobility of pre-industrial Japan. According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning to wait upon or accompany a person in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau...
family with the surname Tōdō, she was adopted at a young age by the Ōtagaki family. She was a lady in waiting
Lady in Waiting
Lady in Waiting is the 2nd album by American southern rock band Outlaws, released in 1976. -Track listing:#"Breaker-Breaker" – 2:59#"South Carolina" – 3:05#"Ain't So Bad" – 3:48...
at Kameoka castle from age 7 to 16, when she was married. However, her husband died in 1823. Ōtagaki joined the temple Chion-in and became a nun, taking Rengetsu ("Lotus Moon") as her Buddhist name. She remained at the Chion-in for nearly ten years, and lived in a number of other temples for the following three decades, until 1865, when she settled at the Jinkō-in where she lived out the rest of her life.
Though best known as a waka
Waka (poetry)
Waka or Yamato uta is a genre of classical Japanese verse and one of the major genres of Japanese literature...
poet, Rengetsu was also accomplished at dance, sewing, some of the martial arts, and Japanese tea ceremony
Japanese tea ceremony
The Japanese tea ceremony, also called the Way of Tea, is a Japanese cultural activity involving the ceremonial preparation and presentation of matcha, powdered green tea. In Japanese, it is called . The manner in which it is performed, or the art of its performance, is called...
. She admired and studied under a number of great poets including Ozawa Roan and Ueda Akinari
Ueda Akinari
Ueda Akinari or Ueda Shūsei was a Japanese author, scholar and waka poet, and a prominent literary figure in 18th century Japan...
, and later in her life became a close friend and mentor to the artist Tomioka Tessai
Tomioka Tessai
was the pseudonym for a painter and calligrapher in Meiji period Japan. He is regarded as the last major artist in the Bunjinga tradition and one of the first major artists of the Nihonga style. His real name was Tomioka Yusuke, which he later changed to Tomioka Hyakuren.-Early life:Tessai was born...
. A number of Tessai's works, though painted by him, feature calligraphy by Rengetsu.