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Hattori Ransetsu

1654 – 1707

Japanese poet

Haiku poet
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About Hattori Ransetsu

Lived 1654 – 1707 (aged 52–53). Hattori Ransetsu was a Japanese haiku poet.

Hattori Ransetsu (1654–1707) was an Edo samurai who became a haikai poet under the guidance of Matsuo Bashō.

R. H. Blyth considered Ransetsu to be Bashō's most representative follower.

Poetry Ransetsu's poetry is low-keyed and austere, reflecting the sabi aspect of Bashō's writing, but showing a real empathy with all living creatures.

A critical contemporary called him "a man of small calibre...he seems to have flowers, but has no fruit".

R. H. Blyth would later partially concur, saying that "even his death verse, beautiful and justly famous as it is, has something nerveless about it:

A leaf falls,

Totsu! Another leaf falls,

Carried by the wind".

Diary Ransetsu wrote a diary about his 1705 travels in Southern Japan, highlighting such exotic features as "snake-strawberries", and "southern barbarians, be they devils or be they human beings".

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Important facts

Born
1654, Yushima
Birth century
Occupation
Haiku poet
Nationality
Employers
Kasama Domain

People in Hattori Ransetsu's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Hattori Ransetsu's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Hattori Ransetsu?

Japanese poet

When was Hattori Ransetsu born?

Hattori Ransetsu was born in 1654 in Yushima.

When did Hattori Ransetsu die?

Hattori Ransetsu died on 6 November 1707.

What was Hattori Ransetsu's occupation?

Hattori Ransetsu was a haiku poet.

What nationality was Hattori Ransetsu?

Hattori Ransetsu was Japanese.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Hattori Ransetsu

· Wikidata: Q4496564

· DBpedia: Hattori Ransetsu

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Hattori Ransetsu. https://biography.guide/hattori-ransetsu/

MLA: "Hattori Ransetsu." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/hattori-ransetsu/.

Chicago: "Hattori Ransetsu." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/hattori-ransetsu/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-27 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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