Background
Miura grew up in Shima province with an older sister and a younger brother. His father left his family during Chora"s childhood, so his mother took over control of the family.
Miura grew up in Shima province with an older sister and a younger brother. His father left his family during Chora"s childhood, so his mother took over control of the family.
Studied with disciples of Bakurin, a leader of a rural Bashō school.
He traveled throughout the country composing poems and helped lead the Matsuo Bashō revival movement of the eighteenth century. Chora was home-schooled as a child. They met when Buson was 20 years old, and both admired Matsuo Bashō and Kobayashi Issa.
In an article for the periodical Early Modern Japan, Cheryl Crowley wrote, "Chora.
Chora was a successful haikai master with numerous students, although he had a reputation for being irresponsible and profligate in his ways. He worked together with poets such as Yosa Buson (1716-1783), Takai Kitô (1741-1789), and Wada Ranzan (d1773).
Chora brought it back to the poetry and simplicity of Matsuo Bashō.”
Chora was struck with serious leukemia and died on September 4, 1780. Haiku
Watching the stars
through willow branches
makes me feel lonely.
A storm-wind blows
Out from among the grasses
A full moon grows
at the ancient shrine
tarnished gold-foil.. and green leaves
awakening time
insects
scattering in the grasses—
sound-colours
Kasen Renga
During his life, Chora participated in many collaboratively written poems called haikai no renga, especially the 36-verse form known as kasen.
He helped write the following kasen titled "Susuki Mitsu" ("Seeing Micanthus" or "Having Seen Pampas Grass") along with the poets Buson, Kitô, and Ranzan. lieutenant was later published in the Japanese anthology Kono hotori--Ichi-ya shi-kasen (この辺り一夜四歌仙). Ronald Caltabiano (since 1959) used one of Chora"s haiku in his song "First Dream of Honeysuckle Petals Falling Alone," composed in 1978 for mezzo-soprano and piano.