ARTICLES
A lineup of works filled with the charm of Hokkaido! Winners of the "Hokkaido Heritage Photo & Tanka Challenge 2024" announced
Selected for the Tanka Poetry Section
Kikuyo Yamabe
A snowy night in Otaru with headlights on the tracks and lamps on the platform
■ Subject Otaru's Railway Heritage
■Comment from the artist The first time I went to Otaru Station it was mid-winter and I was moved by how beautiful it was.
■ Comments from the judges The comparison between the lights on the tracks and the platform is vivid. You can even see the difference in their colors clearly.
Hiromi Matsushita
Jazz, soul? Hip-hop or R&B? Salmon dancing in the Ishikari River
■ Subject Ishikari River
■Comment from the artist I was overwhelmed by the power of the salmon swimming up the Ishikari River.
■ Comments from the judges The idea of likening the scene of salmon dancing in the river to various rhythms is brilliant, and the flowing rhythm of the Japanese words meshes perfectly with the dancing scenes.
Akira Yamamoto
The creaking sound of the first train in Hakodate reaches the kitchen from the bottom of the hill.
■ Subject Streets of the western Hakodate area
■Comment from the artist I wrote this while looking down at the trains at Jujigai.
■ Comments from the judges The scene where the public sound of a train reaches the private space of the kitchen is cinematic and vivid.
Matsuda Nagomi
The silhouette of a boat on the Todowara shrimp fishing boat
■ Subject Notsuke Peninsula and Utase Boats
■Comment from the artist Sailing boats floating in the bay surrounded by sandbars are a well-known feature of Notsuke.
■ Comments from the judges A song of solid realism. The specifics of Todowara and Notsuke give the song depth. The problem is that there are too many consecutive kanji characters.
Haruka Asakura
The drift ice splits in two from the bow, and we lead the meteor shower.
■ Subject Drift ice and the Garinko
■Comment from the artist The Okhotsk blue sea and drifting ice made me think of a journey through space.
■ Comments from the judges The way the ice floes develop into a meteor shower gives a sense of the scale of the film, and it has a mythical feel to it.
Takashi Moriyama
Counting the columns, I reach the top of the dome, catching the Sakhalin wind somewhere
■ Subject Wakkanai Port North Breakwater Dome
■Comment from the artist This is an experience I had while traveling in Wakkanai.
■ Comments from the judges Through the wind, we have been able to expand the scope of our imagination about Sakhalin.
Saeko Motosawa
The softness of Ainu songs still rings in my ears. The bells ring in Kamuikotan.
■ Subject Ainu oral literature
■Comment from the artist When I was a student, I had the opportunity to hear an Ainu person sing a song for me in Asahikawa. It still rings in my ears. It was an elderly woman with a gentle voice.
■ Comments from the judges By combining the softness of the song with the "sound of bells," the atmosphere is recreated in a way that anyone can easily hear.
Tonomaru Sachiko
My husband and I go to the temple, and the bells ring. We begin our prayers.
■ Subject Streets of the western Hakodate area
■Comment from the artist When I went to Hokkaido with my husband, the atmosphere of the beautiful churches and the image of Hokkaido's vast nature were very divine.
■ Comments from the judges "I go with my husband" is not necessarily an essential part, but it is clever how it connects the hectic pace of the lines from Gangan Temple to the two latter lines, "Hajime" (beginning) and "Ohari" (opportunity).
mokume_88
In July, I let myself go along the slowly turning streetcar and head to the Hello Work office.
■ Subject Tram
■Comment from the artist I usually travel by subway, and for me, the streetcar is the one I take when I go to the Hello Work office. When I'm on the streetcar, the driver makes announcements when we make a big turn. I wrote this poem about the scene I see when I go to the Hello Work office, feeling their consideration and kindness, and feeling both anxiety and hope for the future.
■ Comments from the judges The fact that a Hello Work office was chosen as the facility along the streetcar line adds to the drama.
True Red
August: Thinking about the hidden whiteness of Sapporo from a non-air-conditioned streetcar
■ Subject Tram
■Comment from the artist When I traveled to Sapporo this summer and rode the city tram for the first time, I was surprised to see that the carriages were not air-conditioned. I wrote this poem while thinking about this city, where the season of white snow lasts longer than the rest.
■ Comments from the judges The mystery of the "hidden whiteness" is fascinating. The contrast between the "whiteness" and the lack of air conditioning is brilliant.
Riverside scenery
A medallion that knows the times that pass, there are just people who come and people who go
■ Subject Western-style architecture from the Hokkaido Development Commission era
■Comment from the artist The white ceiling decoration that I saw when I visited Seikatei previously left a strong impression on me. It drew my attention to the greatness, loneliness, and beauty of things that remain unchanged as times change.
■ Comments from the judges The medallion skillfully symbolizes the lyrical phrase in the second line.
wakkochan25
I can't get over that blue. The sequins on the water shimmer in your eyes.
■ Subject Shakotan Peninsula and Cape Kamui
■Comment from the artist I will never forget the sparkling, bouncy sparkle and the gradation of Shakotan blue that stretches all the way up to the sky.
■ Comments from the judges The way the sparkling light is described is impressive. I'm also happy that the expression "that blue" isn't left unmentioned, but is properly brought up in the second line.
wakkochan25
"The more you like yourself, the better," you say, as I eat mutton with you.
■ Subject Genghis Khan
■Comment from the artist Mutton has a rich, lamb-like flavor. I hope that your dinner table will be filled with excitement just like Genghis Khan hotpot.
■ Comments from the judges It's a little unconventional, but what's interesting is the way it's made, as if it were a snapshot of an interesting conversation.
fumi_acfy
In the drizzle, the canoe glides across the river with its umbrella tilting here and there.
■ Subject Teshio River
■Comment from the artist I wrote a poem about the Teshio River.
■ Comments from the judges The comparison of the dotted canoes to "a tilting umbrella" is refreshing and creates a dynamic impression.
fuso_aeroace
After the summer walk to Kamuy Mintara, we headed to the sample forest where our friends were waiting for us.
■ Subject Ayako Miura Memorial Museum of Literature and Foreign Tree Species Specimen Forest
■Comment from the artist Six years ago, I was fascinated by the works of Ayako Miura, and started visiting Asahikawa regularly. My hobby is hiking, and every time I visit Asahikawa, I am drawn to the majestic Daisetsuzan mountain that I can see in the distance. I wanted to hike it someday, and this year I was finally able to fulfill that wish. This is a poem about that time.
■ Comments from the judges Although "aruki no chi" gives the impression of being too brief, it is interesting how the introduction of the word "sample forest" gives the feeling of descending from the world of mythology into reality.
