Inch by Inch

Originally published in 1985 in a limited edition, this selection of haiku by Issa, the great nineteenth-century Japanese poet, is translated by Nanao Sakaki, the legendary contemporary Japanese poet. Widely regarded as one of the four haiku masters of Japan, Issa is much loved for his compassion and humorous sense of equality with the natural world.

Each poem is rendered in Sakaki's handwriting in both English and Kanji and includes Romanji text as well. The translations are among the freshest and most concise renditions of Issa's haiku. Also included is an interview with Sakaki about the life, wanderings, and work of Issa as well as the ongoing tradition embodied by his poems. Beautifully designed, this book is a treasure for admirers both of Issa and of Nanao Sakaki.