RE: I Am Poor ~ Haiku of Japan
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Interesting! Basho's haiku always provokes deep thoughts in me. Personally, dried salmon is a delicious luxury food. The price of dried salmon is very expensive, making it a fantastic souvenir from Hokkaido. In Ainu culture, salmon holds great importance. They create various products like shoes, dried salmon, oil, my favourite half-raw fish called ruibe, and more. They also traded salmon with Japanese people. I wonder if Basho ever enjoyed trading dried salmon.
As I wanted to express, reading haiku sparked my curiosity about people's lives in ancient times. Sometimes, they thought they were poor and ate genmai rice, but for us, genmai is a superfood, you know. Your haiku selections always give me a nice moment to reflect on Japan's culture. Arigatou!
It is interesting, isn't it? So many foods that used to be considered poor people's food is now considered very healthy and everyone seeks it out. Genmai rice is a great example of this!
I wonder about what you write. In the Edo period, did people in northern Japan ever have any dealings with Ainu people?
I agree! Genmai and mugi rice are very healthy foods! I've heard that Ainu's holy lacquerware and pots were traded with the Japanese.
https://www.tota.world/article/851/#:~:text=The%20Matsumae%20clan%20built%20trading,both%20sides%20of%20the%20exchange.