Delicate light
upon the lake—
Buddha's Birthday.
by Nanako Washitani
Nanako Washitani (1923–2018) was a Japanese haiku poet from Osaka. She joined Mizuhara Shūōshi’s journal Ashibi 馬酔木 in 1942, and from 1946, studied under Yamaguchi Sōdō. She later became a regular contributor to the journal Nanpū 南風 (“South Wind”), serving as its editor from 1984 to 2004. The Complete Haiku of Nanako Washitani was published by Kadokawa Shoten in 2013.
Haiku by Nanako Washitani
Join The Naviar Haiku Music Challenge
This haiku poem is part of the Naviar haiku music challenge, where artists are invited to make music in response to a weekly assigned haiku poem. Participation is free and there are no limitations in the songs’ length or genre.
You have seven days from the posting of this haiku to submit your track. For information on how to make a submission, visit the Naviar Haiku Music Challenge page.
Submission deadline: 8th July 2026