That is why Wideoyster, in collaboration with Mastercard, presents Ode to the Journey: a series of travelogues and videos in which we document odes of local poets to their country, region, city or street. In earlier editions you could already enjoy the poetry films of New York City, Brazil and Australia. In this edition we bring an ode to Japan.

One can hardly find any long poems about Japan. However, Japanese poets challenge each other to write poetry with a maximum of 17 syllables, better known as the haiku. A Haiku is a minuscule ode, and that’s why we selected 8 of them for our poetry film about Tokyo and Kyoto.

Butterflies
only fluttering
in this field of sunlight

A summer river being crossed
how pleasing
with sandals in my hands!

With clouds and mist
in a brief moment a hundred scenes
brought to fulfillment

O snail,
Climb Mount Fuji,
But slowly, slowly!

The lamp once out
Cool stars enter
The window frame.

You light the fire
I’ll show you something nice,
a great ball of snow.

In the moonlight,
The color and scent of the wisteria
Seems far away.

The summer grasses,
All that remains
Of the warriors’ dreams