A Colour of Wind, The first haiku collection of Hiroyuki Tsuda

The title of this book, 'A Colour of Wind', is known as seasonal words of autumn in the society of Japanese traditional haiku. When summer, the season of high temperatures and humidity, ends, autumn, which is not so hot or cold, starts in Japan. Autumn air is so pure and clear that we can see the colours and shapes of things distinctly. The flowers in the day, the moon or the stars in the night... things are given their clear contours. In such a season, people's senses are sharpened to the extent that even the wind seems to have colour and shape. Of course, in any season or anywhere, the wind itself has no colour or shape. To find the colours or shapes of the wind is an effect of our imagination. Though its power is the most important item, the author feels that it continues to reduce for a long time among Japanese. Again and again, we should try to see the colours and shapes of the wind. Imagine them!

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　本書のタイトル、「風の色」は、日本の伝統的な俳句の世界では、秋の季語として知られている言葉です。高温多湿の夏を終えると、日本には暑すぎず、寒すぎず、過ごしやすい秋がやって来ます。秋の空気は清浄、澄明で、物の色や形が鮮やかに見えるものです。昼には草花や紅葉、夜には月や星々が、明瞭な輪郭を与えられます。そんな季節には、風にさえ色や形があるように感じられるくらい、人々の感覚は研ぎ澄まされます。もちろん、いつの季節でもどこの国でも風には色も形もありません。風に色や形を見て取るのは、あくまで人々の想像の力によるものです。その力は人の文化的な営為にとって最も大事なものでありながら、最近の社会では失われつつあるように筆者は感じています。あらためて、何度でも、風の色、風の形を見てみましょう。想像してみましょう。