Raw Japan
Slices of Japanese business, politics and life
The poetic side of recession
Japan’s salaried workers may have an image as corporate drudges, but some are turning economic angst and political ire into poetry for a competition.
“My motivation, falling in tandem with steps to cut corporate costs” is one entry in the contest for “Best 10 Senryu”, a type of humorous verse similar to 17-syllable “haiku” but without references to nature or the seasons.
“I’d like to enjoy the rising strength of the yen - but I have no yen,” wrote another poet, referring to the growing value of a currency that is hurting Japan’s exports but making it cheaper to buy imports or go on holiday overseas.
One Muse-struck salaried worker weighed in against a political stalemate that has seen three Japanese leaders take office in less than three years: “Now I must again teach my children the name of the prime minister.”
