The World of Poet Fuyuji Tanaka

The poet who loved our inn and his spiritual home, "Ikuji"

To Ikuji, His Spiritual Home

Having lost his parents at the tender age of 12, Fuyuji moved to Tokyo to live with his uncle. In contrast to his strict life in Tokyo, his grandparents in Ikuji were gentle and warm, always welcoming him on his occasional returns. Though he only spent his school summer vacations here, Ikuji, where he felt the warmth of his grandparents, naturally became his spiritual home.

Connection with Tanakaya

During the summer holidays of his unfortunate childhood and youth, Fuyuji would stay at Tanakaya. He looked up to our first-generation owner, Kikujiro Tanaka, as a father figure from his hometown, finding in him the warmth of a father and grandparents.
It is said that Fuyuji once remarked, "Ikuji in Kurobe is a wonderful place. I live in Tokyo, but I will never move my official family register from Ikuji. I want to live my life as a man of Etchu (the old name for Toyama)."

Early Life

Fuyuji Tanaka (real name: Kichinosuke Tanaka) was born in Fukushima City in 1894, the eldest son of a banker, Kichijiro, and his wife, Yae. His father's family home was the Tanaka family of Ikuji, a branch of our inn. His maternal grandmother was the sister of Zenjiro Yasuda, the founder of the Yasuda Bank. After losing his parents at a young age, Fuyuji was taken in by his uncle, Zensuke Yasuda, in Tokyo.

The Path of Poetry

After graduating from junior high school, he began working at a bank. While busy with his work, he devoted himself to writing poetry. His first submitted poem, "Kaya" (The Mosquito Net), was published in the magazine "Shisei," which inspired him to seriously pursue a career in poetry. After eight years of diligent work, he published his first collection of poems, "Aoi Yomichi" (The Blue Night Road). This collection includes his representative work "Furusato nite" (In My Hometown), which begins with the line "The smell of dried flounder grilling" and depicts his beloved Ikuji.

Recipient of the Kotaro Takamura Prize

Even after his literary debut with "Aoi Yomichi," he continued to write poetry quietly. At the age of 67, he received the prestigious Kotaro Takamura Prize for his poetry collection "Banshun no Hi ni" (On a Late Spring Day). His poems, written in simple, accessible language, express a refined and unique world.

Year	Age	Event
1894		Born in Fukushima City, Fukushima Prefecture.
1908	14	Enrolled in Rikkyo Junior High School (present-day Rikkyo Ikebukuro Junior High School).
1912	18	His submission "Tabi nite" (On a Journey) won a special prize in the magazine "Bunsho Sekai."
1913	19	Joined the Yasuda-affiliated Daisan Bank.
1929	35	Published his first poetry collection "Aoi Yomichi," gaining attention in the literary world.
1949	55	Retired from his final position as an investigator in the personnel department of Fuji Bank's head office.
1962	68	Awarded the Kotaro Takamura Prize for "Banshun no Hi ni."
1971	77	Became the chairman of the Japan Modern Poets' Association.
1980	85	Passed away in Tokyo.