1.
The Narrow Road to the Deep North
A travel diary in prose and haiku by 松尾芭蕉, recording his journey of about 2,400 km through northern Japan in 1689. Published in 1702, it is the most famous work of haikai literature.
The title is also written おくのほそ道. Many of Japan's best-known haiku come from it, and towns along the route have monuments marking where Bashō stopped.
Common expressions
- 月日は百代の過客にして: "The months and days are travelers of a hundred ages" — the opening line
- 夏草や兵どもが夢の跡: "Summer grasses — all that remains of warriors' dreams" (at 平泉)
- 閑かさや岩にしみ入る蝉の声: "Such stillness — the cicadas' cry soaks into the rocks" (at 立石寺)
Cultural note
Following the route today, on foot or by car, is a popular literary pilgrimage.