Matsuo Basho Haiku Monument
This stone monument memorializes haiku master Matsuo Basho (1644–1694), one of Japan’s most famous poets. The monument is engraved with a haiku poem that Basho composed to commemorate his visit to this area five centuries after the fall of Hiraizumi:
The summer grass
‘tis all that’s left
of ancient warriors’ dreams.
This English version of Basho’s haiku was translated by Nitobe Inazo, former Undersecretary-General of the League of Nations and author of Bushido: the Soul of Japan.