was a Japanese poet and calligrapher known as The Poet of Zen. His work was influenced by

Zen Buddhism Zen (; from Chinese: '' Chán''; in Korean: ''Sŏn'', and Vietnamese: ''Thiền'') is a Mahayana Buddhist tradition that developed in China during the Tang dynasty by blending Indian Mahayana Buddhism, particularly Yogacara and Madhyamaka ph ...

and he is known for his works, ''Ningen damono'' (Because I'm Human), ''Okagesan'' (Our Debt to Others), and ''Inochi ippai'' (Live a Full Live).

Early life

Aida was born in

Ashikaga, Tochigi is a Cities of Japan, city located in Tochigi Prefecture of Honshu, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 140,036, in 62,123 households and a population density of 788 persons per km2. The total area of the city is . Geography Ashika ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, in 1924. At an early age he showed interest in calligraphy and tanka poetry and was characterized for an original style. He attended Tochigi Prefectural Ashikaga High School. After graduation he proceeded to study poetry with Yamashita Mutsuk and calligraphy with Iwasawa Kei-seki. His work is also known to have been influenced by Michiaki Zheng, Takei Akira, and Kinono Kazuyoshi. In 1953, Aida graduated from Kanto Junior College, a private college in Tatebayashi, Gunma. In 1954, Aida married Hiraga Chie. Their eldest son, Kazuto Aida, is the director of the Mitsuo Aida Museum in

Tokyo Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

Career and legacy

Aida's works became well known after the publishing of his book, ''Ningen damono'' (Because I'm Human), in 1984. Following a brain hemorrhage, Aida died in Ashikaga, Tochigi, in 1991. Shortly after his death, in 1996, the Mitsuo Aida Museum opened in

Ginza Ginza ( ; ) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, Tokyo, Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo ...

, a neighborhood in Tokyo. In 2003, the museum moved to the

Tokyo International Forum The is a multi-purpose exhibition center in Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. The complex is generally considered to be in the Yūrakuchō business district, being adjacent to Yūrakuchō Station, but it is administratively in the Marunouchi district. Toky ...

, a multi-purpose exhibition center. The art show includes approximately 450 of Aida's calligraphy works, and the museum foundation organizes several art appreciation seminars throughout the country each year. Former Japanese Prime Minister

Yoshihiko Noda is a Japanese politician. He is the current leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan (CDP), and has been a member of the House of Representatives since 2000. From 2011 to 2012, he was the Prime Minister of Japan. Noda entered po ...

is known to be a patron of Aida's. In a 2011 pre-election speech, the politician quoted Aida's poetry, saying, "The loach, it doesn't have to imitate the goldfish." This remark let to some confusion about Noda's meaning among his followers, but also a sharp increase in the number of visitors to the Mituso Aida Museum and a renewed interest in Aida's work.

Museum

Mitsuo Aida Museum () was a private museum in

Chiyoda, Tokyo , known as Chiyoda City in English,
." ''City of Chiyoda''. Retrieved on December 28, 2008. is a S ...

dedicated to the works of Aida. The museum opened in 1996 in

and in 2003 moved to new location near Yurakucho Station, inside the

. The museum was shut down indefinitely on January 28, 2024.

References

External links

Mitsuo Aida Museum
{{DEFAULTSORT:Aida, Mitsuo 1991 deaths Japanese Zen Buddhists 1924 births Japanese male poets Japanese calligraphers 20th-century Japanese poets 20th-century Japanese male writers People from Tochigi Prefecture