Hosomichi

Hosomichi is a Japanese term meaning "narrow road" and is most commonly used to refer to Oku no Hosomichi, a travelogue by the 17th-century poet Matsuo Bashō. The work is one of the central texts of Edo-period literature and a cornerstone of the haibun form, which blends prose and haiku.

Written in the late 17th century after Bashō undertook a lengthy journey on foot through eastern and northern Honshu, Oku no Hosomichi records observations of landscape, people, and fleeting moments, interwoven with Bashō's reflective haiku. The text is constructed as prose-poem hybrids, combining concise narrative with short poems that capture mood and season.

The narrative follows Bashō's route from Edo (modern Tokyo) into remote provinces, moving through coastal and inland landscapes, with stops that became famous in Japanese literary imagination. The prose often meditates on impermanence, the passage of time, and the beauty found in ordinary scenes, while the haiku snapshot crisp impressions of weather, light, and memory.

Impact: Oku no Hosomichi is widely regarded as a landmark of Japanese literature and a touchstone of the haibun form. It helped shape travel writing in East Asia and influenced later poets and writers, both in Japan and abroad. The work has been translated into many languages, with numerous annotated editions and commentaries that explain historical context and classical allusions.