Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)
Many people know that these two haiku are among the most famous by Japan’s legendary poet Matsuo Basho, but probably many of them do not realize that the 17-syllable poems describe stunning natural scenery in Yamagata Prefecture — the former refers to the Yamadera temple in Yamagata City, and the latter describes the breadth of the Mogami River in Kiyokawa City.
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