More than 210,000 haiku from 22 countries and in 16 languages were submitted by children aged 15 and under to a recent international competition organized by the JAL Foundation.

Some of the entries were published June 25 in a book titled "Haiku By World Children," with 136 haiku in their original language, as well as English and Japanese translations.

The short, traditional poems written in verses of five, seven and five syllables, often feature references to the seasons and indirect expressions of the emotions of the author.

But for the contest, the only rule was that the poem should be limited to three lines, resulting in a variety of styles of haiku by children from different cultures.

The JAL Foundation, established by Japan Airlines Co. in 1990, holds the haiku contest every two years.

The latest book is the sixth in the series since the foundation published the first volume in 1990.