Passing on what I cannot repay

I am grateful, yet I feel apologetic...

The waka activities of Waka Kajima, often described (as a compliment) as "a bit crazy," are sustained by the financial support of those who appreciate this way of being.
They are made possible by the financial support of those who appreciate this way of being.

Those who commission lectures or writing work.
Those who support me through memberships or tips.
Those who purchase paid articles or magazines.
Those who occasionally send donations.

When I received the first-place prize at the Oki Gotoba-in Waka Grand Prize, I received generous celebrations from many people, and
whether or not such things happen, there are those who regularly give me work or send one-time donations.

I am truly grateful...

When the amount is large, or
when it is biased toward a specific few people,
it is hard to say that I do not feel "apologetic" at the same time as I feel "grateful."

"I hope this activity continues"
"I think of it as giving an offering to a monk"
"Because it is paying it forward"
"I really want Waka-san to go to Oki"
Since the money is given with each person's own feelings, like these,

I reflect daily that it is not good to feel apologetic out of my own ego,
and I accept it with gratitude.

In the midst of this, there is a feeling that has recently become clear regarding support.
Although I am clumsy, I will try to put it into words.

The meaning of "free"

Until now, I have published much of what I have researched and thought about regarding waka and classical works, as well as the trial and error I experienced while actually composing poems,
for free or at a low price.

In modern Japan, where waka is not common knowledge or general education,
I want as many people as possible to have access to that information.
Even if you think of it as data to feed into AI, there is significance in making it freely available.

Therefore, you should never feel guilty about reading my free articles for free.
Because I myself wish for it and am publishing it in that form.
I hope that even one person out of those 100, 1,000, or 10,000 people
will be influenced to think, "Waka is amazing" or "Kogon-in is beautiful."

However, "being able to read for free" and "no one bearing the burden for that" are not the same thing.To write, I spend time not only writing but also studying,

and I also spend money to buy books, collect materials, and take specialized lectures.
I also travel to specific places, such as Ama Town in Oki and Shoshokoji Temple.
Of course, living expenses such as rent and food costs are also incurred.

To support these, my part-time job salary for two days a week is not enough, and

As I wrote earlier,
there are people who support this activity and way of life financially in various ways.

Thanks to them, I was able to continue living alone in Tokyo even after I stopped working six days a week, which was ruining my health, and
I am currently able to release most of my waka poems and content to the world frequently, either for free or at a low cost.

Please do not feel guilty about receiving them for free.
However, as a matter of fact, my waka activities are not sustained for free.

If you could keep in the back of your mind
“There is someone out there who is supporting this financially”
...

I think those who support me financially would be even happier to know that.

Moving toward a form of support from many people, little by little

Those who support me with large amounts have their own reasons.
I do not want to diminish that by saying, “You don't have to give that much.”
I intend to continue receiving it with gratitude and giving my all to return it to society.

However, I want to move a little further from the current form where only a specific few carry a heavy burden.
I hope for a form where those who receive something from these activities support me financially, little by little, within their means.

Among them, there will surely be those who still want to provide significant support, and
I will gratefully accept that and transform it into even greater value.

…Lately, I’ve started thinking about things like that.

Some can afford 500 yen, while others can afford 1,000 yen.
There might be those who find it difficult this month, but could buy an article or leave a tip next month.

Of course, there are also those who support me in ways other than money.
By sharing your thoughts or sharing my activities with others.
Even a single 'like' is something that makes a writer happy.

If everyone contributes a little within their means and the base of support expands,
as I wrote at the beginning, I think I might be able to continue these activities without feeling the guilt of asking a specific few to bear a heavy burden.
Of course, I will continue my mental training to ensure I don't harbor unnecessary guilt myself.

Because I have received things I cannot fully repay

To begin with, why do I conduct my waka activities almost for free?

"Few people pay for waka poetry."
Yeah, well, that's true, but
if that's the reason, it would be more sensible to treat waka as a hobby and have another pillar for your livelihood.

"Keep it free until you've built up enough credit."
Hmm, that's smart!
If I had that kind of business-savvy brain, I think my life would have looked a bit different.
No, wait, such a smart person wouldn't be doing waka in the first place! They'd choose a more profitable genre!

In reality,

I encountered medieval waka over a dozen years ago, and I couldn't just sit still; I started going to the library and writing a blog.
I am still continuing that now, in a slightly different form.

That is all there is to it.

I have received so many things.

At first, it was Princess Shikishi.
From there, it spread to Teika and Emperor Go-Toba,
and through Eifukumon-in, I entered the Kyogoku school, learning of Emperor Fushimi, Emperor Hanazono, and Emperor Kogon.

They composed waka and left them behind.
Not for me. But as a matter of fact, they reached me, hundreds of years later.

And then, there are the researchers who studied them and turned them into books in a form that even an amateur like me could access.
My respect and love for Miyoko Iwasa, the leading expert on Kyogoku school research, only grows every day,
and Jun Kubota, Yasuaki Watanabe, Masaru Oda... even if I tried to list every single one of them, I could never finish.

Research books are expensive, you know! The number of digits in the list price is shocking!
It's not rare for used copies to be even more expensive than new ones!
After all, books related to Japanese literature have small print runs and go out of print immediately!!!

Even so, if you pay the money and spend the time, you can read the research of those who came before.
Someone left them behind in that way.
I am also endlessly grateful to the publishers who publish them even when they know it's not very profitable, along with the researchers who write them.

In fact, Eifukumon-in and Emperor Kogon, whom Professor Iwasa researched,
changed my very way of life in a direction that was both strict and beautiful.

Waka, the classics, and historical figures are

not just text information in a textbook.
To me, they are reality itself, which moved my life forward.
Even now, Emperor Kogon is by my side, in my heart.

If I hadn't known Emperor Kogon, I wouldn't be as well-liked by my younger colleagues at my part-time job as I am now.
If I hadn't known Emperor Kogon, my boyfriend from a few years ago wouldn't have fallen in love with me.

If I hadn't known Emperor Kogon, I wouldn't have been able to write this text that you are reading now.

If I hadn't come to know Emperor Kogon, I would never have been able to say,
“I will pursue waka poetry. Please support me financially,”
and actually realize such a seemingly unstable way of life (at least in modern Japan).

That is why I want to share these things widely.
Waka poetry, the people who lived within it, and the changes I have experienced through them...
I want to share these things widely through the filter of myself.
This platform, note, serves as the foundation for that.

I wonder if my desire to do this for free as much as possible comes across...

Because I have already received so much.
I have received so much from Professor Iwasa and from Emperor Kogon that I could never repay it even in a lifetime.

I cannot repay it in a lifetime, but that doesn't mean I should just hoard it within myself; that would be like saying,
“What are you doing?”
“Don't stop this flow with yourself.”

If you have received something, and you cannot repay it, then pass it on to the next generation.

Since I cannot help but tell myself that,
I try every day to pass on what I have received to others of my generation and to the next generation.

What I have received is not just from waka poetry and research.

The Nakano Ward Library I used to frequent.
I was bad at earning money back then, so the taxes I paid were negligible.
Yet, when I was a resident of Nakano Ward, I could use the library for free and read many books, starting with Professor Iwasa's.
Why? Thanks to the many people who paid their taxes to Nakano Ward.

Why can I walk safely on asphalt roads?
Why can I buy groceries at the supermarket?
Why can I receive free municipal health checkups?
Why can I live in an apartment that, while a bit of a walk from the station, is by no means small?
Why can I live in a safe country like Japan, protected by Japanese citizenship?

It is absolutely not thanks to me alone. Impossible.

Every time I work with a part-time colleague who fled the war in Ukraine,
or talk with a Zainichi Korean friend,
I cannot help but think of the benefits I have received and continue to receive.

The more I make Emperor Kogon my spiritual teacher and strive to live my days with sincerity,
the more I realize how much I have been supported by so many people, things, and concepts.

Therefore, while I will continue to study and receive,
I also want to fulfill the role of passing something on to society.

Unfortunately, I don't feel like I will be able to contribute to society by earning a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes in this lifetime.
Contributing to society by raising the next generation, such as by giving birth or adopting, is probably also impossible for me.

I believe that the form of social contribution that only I can provide is this waka poetry activity.

If you could continue to receive it as you have until now,
and if you could receive even more of it,
as I have written many times, I would be happy.

Once again, an invitation

And, if you would like,

would you consider joining the side that supports my waka activities and way of life?

Although this economic and social activity may seem a bit off the beaten path in modern Japan,
would you consider joining the side that supports it?

Even a small amount, or just once.
Of course, continuously as well.

Would you support, in an economic way, the endeavor of passing on what I have received to others and to the wider world?

If there is anyone who has received something from my usual articles and activities,
and who thinks, 'I want this to continue,'
I would be grateful if you could support me from time to time, within your means.

As for methods of support,I have listed the main ones here.

I am always waiting for you.

And, to everyone who is already supporting me.

The support you have given me does not end with me as an individual.
Thanks to that support, a cycle is created where I research, write, speak, and pass it on to someone else.

I cannot thank you enough.
Thank you so much.
And, if you are willing, please continue to support me.

Passing on what I have received to others, and to the next generation.

I sincerely hope that I can continue such a flow as long and as stably as possible.

Recommended reading

I have also written here about what I want to leave behind through these activities.

What is my original intention in engaging with waka poetry?

Other essays, etc.

Become a supporting member of Waka Monogatari

Waka activities by Waka Kajima, including on note, are sustained by the support of everyone who helps through memberships, tips, donations, and the purchase of paid content.

While using the support I receive to manage my daily life, I have been sharing waka (especially Kyogoku-ha waka), traveling to places associated with waka to write reports, and studying history to write essays.
It is thanks to your support that I have been able to deliver many articles and content for free or at a low price, and will be able to continue doing so.
It is thanks to your support that I have been able to deliver many articles and content for free or at a low price, and will be able to continue doing so.

If you feel that Waka Kajima's activities and way of life are meaningful
and
you have the financial means,
I would be grateful if you could join as a supporting member of these activities.

Please support me in whatever way is comfortable for you, such as through tips or memberships on note.

If you feel hesitant about donating, I am equally grateful for your support through the purchase of low-priced content.

Of course, you reading my works and articles, and receiving my messages, is in itself a great strength to me.
For those who do not have the financial means but feel the value and significance—I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude once again for your 'likes' and shares.

I will continue to give back to society the support I have received from you all in the form of disseminating humanistic knowledge, starting with waka poetry.

Let us continue to make the world beautiful together—you in your domain, and I in mine.

The author of this article

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