佛心與童心 -- 日本女童謠詩人金子美鈴作品中的佛法意境=The Heart of Buddha and the Heart of Children : the Buddhism frame of mind in the works of Japanese children's ballad poet, Misuzu Kaneko
Misuzu Kaneko, who’s given name was Teru Kaneko is a Japanese poet of the Taisyo period. She was born in Senzaki, one small country in Yamaguchi, in 1904. Kaneko started to write poems at the age of twenty with her first piece of work “Sakana” (meaning “Fish”). She left behind five hundreds and twelve poems before she committed suicide at the age of twenty-six. Senzaki, where Kaneko grew up, is a fish harbor located between the inner sea of Sedo and the Pacific Ocean. It is not only famous because of being the few locations in Japan for whaling, but also because of the high density of temples in its area. Temples hold ceremonies for residents’ safety during sailing and an abundant harvest. In addition, they also hold ceremonies for captured fish. Influenced by such an environment, Kaneko’s poems can match with the “heart of Buddha”.
