What's New. Information on upcoming reading performance, newly issued books and more. Mariko Kitakubo

Mariko Kitakubo Profile

Mariko Kitakubo

Born in Tokyo.
Living in Mitaka-city, Tokyo
Membership
Japan Writers' Association,
Japan PEN Club,
Association of Contemporary Tanka Poets,
Japan Tanka Poets' Society,
Kokoro-No-Hana,
Tanka Society of America.
Tan-Ku Co-Founder
Tan-Ku Association, president

In commemoration of
15 years of tanka reading
The Latest Tanka Sequence
Original Tanka presented at
Spoken World Live

Contemprary Tanka Poet Mariko Kitakubo.
お知らせ

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Monday, July 21, 2025

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At the Poetry Meeting hosted by Kathabela Wilson at Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden.
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I held a Tan-Ku Workshop with Kathabela Wilson at a Zoom Meeting of the Southern California Haiku Study Group, led by Yvette Kolodji.
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We gathered with Deborah P Kolodji's relatives at the Graveyard and read from her Japanese-English tanka series and the second Tan-Ku collection, ETERNAL.
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I participated in the Zoom Meeting Cobalt Poets hosted by Rick Lupert and gave a reading of Tan-Ku.
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I participated in a Zoom Meeting hosted by Michael Czarnecki and gave a reading of Tan-Ku.
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I gave a reading of a new series of Japanese-English tanka sequence at Susan Dobay's studio.
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I recited from the second Tan-Ku collection, ETERNAL, at a poetry meeting held at Kathabela Wilson's house.
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I held a reading to celebrate the publication of the second Tan-Ku collection, ETERNAL, at the Japanese garden in Pasadena. It was a great honor to have such a large audience.
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I held a reading to celebrate the publication of the second Tan-Ku collection, ETERNAL, at the First Baptist Church Pasadena. I am deeply grateful to the many people in the poetry world and church members who came to the event and listened to me with tears in their eyes.

  

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Tuesday, July 8, 2025

I am extremely grateful to the Fist Baptist Church in Pasadena for providing us with a beautiful room despite our short notice.

I would also like to thank Kirk Kolodji and Sean Kolodji for the arrangement!

For the details, please refer to eventbrite webpage.

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Thursday, June 19, 2025

This is an announcement about the Book Launch Reading Event of ETERNAL, to be held at Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden from 5:30 pm on June 27th.

Dear James, the owner of this beautiful garden and Kathabela Wilson,Thank you so much for this arranging!

For details, please refer to Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden website.

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Thursday, June 19, 2025

ETERNAL will be available via Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
The official release date is July 5th.
Pre-orders are available.

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Wednesday, June 18, 2025

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Friday, June 13, 2025

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On May 16, 2025, I performed a Japanese-English tanka sequence with Noh flute player Takeda Kazuaki at the Garigari live house in Ikenoue, Tokyo.

  

Move to "Reading Performance"

Saturday, May 17, 2025

The following Tanka Sequence "Lament" was published in TSA Ribbons Spring/Summer 2025:Vol 21 No.1 along with an introduction to the Tan-Ku Online Magazine KIZUNA.

I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the editor, Susan Weaver, for devoting her precious space to it. Thank you very much.

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Lament

Mariko Kitakubo, Tokyo, Japan

- for Deborah P Kolodji -

from the other side
of the cosmic noise
what?
I faded out,
repeating No..

not knowing
if it's true or not
I float
in the air,
drifting for a few days

what is time?
the coldness
of rocks
left behind
by rapids

still
searching for Debbie
I get lost
in the crowded festival
that is this world

longing
is always
lonely sky
remnants of fireworks
...darkness

Note: The poet's new online tan-ku journal, Kizuna (Bonds), dedicated to Deborah P Kolodji, is open for submissions. Read it at https://www.en.kitakubo.com/index.php/category/tan-ku_association

Ribbons - Spring/Summer 2025 -70

 

The following work was published in the Tanka Hangout theme The Five Senses in TSA Ribbons Spring/Summer 2025:Vol 21 No.1.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the editor, Ken Slaughter.Thank you so much.

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what is
the border
between
real and dream...
voice of the deceased

Friday, May 16, 2025

Tan-Ku Association Online Magazine KIZUNA page is newly opened!

Please visit to check the details.

URL:  https://www.en.kitakubo.com/index.php/category/tan-ku_association

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Monday, March 17, 2025

2024.12.12 Thank you so much, Dr.Kazuaki Takeda for offering me to recite Japanese poetry and tanka for students at Senzoku Gakuen College of Music.
It was a great honor for me!

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Today (January 15, 2025), thanks to Dr.Kazuaki Takeda, I have been requested to recite the lyrics of the Japanese songs ``Konomichi'', ``When I become sad'', and ``Sakura Yokocho'' at Toho Gakuen College of Music. I was given it. At the end, I had the rare opportunity to read a series of tanka poems I had written about the sense of hearing, accompanied by Mr. Takeda's Nohkan performance, and it was a very rich and enriching moment.
Thank you very much to Dr.Kazuaki Takeda, Ms.Kaoruko Kanbe, and Ms.Paku.

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Friday, January 17, 2025