WHChaibun provides facilities for those who wish to develop this popular but under-developed genre with like-minded members. Therefore, it is not a showcase to exhibit accomplished haibun works should such exist, but a workshop where members can make the most of their creative energy for experimenting, discussing and innovating various ways in which good haibun can be developed. For this reason, serious study of haibun is encouraged in addition to active haibun composition. Aiming at ever higher quality and better standards should be the guiding spirit in order to avoid producing such pseudo-haibun as are no more than long-winded haiku in disguise. All too often such haibun are created in a futile (and most probably unconscious) attempt to compensate for the deficiencies of haiku, or merely to please members of a mutual-congratulating haibun society. As is the case of all WHC activities, members of this list are encouraged to have critical views on what have passed so far as haibun and try together to create something new which has better literary and haikai merits or at least to improve on the existing examples. A tall order? Be that as it may, if we did not aim high, there would not be very much point in creating this list. Usual protocol of civility and no abuse will prevail. For the reasons mentioned above, this is a slightly different forum from others which you may have been accustomed to and I look forward to your active participation and hope that you will enjoy the experience very much.


To join, follow Yahoo's subscription request procedure. Then, you will receive an automated application form which should be filled in and returned. If you are already a member of another WHC mailing list, please include in your letter of request to me a copy of your completed application form for the original mailing list for each group to which you subscribe. Thank you.

With very best wishes,
Susumu Takiguchi
Chairman, The World Haiku Club