Founded in 1989, it has been based in Tokyo since then. The HI (Haiku International) magazine appears quarterly. It has been online since 2002. HIA president is currently Akito Arima:

»The Haiku International Association was founded in December 1989 to respond to the worldwide popularity of haiku and to promote friendship and exchange with haiku lovers abroad. Since then, our association has continued its activities and focused on the introduction of the haiku culture, the exchange with international companies and the publication of a magazine. « 

I would like to take these words from Akito Arima as an opportunity to focus on our longstanding membership in the HIA as the German Haiku Society.

The magazines HI and SOMMERGRAS (Japanese: Natsukusa) have been regularly exchanged for a long time and only the language barrier has so far prevented the content from being read and understood without problems.

During a conversation at the DHG meeting in Traben-Trarbach (2019), the idea and concept of regularly translating selected haiku from the magazines into the other language emerged between Emiko Miyashita (board member of the Haiku International Association) and me and present it on the corresponding website.

The beginning was made: In mid-June, translated Haiku from SUMMER GRASS 125 by Emiko Miyashita was published on the HIA website. The haiku, previously translated into English by me, was translated into Japanese by Emiko Miyashita. Martin Thomas then put the authors' names in katakana characters: http://www.haiku-hia.com/overseas/primer/english/archives/38.html

In the meantime, the first issues with selected haiku from the HI booklets are also on our website!

Claudia Brefeld