Tucked away in a modern Belconnen suburb, lives a 94-year-old Japanese poet who incongruously writes ancient 1,300-year-old traditional Japanese poetry on her iPhone each day.

Saeko Ogi has quietly lived in Canberra since 1972 writing countless verses of tanka poetry – a traditionally form of short Japanese poetry.

Ironically, she never intended to settle here, nor did she intend to write poetry.

After a private school invited her to teach Japanese here in 1972, she crossed the ocean – a widow with her 14-year-old daughter – to start a new life.

“It was a progressive school with lots of new ideas,” Saeko said. “At that time, Japanese was not taught at any schools in Canberra as yet, they were very keen to have a teacher from Japan.

“I stayed mainly because of my daughter, she seemed to fit in at an Australian school better, she was given more freedom, more self-decision than in Japan.”

Her poetry flowed as soon as she arrived, even though she’d never written tanka while growing up in Japan.

“I started writing tanka after arriving here in 1972, perhaps all the different circumstances lured me to it, sensing different nature and also the feeling of loneliness,” she said.

“I lost my husband in 1971 and I faced my life at the big corner to turn … I was going to accept any changes in order to start a new life.”

By definition, tanka poetry focuses on personal emotions, love, gratitude, and deep human reflections.

The shores of Lake Ginninderra are her daily inspiration.

“I often find my ideas coming up in mind when I go out for walk,” she said. “Being in a natural setting makes your mind freer and relaxed. Perhaps [I write] one tanka a day on average. I jot it down in my iPhone and copy it in my tanka note on my PC.”

Saeko is a prolific writer and widely published, but here’s a small sample of her work:

the winter solstice sun
is hesitant to appear
in the dimness
echoes the first ringing
of my iPhone “rooster”

Saeko taught Japanese at local schools (and also Australian adults through the Australia Japan Society) until 1996.

“Then I had decided to stay on and here I am, I find myself still here,” she said.

“Canberra was a capital of Australia, Tokyo was a capital as well. However, Canberra was much more spacious with such a small population. It was a peaceful and quiet place.” 

In a fitting tribute to our resident Japanese poet, Belconnen Arts Centre has just launched an exhibition, Rock at the Roadside (named after one of her many published anthologies).

Thirteen artists have come together to celebrate her poems – including the former wife of PM Paul Keating, Annita Keating – each producing a Mokuhanga woodblock print in response to a selected poem.

“It is really my honour,” Saeko said. “I have never thought that 13 people were involved in artwork like that. I am working on a tanka anthology called Ties in Tanka so I appreciate that Tanka’s power of connecting people.”

When not writing poetry, Saeko loves watercolour painting, knitting, playing piano, Sudoku, and mahjong (both Australian and Japanese rules).

Canberra’s sister city Nara may be a world away in Japan but our sister poet is right here in Belco.

The exhibition, Rock at the Roadside, is on at Belconnen Arts Centre until 11 October.