A DAY WHEN THE

MOUNTAINS ARE VISIBLE

By Yosuke Tanaka (translated by
Jeffrey Angles, 2009)
Being nice to people—what was
that again? People who aren’t
used to being nice just
act worn out. People who aren’t
used to being treated kindly just
keep on living their
cold lives. In any case, it doesn’t
do any good to complain about
that.
The fact that the sky is clear
doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll
be able to see the
mountains out there in Okutama,
but it’s impossible to see them if
it isn’t. When
was it I realized you can see the
Okutama Mountains on the
horizon from the hills
of Suginami? Thinking the small
outlines of those
lovely mountains are probably
visible right now, I lean out the
window and find I can
see the khaki-colored mountains
clearly. They’re even bigger than
I had
remembered.
On days when your heart is clear,
it’s fun to be nice to people.
When you
can’t be nice, you probably won’t
have much fun either. Most
likely, you’ll
spend the day alone, gloomy and
cheerless. Just look at all that
frustration
offered under the guise of high
literature. Still, there must be
something on the other
side of that mountain. It’s hard to
always be gentle, and that’s why,
for instance, the
temples in those mountains have
been so important for so long.
That’s why.
It’s hard to be nice to people you
work with. Selflessness isn’t a
virtue to them, and
if you run off to paradise, you’d
be distancing yourself from your
work. Even so, one
can’t indulge the serpent of the
ego when it slithers out from the
boundaries of
charisma. There’s something
wrong with it—that
serpent of the ego, which lives by
consuming distorted, dark
energy . . .
I needed the proper grandness of
nature so as not to get tangled up
in the twisted,
unreasonable serpent. I needed
the quiet, gentle power of nature
so that I not bow
my head as the cruel, double-
headed serpent stuck its head
from under the
invisible table and flicked its
tongue.
How wonderful it must be to live
without feeling animosity toward
people.
The bus is driving down the tree-
lined street toward me, while the
mountains are
visible in the distance.
9
5. Yosuke Tanaka (Japan)
He was born in Tokyo in 1969
and made his debut as a poet in
the prestigious
literary magazine Eureka at the
age of 19. So far, he has
published two poetry books,
A Day When the Mountains are
Visible in 1999, and Sweet
Ultramarine Dreams in
2008. Though he is certainly not
prolific, the poems he has written
over the past
twenty years are rich in
stylistic diversity and unique in
his sense of humor,
sensitivity to nature and
awareness of the legacy of the
Japanese literary tradition.
Tanaka has emerged as the new
poetic sensitivity in Japan, and is
sure to remain
one of the most important figures
in 21st – century Japanese poetry.

A DAY WHEN THE

MOUNTAINS ARE VISIBLE
By Yosuke Tanaka (translated by
Jeffrey Angles, 2009)
Being nice to people—what was
that again? People who aren’t
used to being nice just
act worn out. People who aren’t
used to being treated kindly just
keep on living their
cold lives. In any case, it doesn’t
do any good to complain about
that.
The fact that the sky is clear
doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll
be able to see the
mountains out there in Okutama,
but it’s impossible to see them if
it isn’t. When
was it I realized you can see the
Okutama Mountains on the
horizon from the hills
of Suginami? Thinking the small
outlines of those
lovely mountains are probably
visible right now, I lean out the
window and find I can
see the khaki-colored mountains
clearly. They’re even bigger than
I had
remembered.
On days when your heart is clear,
it’s fun to be nice to people.
When you
can’t be nice, you probably won’t
have much fun either. Most
likely, you’ll
spend the day alone, gloomy and
cheerless. Just look at all that
frustration
offered under the guise of high
literature. Still, there must be
something on the other
side of that mountain. It’s hard to
always be gentle, and that’s why,
for instance, the
temples in those mountains have
been so important for so long.
That’s why.
It’s hard to be nice to people you
work with. Selflessness isn’t a
virtue to them, and
if you run off to paradise, you’d
be distancing yourself from your
work. Even so, one
can’t indulge the serpent of the
ego when it slithers out from the
boundaries of
charisma. There’s something
wrong with it—that
serpent of the ego, which lives by
consuming distorted, dark
energy . . .
I needed the proper grandness of
nature so as not to get tangled up
in the twisted,
unreasonable serpent. I needed
the quiet, gentle power of nature
so that I not bow
my head as the cruel, double-
headed serpent stuck its head
from under the
invisible table and flicked its
tongue.
How wonderful it must be to live
without feeling animosity toward
people.
The bus is driving down the tree-
lined street toward me, while the
mountaiA DAY WHEN THE
MOUNTAINS ARE VISIBLE
By Yosuke Tanaka (translated by
Jeffrey Angles, 2009)
Being nice to people—what was
that again? People who aren’t
used to being nice just
act worn out. People who aren’t
used to being treated kindly just
keep on living their
cold lives. In any case, it doesn’t
do any good to complain about
that.
The fact that the sky is clear
doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll
be able to see the
mountains out there in Okutama,
but it’s impossible to see them if
it isn’t. When
was it I realized you can see the
Okutama Mountains on the
horizon from the hills
of Suginami? Thinking the small
outlines of those
lovely mountains are probably
visible right now, I lean out the
window and find I can
see the khaki-colored mountains
clearly. They’re even bigger than
I had
remembered.
On days when your heart is clear,
it’s fun to be nice to people.
When you
can’t be nice, you probably won’t
have much fun either. Most
likely, you’ll
spend the day alone, gloomy and
cheerless. Just look at all that
frustration
offered under the guise of high
literature. Still, there must be
something on the other
side of that mountain. It’s hard to
always be gentle, and that’s why,
for instance, the
temples in those mountains have
been so important for so long.
That’s why.
It’s hard to be nice to people you
work with. Selflessness isn’t a
virtue to them, and
if you run off to paradise, you’d
be distancing yourself from your
work. Even so, one
can’t indulge the serpent of the
ego when it slithers out from the
boundaries of
charisma. There’s something
wrong with it—that
serpent of the ego, which lives by
consuming distorted, dark
energy . . .
I needed the proper grandness of
nature so as not to get tangled up
in the twisted,
unreasonable serpent. I needed
the quiet, gentle power of nature
so that I not bow
my head as the cruel, double-
headed serpent stuck its head
from under the
invisible table and flicked its
tongue.
How wonderful it must be to live
without feeling animosity toward
people.
The bus is driving down the tree-
lined street toward me, while the
mountains are
visible in the distance.

A DAY WHEN THE

MOUNTAINS ARE VISIBLE
By Yosuke Tanaka (translated by
Jeffrey Angles, 2009)
Being nice to people—what was
that again? People who aren’t
used to being nice just
act worn out. People who aren’t
used to being treated kindly just
keep on living their
cold lives. In any case, it doesn’t
do any good to complain about
that.
The fact that the sky is clear
doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll
be able to see the
mountains out there in Okutama,
but it’s impossible to see them if
it isn’t. When
was it I realized you can see the
Okutama Mountains on the
horizon from the hills
of Suginami? Thinking the small
outlines of those
lovely mountains are probably
visible right now, I lean out the
window and find I can
see the khaki-colored mountains
clearly. They’re even bigger than
I had
remembered.
On days when your heart is clear,
it’s fun to be nice to people.
When you
can’t be nice, you probably won’t
have much fun either. Most
likely, you’ll
spend the day alone, gloomy and
cheerless. Just look at all that
frustration
offered under the guise of high
literature. Still, there must be
something on the other
side of that mountain. It’s hard to
always be gentle, and that’s why,
for instance, the
temples in those mountains have
been so important for so long.
That’s why.
It’s hard to be nice to people you
work with. Selflessness isn’t a
virtue to them, and
if you run off to paradise, you’d
be distancing yourself from your
work. Even so, one
can’t indulge the serpent of the
ego when it slithers out from the
boundaries of
charisma. There’s something
wrong with it—that
serpent of the ego, which lives by
consuming distorted, dark
energy . . .
I needed the proper grandness of
nature so as not to get tangled up
in the twisted,
unreasonable serpent. I needed
the quiet, gentle power of nature
so that I not bow
my head as the cruel, double-
headed serpent stuck its head
from under the
invisible table and flicked its
tongue.
How wonderful it must be to live
without feeling animosity toward
people.
The bus is driving down the tree-
lined street toward me, while the
mountains are
visible in the distance.

A DAY WHEN THE

MOUNTAINS ARE VISIBLE
By Yosuke Tanaka (translated by
Jeffrey Angles, 2009)
Being nice to people—what was
that again? People who aren’t
used to being nice just
act worn out. People who aren’t
used to being treated kindly just
keep on living their
cold lives. In any case, it doesn’t
do any good to complain about
that.
The fact that the sky is clear
doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll
be able to see the
mountains out there in Okutama,
but it’s impossible to see them if
it isn’t. When
was it I realized you can see the
Okutama Mountains on the
horizon from the hills
of Suginami? Thinking the small
outlines of those
lovely mountains are probably
visible right now, I lean out the
window and find I can
see the khaki-colored mountains
clearly. They’re even bigger than
I had
remembered.
On days when your heart is clear,
it’s fun to be nice to people.
When you
can’t be nice, you probably won’t
have much fun either. Most
likely, you’ll
spend the day alone, gloomy and
cheerless. Just look at all that
frustration
offered under the guise of high
literature. Still, there must be
something on the other
side of that mountain. It’s hard to
always be gentle, and that’s why,
for instance, the
temples in those mountains have
been so important for so long.
That’s why.
It’s hard to be nice to people you
work with. Selflessness isn’t a
virtue to them, and
if you run off to paradise, you’d
be distancing yourself from your
work. Even so, one
can’t indulge the serpent of the
ego when it slithers out from the
boundaries of
charisma. There’s something
wrong with it—that
serpent of the ego, which lives by
consuming distorted, dark
energy . . .
I needed the proper grandness of
nature so as not to get tangled up
in the twisted,
unreasonable serpent. I needed
the quiet, gentle power of nature
so that I not bow
my head as the cruel, double-
headed serpent stuck its head
from under the
invisible table and flicked its
tongue.
How wonderful it must be to live
without feeling animosity toward
people.
The bus is driving down the tree-
lined street toward me, while the
mountains are
visible in the distance.

9
5. Yosuke Tanaka (Japan)
He was born in Tokyo in 1969
and made his debut as a poet in
the prestigious
literary magazine Eureka at the
age of 19. So far, he has
published two poetry books,
A Day When the Mountains are
Visible in 1999, and Sweet
Ultramarine Dreams in
2008. Though he is certainly not
prolific, the poems he has written
over the past
twenty years are rich in
stylistic diversity and unique in
his sense of humor,
sensitivity to nature and
awareness of the legacy of the
Japanese literary tradition.
Tanaka has emerged as the new
poetic sensitivity in Japan, and is
sure to remain
one of the most important figures
in 21st – century Japanese poetry.
A DAY WHEN THE
MOUNTAINS ARE VISIBLE
By Yosuke Tanaka (translated by
Jeffrey Angles, 2009)
Being nice to people—what was
that again? People who aren’t
used to being nice just
act worn out. People who aren’t
used to being treated kindly just
keep on living their
cold lives. In any case, it doesn’t
do any good to complain about
that.
The fact that the sky is clear
doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll
be able to see the
mountains out there in Okutama,
but it’s impossible to see them if
it isn’t. When
was it I realized you can see the
Okutama Mountains on the
horizon from the hills
of Suginami? Thinking the small
outlines of those
lovely mountains are probably
visible right now, I lean out the
window and find I can
see the khaki-colored mountains
clearly. They’re even bigger than
I had
remembered.
On days when your heart is clear,
it’s fun to be nice to people.
When you
can’t be nice, you probably won’t
have much fun either. Most
likely, you’ll
spend the day alone, gloomy and
cheerless. Just look at all that
frustration
offered under the guise of high
literature. Still, there must be
something on the other
side of that mountain. It’s hard to
always be gentle, and that’s why,
for instance, the
temples in those mountains have
been so important for so long.
That’s why.
It’s hard to be nice to people you
work with. Selflessness isn’t a
virtue to them, and
if you run off to paradise, you’d
be distancing yourself from your
work. Even so, one
can’t indulge the serpent of the
ego when it slithers out from the
boundaries of
charisma. There’s something
wrong with it—that
serpent of the ego, which lives by
consuming distorted, dark
energy . . .
I needed the proper grandness of
nature so as not to get tangled up
in the twisted,
unreasonable serpent. I needed
the quiet, gentle power of nature
so that I not bow
my head as the cruel, double-
headed serpent stuck its head
from under the
invisible table and flicked its
tongue.
How wonderful it must be to live
without feeling animosity toward
people.
The bus is driving down the tree-
lined street toward me, while the
mountains are
visible in the distance.
e distance.

A DAY WHEN THE

MOUNTAINS ARE VISIBLE
By Yosuke Tanaka (translated by
Jeffrey Angles, 2009)
Being nice to people—what was
that again? People who aren’t
used to being nice just
act worn out. People who aren’t
used to being treated kindly just
keep on living their
cold lives. In any case, it doesn’t
do any good to complain about
that.
The fact that the sky is clear
doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll
be able to see the
mountains out there in Okutama,
but it’s impossible to see them if
it isn’t. When
was it I realized you can see the
Okutama Mountains on the
horizon from the hills
of Suginami? Thinking the small
outlines of those
lovely mountains are probably
visible right now, I lean out the
window and find I can
see the khaki-colored mountains
clearly. They’re even bigger than
I had
remembered.
On days when your heart is clear,
it’s fun to be nice to people.
When you
can’t be nice, you probably won’t
have much fun either. Most
likely, you’ll
spend the day alone, gloomy and
cheerless. Just look at all that
frustration
offered under the guise of high
literature. Still, there must be
something on the other
side of that mountain. It’s hard to
always be gentle, and that’s why,
for instance, the
temples in those mountains have
been so important for so long.
That’s why.
It’s hard to be nice to people you
work with. Selflessness isn’t a
virtue to them, and
if you run off to paradise, you’d
be distancing yourself from your
work. Even so, one
can’t indulge the serpent of the
ego when it slithers out from the
boundaries of
charisma. There’s something
wrong with it—that
serpent of the ego, which lives by
consuming distorted, dark
energy . . .
I needed the proper grandness of
nature so as not to get tangled up
in the twisted,
unreasonable serpent. I needed
the quiet, gentle power of nature
so that I not bow
my head as the cruel, double-
headed serpent stuck its head
from under the
invisible table and flicked its
tongue.
How wonderful it must be to live
without feeling animosity toward
people.
The bus is driving down the tree-
lined street toward me, while the
mountains are
visible in the distance.

A DAY WHEN THE

MOUNTAINS ARE VISIBLE
By Yosuke Tanaka (translated by
Jeffrey Angles, 2009)
Being nice to people—what was
that again? People who aren’t
used to being nice just
act worn out. People who aren’t
used to being treated kindly just
keep on living their
cold lives. In any case, it doesn’t
do any good to complain about
that.
The fact that the sky is clear
doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll
be able to see the
mountains out there in Okutama,
but it’s impossible to see them if
it isn’t. When
was it I realized you can see the
Okutama Mountains on the
horizon from the hills
of Suginami? Thinking the small
outlines of those
lovely mountains are probably
visible right now, I lean out the
window and find I can
see the khaki-colored mountains
clearly. They’re even bigger than
I had
remembered.
On days when your heart is clear,
it’s fun to be nice to people.
When you
can’t be nice, you probably won’t
have much fun either. Most
likely, you’ll
spend the day alone, gloomy and
cheerless. Just look at all that
frustration
offered under the guise of high
literature. Still, there must be
something on the other
side of that mountain. It’s hard to
always be gentle, and that’s why,
for instance, the
temples in those mountains have
been so important for so long.
That’s why.
It’s hard to be nice to people you
work with. Selflessness isn’t a
virtue to them, and
if you run off to paradise, you’d
be distancing yourself from your
work. Even so, one
can’t indulge the serpent of the
ego when it slithers out from the
boundaries of
charisma. There’s something
wrong with it—that
serpent of the ego, which lives by
consuming distorted, dark
energy . . .
I needed the proper grandness of
nature so as not to get tangled up
in the twisted,
unreasonable serpent. I needed
the quiet, gentle power of nature
so that I not bow
my head as the cruel, double-
headed serpent stuck its head
from under the
invisible table and flicked its
tongue.
How wonderful it must be to live
without feeling animosity toward
people.
The bus is driving down the tree-
lined street toward me, while the
mountains are
visible in the distance.
Name: Date:
Grade and Section: