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Japanese poetry walk in celebration of ‘Scottish Samurai’

A free guided walk on the theme of Japanese nature poetry will take ramblers along the banks of the Don this Saturday [17 Sept].

The nature walk, known as a ‘ginko’ in Japanese, will allow people to focus on the natural world and gather inspiration to try their hand at various forms of Japanese poetry, for example haiku and renga.

The event is part of the Bridge of Don ‘Our Gala’ Scottish Samurai Festival, which is running 12noon–midnight at the Gordon Barracks on Ellon Road. The walk is a collaboration between the SURF Aberdeen project, which is led by Aberdeen City Council, and the Gean Tree Press, a journal dedicated to Japanese poetry.

Fraserburgh-born Thomas Blake Glover, who was later to become known as the Scottish Samurai, grew up in Bridge of Don in the mid-19th century and became a merchant in Japan as a young man. He is still revered in the country as one of the founders of modern Japan and played a crucial role in its industrialisation.

The gentle two-hour walk, which is open to people of all ages and abilities, starts at St Machar Cathedral at 10.30am and ends at the River Don estuary after passing through Seaton Park and Brig O’ Balgownie past Glover’s old home. Children should be accompanied by an adult and participants should bring a notepad and pen and dress for the weather.

The walk will be followed by poetry sessions and with an opportunity to perform a finished work on the day.

For more information, contact Colin Stewart on 07756 093433.

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