PopWaka Sakura Miku #2 – Spring Bloom Within

A new short video is now available on YouTube.

This piece is part of the PopWaka Sakura Miku Series, where original tanka poetry meets the gentle, symbolic presence of Sakura Miku.

YouTube:

🌸 About the Tanka

This poem expresses a quiet emotional shift:

“You visit someone frozen in the winter wind, and gently let cherry blossoms bloom inside their heart.”

A moment where winter softens, and a gentle presence brings warmth and renewal.

🌸 About the Wallpaper

The accompanying wallpaper, Sakura Miku Wallpaper #α – Spring Bloom Within, is now available on Ko‑fi.

It features:

• Original tanka (Japanese)

• Romanization

• Soft spring atmosphere

• 1080×1920 smartphone format

Popwaka Sakuramiku series

Popwaka Sakuramiku series #1

Ko‑fi:

https://ko-fi.com/mikantomo

The Beauty of Vertical Writing in PopWaka

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Today, I would like to talk about one of the key elements behind PopWaka Series #1:  

the vertical writing of the Japanese Tanka.

Youtube short 

In this wallpaper series, the Romanized text (Romaji) is written horizontally,  

but the original Japanese Tanka is intentionally written vertically.  

This choice is not only aesthetic — it follows a long tradition.

For more than a thousand years, Japanese writing was primarily vertical.  

Horizontal writing existed, but it was considered unusual.  

Waka poetry, in particular, has always been expressed vertically,  

even as modern Japanese shifted toward horizontal text in everyday life.

Recently, we often see Tanka written horizontally on social media.  

However, for PopWaka, I chose to keep the traditional vertical form.  

It preserves the rhythm, spacing, and quiet beauty that Waka has carried since ancient times.

This vertical layout is a small tribute to that timeless tradition,  

and it is one of the foundations of the PopWaka series.

Thank you for reading.

Farewell to the Cherry Blossoms: A Tanka Poem for Sakura Miku

 Introduction

In Japan, the cherry blossom season is nearly over. As I watch the petals dance in the wind, I feel a deep sense of "Nagori-oshii" (reluctance to say goodbye). To cherish this fleeting beauty, I composed a Tanka poem dedicated to Sakura Miku, the fairy of the spring.

Pop Waka

Original (Japanese):

散る花と ともに惜しまる　君のこと　

薄桃髪の　可憐なるミク

Romaji:

Chiru hana to / Tomo ni oshimaru / Kimi no koto /

Usumomo-gami no / Karen naru Miku

English Translation:

As the cherry blossoms fall,

I miss you just as much as the flowers,

O lovely Miku,

With your delicate pale-pink hair.

Message

In Japanese poetry, the word "Hana" (flower) specifically refers to cherry blossoms. I wanted to capture the bittersweet feeling of the seasons changing. Please watch my YouTube Short to feel the atmosphere of this poem.

https://ko-fi.com/mikantomo

Bridging 400 Years of History with Hatsune Miku: The Spirit of Nikko Cedar Avenue

 Nikko, Japan—a place where history and nature breathe together. Here lies the "Nikko Cedar Avenue," recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest avenue of trees in the world. These 400-year-old cedars have witnessed countless stories of people passing through for centuries.

I believe that Japanese traditional culture is not something to be preserved only in museums, but something to be evolved through modern expressions. This is the essence of my project, "#PopWaka" (Pop-cult Tanka).

By weaving the digital voice of Hatsune Miku into this ancient landscape, I have created a new narrative for this sacred forest. This song, "Under the Cedar Avenue," is a story of a small quarrel, a gentle reconciliation, and the quiet blessing of the giant trees.

Under the Cedar Avenue

The world's longest avenue of cedars

Is gently watching over the two of us now

Walking alone through the cedars at twilight

The sunlight through the leaves turns a deep madder red,

and the crows were crying in the sky

A little bit of jealousy in me,

and the thorny words I said to you

A big fight like we’ve never had before,

and we haven't spoken a word since

Are we really going to drift apart?

The sadness brings tears to my eyes

Then, someone calls out to stop me from behind—

That voice, it’s your voice

The world's longest avenue of cedars

Is gently watching over the two of us now

The first word you gave me was "I'm sorry"

And I was able to answer you from my heart

The world's longest avenue of cedars

Please watch over us tomorrow, and forever

Early morning in the cedars, I run through again today

In the refreshing light, the little birds are chirping

Waving from afar, you are walking with your dog

A little break time, just to exchange a few words

"You came to my game yesterday, didn't you?"

"I heard your cheers over and over"

"I'll do my best in the next game, too"

I say it shyly to you

The world's longest avenue of cedars

Is gently watching over the two of us now

Seeing you gives me so much energy

Thank you, always—my dearest you

The world's longest avenue of cedars

Please watch over us tomorrow, and forever

Please watch over this town, Nikko, forever

The 400-year-old cedar trees of Nikko have watched over generations, standing as silent witnesses to the passage of time. By weaving the voice of Hatsune Miku into this ancient landscape, I seek to breathe new life into our traditions—creating a bridge between the 1,300-year history of Japan and the digital era.

This song is more than just music; it is a "modern offering" to the spirits of the forest.

If you resonate with this vision of connecting Japanese heritage with pop culture through #PopWaka, please consider supporting my journey. Your contribution on Ko-fi directly fuels the creation of new stories and art that preserve the essence of Japan for the world to see.

Let us walk the path of tradition together.

[Support Mikan Tomo on Ko-fi]　

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PopWaka Series #01 – YouTube Shorts Preview

 PopWaka Series #01 will be released on YouTube Shorts at 21:00 JST tonight.

A quiet tanka woven into soft light.

I hope you enjoy this small moment.

PopWaka Series #01 – Release Note

A quiet update from the PopWaka project.

Today, PopWaka Series #01 has officially been released on Ko‑fi.

This is the first step of a long, gentle journey.

PopWaka Series is a collection of pop‑culture inspired tanka, woven into quiet scenes and soft light.

PopWaka Series #01 on Ko‑fi:

ko-fi.com/mikantomo

Thank you for watching this small beginning.

More pieces will follow, one by one.

PopWaka – 12‑Piece Pop‑culture Tanka Wallpaper Project

 

            A quiet classroom moment

         . — the beginning of #PopWaka

A new chapter of #PopWaka begins.

As the Pop‑cult Tanka Master, I am starting a twelve‑piece collection of pop‑culture tanka wallpapers.  

Each piece will blend poetry and visual art, capturing quiet emotions and soft scenes from everyday life and pop culture.

This project will unfold slowly and quietly, one poem at a time.  

Each wallpaper will include:

• the original Japanese tanka  

• romanized text  

• a high‑resolution digital wallpaper available on Ko‑fi

The goal is to bring the stillness of Japanese poetry into modern digital spaces.

Pop‑cult Tanka Master  

Mikan Tomo  

＃PopWaka

Follow and support the project on Ko‑fi: