Haiku in English four lines (sometimes known as "haiqua") or longer have been written, some of them "vertical haiku" with only a word or two per line. These poems mimic the vertical printed form of Japanese haiku. The translator Nobuyuki Yuasa considered four lines more appropriate in his translations, being closest to the natural conversational rhythm of the colloquial language of haiku, also that three lines did not carry the weight of hokku and found it impossible to use 'three lines' consistently for his translations. The contemporary poet John Martone has written a vast number of vertical haiku. Haiku have also appeared in
Masaoka Shiki International Haiku Awards nationality or language. Recipients have a strong interest in haiku and a broad, international outlook in their field. The award is not limited to any field of speciality, so that haiku poets, other poets, authors, researchers, translators, essayists, editors, and workers in all professions are considered equally. Masaoka Shiki International Haiku Awards The Masaoka Shiki International Haiku Awards, named after the founder of modern Japanese haiku, were established on the principles set forth in the Matsuyama Declaration, adopted at the Shimanamikaido '99 Haiku Convention in Matsuyama held in September 1999. The establishment of this award attracts people's attention to Masaoka