Seisensui co-founded the avant-garde literary magazine "Sōun" ("Layered Clouds") in 1911, together with fellow "haiku" poet Kawahigashi Hekigoto. Ogiwawa was a strong proponent of abandoning "haiku" traditions, especially the "season words" so favored by Takahama Kyoshi, and even the 5-7-5 syllable norms. In his "Haiku teisho" (1917), he broke with Hekigoto and shocked the "haiku" world by advocating further that "haiku" be transformed into free verse. His students included Ozaki Hōsai and Taneda Santōka. His role in promoting the format of free-style haiku has been compared with that of Masaoka Shiki for traditional verse, with the contrast that Seisensui was blessed with both vigorous health, and considerable wealth. He also was able to use new media to promote his style, including lectures and literary criticism on national radio.