Matsuo Basho (1644–1694) was a Japanese haiku master and a teacher of poetry. He also studied Zen Buddhism and practiced meditation. In 1689 he grew unhappy with his role as a teacher, so he sold his house and began to travel. The result was a collection of writings that is his masterpiece, Narrow Road to the Far North.

Yosa Buson (1716–1783) was born near Osaka, Japan. He earned his living as a painter but considered himself a poet. Buson produced several books of poems, including Light from the Snow (1772) and A Crow at Dawn (1773).

Kobayashi Issa (1763–1827) was born in a small village in the mountains of Japan. He was raised by his grandmother. Issa's poetry is filled with images of tiny creatures, especially mice, lice, fleas, and ticks, as a result of his close observations of his natural surroundings.