The Mogamigawa is a pillow word. The river has its origin on Mt. Azuma located on the border of Fukushima Prefecture where it is called Matsukawa, and only becomes called Mogamigawa after it joins the Shirakawa. This river flows through Yonezawa, Yamagata, Shono, Shono Hirano, and into the sea at Sakata. It has a total length of 1116 km. and is one of Japan's three white water rivers. It has been known as a pillow word at least since the time of the Kokinshu. Although Basho speaks of his desire to float down the river in a boat, he did not do so from Oishida. He walked first to Shono and got on a boat at Motoaikai on 6.3 (7.19).

Oishida is a riverboat landing on the east bank of the Mogamigawa. In ancient times it was the uppermost landing for boats coming upriver from Sakata and was the largest port on the river. In the Meiji period Oishida was bypassed by the railroad and declined, but in earlier times it was a flourishing port. Basho set out from Ryushakuji on 5.28 (7.14) and arrived at Oishida at around two-thirty. He stayed at the home of Takano Ichiei who was the owner of a boatman's lodgings. According to Sora, from the 27th through the 30th the weather alternated between clear and cloudy and it was only toward evening on the 29th that a light rain began to fall. In other words, it was not bad weather that prevented them from boarding the boat although that is the explanation Basho gives. Perhaps they were afraid of the rapids they would encounter.

There are several interpretations of the phrase furuhi haikai:
1) It represents the "old" haiku of the Teimon and Danrin schools in contrast to Basho's "new" style.
2) Teimon represnts an older style, so this refers to Teitoku's style of poetry. Later when he refers to "forgotten flowers" the reference is to Teitoku who was also known by the name Hanasaki Okina.
3) It indicates the Danrin poetry, particularly the style of Oyodo Sanzenpu who was widely influential. Actually, in one of his travel works Sanzenpu refers to Ichiei of Oishida as an old friend. Thus many commentators take this phrase to refer to the Teimon, Danrin poetry and particularly to Sanzenpu, and while this interpretation may be true, it requires some explanation.

In the work Obana no Keifu published in 1761 by Suzuki Soshu, the author says that the seeds of haikai were sown in Obanazawa by Sanzenpu, but that later haiku died out there. Oishida and Obanazawa are actually quite close and Seifu and Ichiei, the central poetic figures in these two places, were close friends, so the same thing probably happened to haikai in Oishida as well.

Nevertheless, furuhi haikai does not refer to the old-fashioned haiku in the chronoligical sense, that is, to the Teimon and Danrin schools. If we inquire into the situation in haiku in Obanazawa and Oishida before the arrival of Sanzenpu, we learn that Seifu's ancestor, Suzuki Kosaburo Shigemasa (died 1675) was a disciple of Kigin who was a direct disciple of Teitoku. Shigemasa left the Kansai region and settled here and transplanted the Teimon school of poetry to Obanazawa.

Seifu, a distant relative of Shigematsu, was a disciple of Shintoku who had been intimate with Teitoku and Kigin and belonged to the Teimon school. Later Shintoku became a star of the Danrin school and later still was connected with the Basho school. His disciple Seifu followed the same poetic trajectory. It was through Seifu that the Teimon and Danrin styles of poetry were developed in Obanazawa.

Kyoka (Tanaka Tojuro) who was poetically involved with Seifu was a distant disciple of Gonsui. Gonsui and Shintoku were engaged in revitalizing the Teimon School. Soei (Murakawa Kadozaemon) who was involved with haiku with Seifu occasionally went to Edo and while there had received instruction from Basho.

This then was the haiku situation when Basho visited Obanazawa and Oishida in 1689. The Teimon style had been transplanted and later Danrin poetry was practiced, and some poets were dabbling in the Basho style.

The reference to the unforgotten flower is an allusion to Teitoku's poetic name, but it also suggests that the local poets have not forgotten the long ago flowering of poetry in this region.

The reed ashi has a horn-like bud, hence the word 'Rokaku', but here it means a reed flute; a flute made by rolling up the leaves of the ashi. Some see this as a mistake for ashibue, but Sora also uses the term Rokaku, so it is unlikely that both men made the same mistake. Basho sometimes uses new words of his own making (e.g., Sozorogami, Kofu, etc.), so this may be an example of that.

There are no other known uses of the word Rokaku, but there are similar words such as , , , , , etc. _____ is a flute made of rolled reed leaves. _____is a flute made of reed leaves and played by the northern barbarians (Mongols?). The sound of this flute is melancholy, so it is called _____. _____ is an instrument made of animal horn and used by barbarians. Since there is no other known useage of the word Rokaku, some say it is a reed flute and others say it is a horn flute. There is a poem in the Wakan Roei Shu by Oe Asatsuna where he speaks of the mournful sound of the barbarian flute on a frosty night. Basho may well have had this poem in mind when he invented the word Rokaku to make an allusion, but also to make it clear that he intended a reed flute, not a horn one. At the same time, the rustic, barbarian implication is still there reflecting Basho's awareness that he is far removed from the culture of the capital and located among rustic farmers. These local people may not have a sophisticated concept of elegance, but still they play music on their reed flutes.

There are two broad interpretations of the line "Rokaku issei no kokoro wo yawarage." 1)The emphasis is on Rokaku issei, but it is a metaphor for rustic, rural haikai. Just as the rustic reed flute softens the hearts of the barbarians, haikai softens the hearts of the country people. 2) The emphasis is on haikai and the sense is that the hearts of rural people who know nothing more spohisticated than the music of reed flutes can nevertheless be mellowed by haikai. That is, haikai plays an important role in mellowing the hearts of the rustic country people of Oishida.

In the phrase shinko futamichi ni fumi mayou, the old refers to the Teimon and Danrin styles as opposed to the Basho style which is new. One part of Basho's agenda in making this trip is to bring his new style of poetry to the Mogami region.

Shimpu had compiled a collection of poetry called Okure Sugoroku in 1681 which included the work of regional poets, but also of other poets who were beginning to break away from the Danrin style. In his preface he speaks of a new style being developed by Basho. From this we know that Shimpu was much interested in the latest developments in haikai. Shimpu had written this preface some eight years before Basho's visit and in the meantime Basho's new style had become very prominent, but evidently in this rural area poets wanted to work with the latest styles, but were not sure how to distinguish between the Danrin and Basho styles and were thus eager to have some guidance.

Basho uses the term michishirube which means to guide one's way. We can look back over the text and see the words shindo, michi, saguraishi, futamichi, fumi mayou, and michishirube. All these words are related as engo. Michi is an appropriate metaphor both for travel and for the 'way' of poetic art.

In 1686, three years before Basho's trip, the Sendai poet Oyodo Sanzenpu had come to Obanazawa and spent thirty days here. He also visited Oishida and gave the local poets guidance. Since at that time the local poets had had no outside help, Basho arrived at an opportune moment.

Basho says he left behind a scroll of poetry which Sora says was composed of 36 verses by Basho, Sora, Sensui, and Ichiei at the home of Takano Hiraemon (Ichiei) in Oishida. The sequence opened with Basho's verse: Gathering all the rains/ Of May/ The River Mogami rushes down/ Cooly.

The phrase koko ni has several interpretations. 1)Refinement, that is, haiku, has spread even to rural Oishida. Or it may mean that haikai has reached this level of development. 2) It may refer back to the earlier poem where Basho refers to the rice planting songs as the first refined experience of the north country. At Oishida this refinement has reached its zenith. It may be reaching too far to try to link these two poems. The first elegance of the north that Basho experienced at Sukagawa reaches its climax here with this renga group. Notice that at one level Basho contrasts Matsushima and Kisagata as general geographical locations. At another level he identifies Hiraizumi as the center of his work emphasizing travel as a metaphor for life. In yet another way, this poetry session at Oishida, deep in the northern mountains marks the high point of Basho's trip. Like Prince Genji he finds beauty in out of the way places.

Basho's intention on this trip is focused relentlessly on refinement. He did not make the trip as a self-promotional tour, nevertheless, he did take this opportunity to leave behind a collection of poetry that embodies the Basho style. Basho left similar collections at other places, but the fact that here he speaks of poets being uncertain about the old and new ways, and the fact that he unexpectedly had a chance to provide guidance suggests that he felt he was unexpectedly successful in planting the seeds of his kind of poetry in this region. He shows no false modesty in expressing the pleasure he felt at this success. Basho waited at Oishida for the weather to improve so he could take a boat down the river. By chance, at some point in the past the old style of haikai had found its way to this remote place. Now the local poets wanted to modernize their practice of poetry, so Basho sat with them to compose a series of linked verses.

After visiting Ryushakuji Basho wanted to resume his journey to Yamagata and so backtracked to Oishida. At two-thirty of 5.28 (7.14) he arrived at the home of Takano Ichiei. In Oishida he found not only Ichiei, but also Takakuwa Sensui who had come to visit him earlier at Obanazawa. These local poets were uncertain about the old and new styles of poetry and were delighted to have a chance to meet Basho and receive his guidance. The result of this encounter was Basho's declaration that here true refinement had been achieved. Basho joined these locals in composing poetry and was unexpectedly pleased with the result. Without being unduly boastful, he was gratified that he was able to take these local poets who were still following the old styles of poetry and show them a newer Basho style. He had joined in writing poetry with local poets on earlier occasions - Tokyu at Sugagawa and Seifu at Obanazawa, but this accomplishment at Oishida was unexpected and he was greatly pleased with the result and moved by the enthusiasm of the local poets he met here.