Skinny frog Don't give up!Issa is here . He has been dead for 180 years, but Kobayashi Issa's haiku keep reminding us that the essence of Japan's culture lies in its intimate tie to nature.

When I became chronically ill in 2001 and began to live a life of relative seclusion, I discovered a kindred spirit: the lay Buddhist priest Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828).

When I became chronically ill in 2001 and began to live a life of relative seclusion, I discovered a kindred spirit: the lay Buddhist priest Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828).