Yosa Buson: Yosa Buson (1716-1783) was one of the great haikuists of Japan's Edo period. His work is technically adroit and finely-attuned to visual details in a broad landscape. Although Buson's work shows some influence from his predecessor Basho, as well as from classical Chinese writers, the poems are wholly his own in their scope and sensuality. A true maverick of interdisciplinary arts, Buson was also one of founder of the haiga--a small watercolor or black-and-white painting bordered by a haiku.

W.S. Merwin: W.S. Merwin, U.S. Poet Laureate from 2010-11, won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry twice, most recently for The Shadow of Sirius (Copper Canyon, 2009), and the National Book Award for Migration: New and Selected Poems (Copper Canyon, 2005). Author and translator of over fifty books, Mr. Merwin lives in Hawaii and France.

Takako Lento: Takako Lento has taught at universities in Japan and the United States. She holds an MFA in poetry and translation from the Iowa Writer's Workshop. Her publications include book-length Japanese translations of American writers as well as English translations of, and essays on, Japanese poets. She is a regular contributor to Poetry International Web.