Matsuo Bashō ; born Matsuo Kinsaku , later known as Matsuo Chūemon Munefusa was the most famous Japanese poet of the Edo period. During his lifetime, Bashō was recognized for his works in the collaborative haikai no renga form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as the greatest master of haiku. He is also well known for his travel essays beginning with Records of a Weather-Exposed Skeleton (1684), written after his journey west to Kyoto and Nara. 1644 – November 28, 1694; died at about 50. Alive at the same time as Isaac Newton, John Locke, Rembrandt, Louis XIV of France, and Antonio Vivaldi. Wiki link