The Japanese term for a prose poem combined with haiku is haibun. It is a prosimetric form in which concise, image-rich prose is paired with one or more haiku. The prose and poem may describe the same moment directly, or the haiku may offer a subtler emotional or thematic echo.
Haibun emerged in 17th-century Japan and is strongly associated with Matsuo Bashō. He first used the term in a letter to his disciple Kyorai in 1690. Bashō’s travel classic Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Interior) is the best-known early example, blending journey notes, observation, reflection, and poetry.
Haibun is broader than a prose poem with a poem simply attached. Traditional examples include travel diaries, autobiographical sketches, landscape descriptions, and character studies. Later writers such as Yosa Buson, Kobayashi Issa, and Masaoka Shiki also used the form. A common mix-up is haiga, which combines haiku with visual art, while haibun specifically combines prose and haiku.