# Basho — Basho's haiku, word by word

> Basho's haiku, word by word (iPhone/iPad app by john hayes.)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basho/id6792193406 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [john hayes](https://appshunter.io/developer/1462242173)
- Category: Reference, Education
- Price: Free
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 17.0 · 2 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2026-07-24
- Data updated: 2026-08-09
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/basho/id6792193406/reviews.md

## What is Basho?

Basho is a study companion for the haiku of Matsuo Bashō (1644–1694), Japan's most celebrated poet. Presented in Japanese in a minimal, Zen-inspired interface. Built for the English-language study of Japanese and haiku. Fifty-one poems, arranged in the order Bashō wrote them, from his early years in Edo through the journey recorded in Oku no Hosomichi (The Narrow Road to the Deep North) to his final poems in 1694.

TAP ANY WORD
Every poem is broken down word by word — reading, meaning, and whether the word is still used in everyday Japanese, has faded into classical literary language, or is Kireji (cutting words, used exclusively in poetry).

LEARN THE KANJI
Each poem comes with a glossary of its kanji: meanings, on'yomi and kun'yomi readings, stroke count, and JLPT level where applicable. Tap a character to open a practice pad that shows you the stroke order so you can learn how to write the poem tracing by hand.

NO ACCOUNTS, NO TRACKING
Basho works entirely offline. There's no sign-in, no analytics, and nothing ever leaves your device.

Note: translations and word notes are meant as a starting point for study, not a substitute for scholarly translation, a place to begin but worth double-checking as you go deeper.


## Version history (last 3 releases)

### 2.1 — 2026-08-06

Version 2.1 Changes:

• Settings changes automatically save
• Minor bug fixes

### 2.0 — 2026-08-06

Version 2 Changes:

• AI chat assistant: Using your own OpenAI API key, you can enable optional GPT chat panel features to discusses the poem or a kanji.
• Settings: The "recently read" fade duration is now configurable.
• Animated kanji stroke-order guide: Per-stroke trace animations (sourced from KanjiVG SVG data).
• Wiktionary: A link button on each kanji leads to the Wiktionary entry for learning etymology
• iPad/landscape layout improves the kanji practice pad position at wider widths
• General layout and bug fixes

### 1.0 — 2026-07-24

No release notes.

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-09.*