In addition to working on Japanese vocabulary found in haiku poetry, I am also learning Japanese proverbs, and I'm excited when there is overlap between vocabulary I notice in haiku and the words that appear in the proverbs. For example, the word nenbutsu, 念仏, which I had been noticing in haiku and which I then saw in this witty proverb:

朝題目に宵念仏
あさだいもくによいねんぶつ
asa daimoku ni yoi nenbutsu
"At morning, daimoku; at night, nenbutsu."

The meaning depends upon the contrast between these two different Buddhist prayer practices: the daimoku is associated with Nichiren Buddhism and the chant "Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō," while the nenbutsu is the homage to the Amitabha Buddha associated with Jodoshu (Pure Land) Buddhism and also with Zen. The saying itself is satirical, not devotional: it applies to someone who is playing "both sides" as it were, without any particular loyalty or steadfast principles of any kind.

Being associated with Pure Land Buddhism and with Zen, it is not surprising that this word would show up in haiku too! For example, here is a poem by Basho featured at the World Kigo Database (translator's name not given):

苔埋む蔦のうつつの念仏哉　
koke uzumu tsuta no utsutsu no nenbutsu kana

overgrown by moss
the tsuta vines mumble
the Amida prayer...

Basho wrote the poem while visiting a grave, long since overgrown with vines, but it still resonated with the sounds and power of the Amida prayer, a.k.a. 念仏, nenbutsu. The final line of the poem is: 念仏哉, nenbutsu kana (for something about the exclamatory kana, see this post all about 哉, kana).

And just listen to the sound-play in that haiku: it's like the whole poem itself is mumbling nenbutsu (and if you were curious, the second part of the word 念仏  is 仏, butsu, Buddha!): koke uzumu tsuta no utsutsu no nebutsu kana.

Some more vocabulary I will take away from this haiku: 蔦, tsuta, which is "ivy" or "vine," and 苔, koke, which is "moss."

So, I am learning words every day, slowly but surely. What helps is that both the haiku and proverbs make the word usage really memorable so that I am not really memorizing the English but instead memorizing the proverb or line or haiku in Japanese, while "knowing" what it means. Which is exactly how I like to learn languages... and yes, I know, I'm really just learning nouns so far – but learning lots of nouns is good! Once I have learned lots (LOTS) of nouns, then I will be ready for verbs. Eventually.