TOKYO -- The Dai-Ichi Life Insurance Co. on Jan. 30 announced the top 100 poems from its "Saratto Ikku!" senryu contest, with satirical entries covering issues ranging from Japan's soaring prices to baseball.

Senryu is a short form of Japanese poetry structurally the same as haiku, often highlighting the ironies of everyday life. Among the submissions was a poem linking the surge in rice prices last summer with personal health concerns, which read, "Not going down -- the price of rice, and my blood sugar levels."

Another piece featured Major League Baseball star Shohei Ohtani of the Los Angeles Dodgers, who became the first to achieve 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The poem, "Checking today's stock prices and Ohtani-san," humorously captured the relatable habit of checking Ohtani's performance like a daily duty.

Another senryu, "New bills unobtainable in a cashless world," satirized the difficulty of obtaining new Japanese banknotes issued last summer.

Senryu related to inflation included, "In Waikiki with an ocean view, and cup noodles" and "Rising prices -- countering beauty expenses with a mask," shedding light on people's efforts to cut expenses.

This marks the 38th edition of the contest, which evolved from the former "Salaryman Senryu" competition. Submissions were collected from September to October 2024, totaling 52,255 entries. A popularity vote will be conducted on The Dai-Ichi Life Insurance's website, with the top 10 to be revealed in late May.

(Japanese original by Aya Iguchi, Business News Department)