Tada Chimako (1930—2003) was one of the most important female poets of contemporary Japan. During her life, she published eight volumes of essays and thirteen volumes of poetry. She is also the author of one volume of poetry in English translation, Moonstone Woman, compiled while she was poet-in-residence at Oakland University in 1986. She died of cancer in early 2003. Jeffrey Angles (translator) recently completed his Ph.D. in modern Japanese literature and is currently working on a book of translations of Ms. Tada’s poetry.