G/W—
There are several issues here. Yes, there are traditionalists in Japanese haiku. There are three big organizations in Japan. One is traditional, maintaining the standards of fixed form and a seasonal reference, one is fairly radical, allowing for keywords in place of seasonal words and a looser adherence to fixed form, and one is “middle of the road.” That said, it is important to understand that “traditional” is not equivalent to “throwback.”
As you observe, there are many seasonal poems in the Man'yoshuu, Kokinshuu, Shin Kokinshuu and other anthologies. None, however are haiku. Most are waka (tanka) which have a completely different mood and posture than haiku. Almost all were composed by members of the Imperial court. Haiku, on the other hand, developed specifically in opposition to courtly poetry.
Lee
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