Karai Senryū (柄井 川柳, 1718 – October 30, 1790), whose real name is Karai Hachiemon (柄井 八右衛門) was a Japanese poet and poetry judge (tenja).

[2] He popularized a form of poetry similar to haiku called senryū, which is named after him.

[2] Hachiemon was a government official in the Asakusa district of Edo, a post that he inherited from his father.

[4] Karai became the judge of Maekuzuke competitions (川柳評万句合, Senryūhyō Manku Awase) in Edo.

And from there, he collected ten thousand of these poems each year, the best of which were distinguished and published.