From The Japan Times · Michael Hoffman · · 40s
A millennium ago, (almost) everyone in Japan was a poet
Ancient Japanese poetry collection shows nearly all citizens were poets a thousand years ago.
In brief
Ancient Japanese poetry collection shows nearly all citizens were poets a thousand years ago. A 12th-century Japanese poetry anthology reveals that poets were common among everyday people in 5th-century Japan. Originally reported by The Japan Times.
Ancient Japanese poetry
A millennium ago, (almost) everyone in Japan was a poet.
“Your basket, with your pretty basket, / your trowel, with your pretty trowel, / maiden picking herbs on this hillside, / I would ask you: Where is your home? / Will you not tell me your name?”
Historical poetry collection
Pages from the Manyoshu from 1184, owned by the Tokyo National Museum.
Poetry's historical reach
The Manyoshu is a 5th-century Japanese poetry collection that was widely read.
Historical context
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The essence
A 12th-century Japanese poetry anthology reveals that poets were common among everyday people in 5th-century Japan.
