Poets

• See also: Six Poetic Geniuses, Thirty Six Women Poetic Geniuses, Thirty Six Poetic Geniuses, Thirty-Six Poetic Geniuses of the Late Classical Period

Poets

This page serves as a list page for all the poets we have gathered on our website. They are ordered by the period in which they lived in.

Nara Period 710-794AD

• • Abe no Nakamaro – Poet who became stranded in China. Known for poetry about longing for home.
  • Haji no Mimichi – Most prolific poet of the Haji Clan.
  • Kasa Kanamura – Poet with several poems in the Man’yōshū.
  • Ono no Minemori – Man with a collection of poetry known as the Ryoun Shinshu.
  • Ōtomo no Tabito – Has a set of 13 poems about wine and the joys of drunkeness.
  • Sakanoue no Iratsume – Matriarch of the Ōtomo Clan, has the most poems in the Man’yōshū of any female poet.
  • Sarumaru Taifu – A man who may have not existed at all, purported to have been active during the late 8th Century.
  • Yamabe no Akahito – Courtier and bureaucrat known for waka, choka and tanka poetry.
  • Yamanoue no Okura – Waka poet who by 721 he had become tutor to the Crown Prince and went on to become Governor of the Chikuzen Province.

Heian Period 794-1185AD

• • Ariwara no Motokata – Son of Munehari.
  • Ariwara no Munehari – Son of Narihira.
  • Ariwara no Narihira – Son of Prince Abo, and a renewed lover with many tales of him in the Tales of Ise.
  • Ariwara no Yukihira – Brother of Narihira.
  • Daini no Sanmi – Born in 999AD. She was the daughter of Fujiwara no Nobutaka and Murasaki Shibuki.
  • Fujiwara no Akisue – Close friends with Emperor Shirakawa and founder of the Rokujo House of Poetry.
  • Fujiwara no Akisuke – Son of Akisue and compiler of the Shikashū.
  • Fujiwara no Ietaka – Close friend to Emperor Gotoba even after his exile, he helped compile the Shin-kokinshū.
  • Fujiwara no Kanesuke – Ancestor of Murasaki Shikibu.
  • Fujiwara no Kiyosuke – Son of Akisuke, compiler of the Shoku-shikashū.
  • Fujiwara no Michimasa – Known to have had an affair with Princess Masako.
  • Fujiwara no Michitsuna no Haha – Author of the Kagerō nikki with poems in the Shūi wakashū.
  • Fujiwara no Mototoshi – Teacher of Fujiwara no Shunzei and compiler of the Shinsen rōeishu.
  • Fujiwara no Norikane – Compiled the list of the Thirty Six Women Poetic Geniuses.
  • Fujiwara no Sadanaga – Later known as Jakuren after entering religion he helped compile the Shin-kokinshū.
  • Fujiwara no Sadayori – The son of Kinto. In addation to his poetry he was a renowed calligrapher.
  • Fujiwara no Sanekata – Cited as the lover of Sei Shonagon, author of the pillow book. Exiled/Sent to Govern Mutsu Province.
  • Fujiwara no Shunzei – Father of Teika and Priest Jakuren he helped in compiling the Senzaishū and wrote the Korai Fūteishō.
  • Fujiwara no Tadahira – Leader of the hokke branch of the Fujiwara Clan, held the position of Sadaijin (Minster of the Left) during the reign of Emperor Daigo.
  • Fujiwara no Teika – Author of thousands of poems. More famously known for compiling the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.
  • Fujiwara no Yoshitaka – As part of his legacy, twelve of his poems can be found in official waka anthologies, and one of his poems is included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. He also has a private collection called the Yoshitaka-shū.
  • Fun’ya no Asayasu – Low ranking official and poet who was son to Fun’ya no Yasuhide.
  • Fun’ya no Yasuhide – Poet who was once a Provincial Governor before later becoming Second Director of the Imperial Wardrobe.
  • Harumichi no Tsuraki – Greater Secretary of Dazaifu.
  • Henjo – Poet with many tales told about him in the Yamato Monogatari.
  • Inpumon’in no Tayū – Member of the Karin’en Poetic Circle.
  • Kenshō – Head of the Rokujo House of Poetry, would often debate poetic theory with Jakuren.
  • Ki no Tokibumi – Member of the Nashitsubo no Gonin.
  • Ki no Tomonori – Helped in the compilation of the Kokinshū.
  • Ki no Tsurayuki – Waka poet who helped compile the Kokinshū. Appointed Governor of of Tosa Province, in Shikoku.
  • Kiyohara no Fukayabu – Great-grandfather of Sei Shonagon
  • Kiyohara no Motosuke – Member of the Nashitsubo no Gonin.
  • Kujō Yoshitsune – 320 poems in Imperial Anthologies.
  • Lady Ukon – Nine poems in the Imperial Antholiges.
  • Minamoto no Hitoshi – Great-grandson of Emperor Saga.
  • Minamoto no Kanemasa – Part of the Poetry Circle of Emperor Horikawa.
  • Minamoto no Shitagō – Member of the Nashitsubo no Gonin.
  • Ōnakatomi no Yoshinobu – Member of the Bureau of Poetry and Nashitsubo no Gonin.
  • Ono no Komachi – Her fame in poetry saw that she was included in Kinto’s list of the Thirty-Six Poetic Geniuses, as well as Thirty-Six Women Poetic Geniuses. Prior to this she is included as part of the Six Poetic Geniuses, and she is the only woman in this list of six.
  • Ono no Takamura – Poet who was adept in both genres of Chinese and Japanese. Sadly entire collections of his Chinese works have now been lost. However, some poems and prose do survive in other Chinese poetry collections.
  • Ōtomo Kuronushi. One of the Six Poetic Geniuses.
  • Priest Dōin – Rgularly visited the Sumiyoshi Shrine to pray to be a good poet.
  • Priest Kisen – Poet and monk, listed as one of the Six Poetic Geniuses.
  • Priest Nōin – Entering religion aged 25, this man is known to have travelled to many poetic locations.
  • Saigyō Hōshi – Living from 1118 to 1190, this wondering poet-monks preferred poetic themes were of the moon, cherry blossoms and solitude.
  • Sakanoue no Korenori – Held a modest career, eventually becoming Governor for the Province of Kaga.
  • Sakanoue no Mochiki – Member of the Nashitsubo no Gonin.
  • Sugawara no Michizane – Banished by the Fujiwara after being accused of treason in 901.
  • Takashina no Takako – Mother of Empress Teishi.

Kamakura Period – 1185-1333AD

• • Fujiwara no Masatsune – Founder of the Asukai Family.

Edo Period 1603-1868AD

• • Kobayashi Issa – Renowned poet, known for his obsession with poverty.
  • Maki Tōei – He was a poet, who also wrote the forward for the Yōkai compendium the Gazu Hyakki Yagyō.
  • Moriya Sen’an – Poet of jisei (death poems).
  • Mukai Kyorai – One of the ten main disciples of Matsuo Basho.
  • Yosa no Buson – Talented poet of both Haiku and Haishi, we know of around 2800 poems written by him.

Unsure Period

• • Kasa no Iratsume – Member of the Yakamochi Poetic Circle.

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