Kokinshū (album)

The Kokin Wakashū (古今和歌集), often shortened to Kokinshū (古今集), is an early anthology of waka poetry, dating from the Heian period of Japan. It was commissioned in 905 by Emperor Daigo and compiled under the direction of Ki no Tsurayuki, along with Ki no Tomonori, Oshikochi no Mitsune, and Mibu no Tadamine. It is the first of the Twenty-One Imperial Anthologies (二 十 一 代 集, Nijūichidaishū), considered particularly significant for its influence on later Japanese literature and aesthetics.

The Kokinshū contains over 1,100 poems, arranged into twenty books based on theme: spring, summer, autumn, winter, congratulations, parting, journeys, lamentations, love (divided into five books), miscellaneous (divided into two books), and celebratory poems. It also includes a preface written by Ki no Tsurayuki, which is a seminal work of Japanese literary criticism, discussing the nature of poetry and its role in society. The preface is written in kana (the Japanese syllabary) making it accessible to a wider audience and signaling a move away from the dominance of Chinese language in formal writing.

The anthology reflects the aesthetic ideals of the Heian court, emphasizing elegance, refinement, and emotional expression. Many poems focus on themes of love, nature, and the transience of beauty (mono no aware). The Kokinshū established a canon of poetic language and imagery that influenced subsequent generations of poets and became a cornerstone of Japanese cultural identity. Its influence extends beyond poetry to other art forms, including painting, calligraphy, and garden design.