Six best waka poets

The six best Waka poets or the geniuses of poetry ( Japanese 六 歌仙 , Rokkasen ) were six outstanding Waka poets in the early Heian period , who are mentioned in the foreword of the poem anthologie Kokin-wakashū ( 905 ).

One of the editors of the Kokinshu, Ki no Tsurayuki , referred to the six poets as "famous poets of the recent past". The poets were briefly judged and were later given the title "Immortals of Waka" ( Kasen ):

No.	Name Romaji	Name Kanji	Life dates	Epoch of activity	illustration
1	Henjō	遍 昭	816-890	early Heian period
2	Ariwara no Narihira	在 原 業 平	825-890	Gangyō time
3	Fun'ya no Yasuhide	文 屋 康 秀	? -885	Heian period
4th	Kisen Hōshi	喜 撰 法師	unknown	early Heian period
5	Ono no Komachi	小野 小 町	825-900	Heian period 1st half of the 9th century
6th	Otomo no Kuronushi	大 友 黒 主	unknown	Heian period

See also

• The Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry
• The Thirty-Six Female Immortals of Poetry
• The Thirty-Six Immortals of Medieval Poetry
• List of poets in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Bruno Lewin (Ed.): Small dictionary of Japanology . Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1981, ISBN 3-447-00530-0 , p. 373