Hyakunin Isshu<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(HNIS), or\u00a0<\/span>One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each<\/em>, is without a doubt the most famous anthology of traditional Japanese poetry (waka<\/em>). It has traditionally been attributed to the famous poet Fujiwara no Teika (1162-1241) and dated to the 1230s, though the earliest extant manuscript (and commentary) dates only to 1406. Regardless, it has had a profound influence on Japanese culture, and one of the ways it did was through the popularity of its very format, that is, one poem for each of one hundred poets (UBC's extensive\u00a0Hyakunin Isshu<\/em> digital collection is here<\/a>).<\/p>\r\n \u201cVariant HNIS\u201d (ishu hyakunin isshu<\/em>) is the name given to anthologies that use the same organizing principle as the original HNIS (now called the \u201cOgura HNIS\u201d to distinguish it from its later progeny). The first, \u201cThe New HNIS\u201d (Shin HNIS<\/em>), was compiled in 1483 by the ninth Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga Yoshihisa (1465-1489). The anthology starts with poems by emperor Monmu (697-707) and his son emperor Sh\u014dmu (724-749), following the father-child relationship between emperor Tenji and empress Jit\u014d in the\u00a0<\/span>Ogura HNIS<\/em>. Likewise, the last two poems are by the father-son pair of emperors Fushimi (1288-1298) and Hanazono (1308-1318). From this it is apparent that it was not simply the idea of one hundred poets with one poem each that could be influential, but the internal structure of the\u00a0<\/span>Ogura HNIS<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>and the relationships between the poets as well. Yoshihisa\u2019s text became a popular one for calligraphic practice and the UBC collection has a woodblock-printed example by the well-known Edo-period literatus Tachibana Chikage, dated 1837 [Figure 1]<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_761\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"416\"] It was in fact in the late Edo period that the genre of\u00a0<\/span>ishu hyakunin isshu<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>really took off. A comic form of haiku developed in the mid-Edo period, promoted by someone named Karai Senry\u016b (1718-1790), who published anthologies of the verses. This proved to be so popular that \u201csenry\u016b\u201d not only became the name of the verse form, but also an inheritable title. It was Senry\u016b IV (1778-1844) who published the first collection of humorous\u00a0waka<\/em>in theishu hyakunin isshu<\/em>format, with illustrations by Utagawa Kuninao in 1835. But it was his successor, Senry\u016b V (1787-1858), who published at least eight\u00a0<\/span>ishu hyakunin isshu<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>collections. His first was\u00a0<\/span>Eiy\u016b HNIS<\/em>, or \u201cThe Heroes HNIS,\u201d originally published in 1844 [Figure 2]<\/strong> and reprinted several times thereafter. Clearly aimed at a male audience, the first poem is by the god Susano-o (with what is traditionally considered the very first\u00a0<\/span>waka<\/em>, from the mytho-history\u00a0<\/span>Kojiki<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>[712]), followed by Takenouchi no Sukune (a famous general from the\u00a0<\/span>Kojiki<\/em>) and Sh\u014dtoku Taishi. It ends with none other than Ashikaga Yoshihisa.<\/p>\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n Senry\u016b V went on to publish\u00a0<\/span>Retsujo HNIS<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(Exemplary Women, 1847, Mostow_006);\u00a0<\/span>Sh\u016bga HNIS<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(Surpassing Elegance, 1848, Mostow_021), which had illustrations by Hokusai and four other ukiyo-e artists, of famous authors;\u00a0<\/span>Zoku Eiy\u016b HNIS<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(Heroes Continued, 1849, Mostow_018);\u00a0<\/span>Giretsu HNIS<\/em>(Exemplarily Virtuous, 1850, Mostow_020);\u00a0<\/span>Kitoku HNIS<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(Laudable, 1851);\u00a0<\/span>Kijin HNIS<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(Eccentric, 1852, Mostow_016); and\u00a0<\/span>Z\u014dt\u014d HNIS<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(Exchange, 1853). As can be seen, several of these included contemporary figures [Figure 3]<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n The first\u00a0<\/span>ishu hyakunin isshu<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>from the Meiji period appears to be\u00a0<\/span>Giretsu Kaiten Hyakku<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(One Hundred Verses of the Exemplarily Virtuous Encompassing the Heavens) of Meiji 7 (1874). The first verse is by Tokugawa Nariaki (1800-1860), famous for supporting the\u00a0<\/span>sonn\u014d j\u014di\u00a0<\/em>(revere the emperor, expel the barbarians) loyalist movement, despite being the father of the last shogun. The last verse is by Katsu Kaish\u016b (1823-1899), credited with forming Japan\u2019s modern navy.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_280\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"768\"] Among the volumes in the UBC collection, the oldest Meiji example is the\u00a0<\/span>Meiji Eimei Hyaku\u2019ei Sen<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(A Collection of a Hundred Poems by the Eminent of the Meiji Period), a woodblock printed volume published in Meiji 12 (1879).<\/p>\r\n The frontispiece [kuchi-e<\/em>, Figure 4]<\/strong> shows a military figure receiving an enormous cup of sak\u00e9 in the presence of the emperor (hidden by a blind); the caption reads: \u201cPartaking of a heavenly cup within the Imperial Palace\u201d (kinch\u016b nite tenbai wo tamaharu<\/em>).<\/p>\r\n The next illustration [Figure 5]<\/strong> shows the ambassadors of China, Korea, and a western country making their way to court with a background of Mt. Fuji and the imperial palace. The first poem is a New Year\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>waka<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>by emperor Meiji, the second the same by the empress Sh\u014dken [Figure 6]<\/strong> (waka<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>was re-introduced into court ceremonies and an annual New Year\u2019s poetry contest inaugurated in 1869).<\/p>\r\n The third poem is Imperial Prince Arisugawa Taruhito (1835-1895) who as Minister of War suppressed the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877 [Figure 6]<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_281\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"600\"] Meiji 12 (1880) saw the publication of\u00a0(Genkon) Eimei Hyakushu<\/em>\u00a0or\u00a0(Today\u2019s) Famous Names, A Hundred Poems<\/em>. The book was popular enough for it to be reprinted, in its original woodblock-print form by a printer in Nagoya, and in a smaller format (12 x 8.6 cm) by copperplate in Tokyo. The frontispiece of the latter shows a poetry contest in the imperial palace, taking place before the empress and with the genders separated [Figure 8]<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\r\n A poem by Arisugawa Taruhito no Miya is included. Among his other accomplishments Taruhito was known for his interest in poetry and there was a distinctive Arisugawa-style of calligraphy that was used for poetry (of which the present poem may be an example). The collection proper starts with the Chancellor (<\/span>daj\u014d-daijin<\/em>) of the day, Sanj\u014d Sanetomi (aka Saneyoshi). It would perhaps appear that inclusion of the emperor and empress was somehow seen as lese majesty, and so the collection begins with the highest-ranking government official. It is fascinating, however, how different the frontispiece of the original version is, with Prince Taruhito drinking sak\u00e9 and essentially deshabill\u00e9 bareheaded, surrounded by young female palace attendants [Figure 9]<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_285\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"] A poem by Arisugawa Taruhito no Miya is included. Among his other accomplishments Taruhito was known for his interest in poetry and there was a distinctive Arisugawa-style of calligraphy that was used for poetry (of which the present poem may be an example). The collection proper starts with the Chancellor (<\/span>daj\u014d-daijin<\/em>) of the day, Sanj\u014d Sanetomi (aka Saneyoshi). It would perhaps appear that inclusion of the emperor and empress was somehow seen as lese majesty, and so the collection begins with the highest-ranking government official. It is fascinating, however, how different the frontispiece of the original version is, with Prince Taruhito drinking sak\u00e9 and essentially deshabill\u00e9 bareheaded, surrounded by young female palace attendants [Figure 9]<\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_287\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"400\"] The volume also includes\u00a0<\/span>oiran<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>of the pleasure quarters, such as ImaMurasaki of the Golden Vase brothel (_021). A startling pairing is KoMurasaki of the Ebir\u014d on the right, and Tensh\u014d-in, an adopted daughter of the Shimazu clan and the consort of the thirteenth shogun Iesada (_079) on the left.<\/p>\r\n Iwakura\u2019s given name is again mis-read (this time as \u201cTomonori\u201d) as is Yanagihara\u2019s (\u201cYoshiko\u201d). One wonders what the author used as his source of information. It is also important to realize that writing about many of these kinds of personages was something completely new. Tokugawa censorship laws had forbidden any depiction or reference to the shogunate or any government officials or any member of the military elite or their ancestors. In the Edo period, \u201cpublic personalities\u201d were limited to commoners.<\/p>\r\n The 1880s represented a decided shift in Japanese attitudes towards the West and towards their own history. There was a re-affirmation of the past, after decades of viewing the Edo period as feudal and backwards amidst a rush towards westernization.<\/p>\r\n During the Edo period, woodblock-printed books depicting famous courtesans accompanied by poems in their own calligraphy were not uncommon, the most famous one being produced by Suzuki Harunobu. And the monogamy of the emperor would not be celebrated until Taish\u014d\u2019s marriage. The\u00a0<\/span>(Genkon) Eimei Hyakushu<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>seems to embody some of this new self-confidence.<\/p>\r\n The\u00a0<\/span>Meiji Eimei Hyaku\u2019ei Sen<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>was also reprinted, in 1883, also in metal type in small format. There are interesting differences between the illustrations, however. While in the earlier work the Meiji emperor was hidden by a blind and on traditional tatami [Figure 5, above]<\/strong>, in the 1883 edition he is in full Western military uniform and seated on a chair, presaging Edoardo Chiossone\u2019s famous portrait of 1887 [Figure 12]<\/strong>.<\/p>\r\n Similarly, while earlier the empress had been depicted as a Heian beauty with her face averted [Figure 6]<\/strong>, in the 1883 version she stares straight out at the viewer. But most remarkable of all is the frontispiece, which shows Ambassador Hanabusa Yoshitada negotiating with the Korean prime minister while the king of Korea is shown in the background [Figures 11 and 12]<\/strong>. This is presumably the Treaty of Chemulpo (1882), which established a permanent garrison of Japanese troops in the Korean capital.<\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_288\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"400\"] The UBC collection includes a number of other\u00a0hyakunin isshu<\/em>\u00a0from the Meiji period. Some, like the\u00a0Kinsei Meifu Hyakunin Sen<\/em>\u00a0(One Hundred Selected Famous Women of the Recent Past<\/em>, 1881, Mostow_080), follow the pattern of exemplary women set by Senry\u016b V and Utagawa Kunisada. Some take a historical bent, such as the\u00a0(Meiji Senki) Tokugawa Gishiden<\/em>\u00a0([Meiji Battle Records] Biographies of Tokugawa Loyalists<\/em>, 1883, Mostow_027). And all during this time the\u00a0Ogura HNIS<\/em>\u00a0itself was being constantly republished, from reprints of Edo-period editions that take no account of the tremendous political change that had occurred (such as the\u00a0Keiju HNIS<\/em>\u00a0of 1888, Figure 13<\/strong>), to newly created versions published with copperplates, such as the\u00a0(Meiji Shinkoku) Ogura HNIS Zen\u00a0<\/em>([Meiji Newly Printed] Ogura HNIS Complete<\/em>, 1885, Figure 14<\/strong>).<\/span><\/p>\r\n \r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_1137\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"220\"] Joshua S. Mostow<\/strong> | University of British Columbia<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hyakunin Isshu<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>(HNIS), or\u00a0<\/span>One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each<\/em>, is without a doubt the most famous anthology of traditional Japanese poetry (waka<\/em>). It has traditionally been attributed to the famous poet Fujiwara no Teika (1162-1241) and dated to the 1230s, though the earliest extant manuscript (and commentary) dates only to 1406. Regardless, it has had a profound influence on Japanese culture, and one of the ways it did was through the popularity of its very format, that is, one poem for each of one hundred poets (UBC’s extensive\u00a0Hyakunin Isshu<\/em> digital collection is here<\/a>).<\/p>\n \u201cVariant HNIS\u201d (ishu hyakunin isshu<\/em>) is the name given to anthologies that use the same organizing principle as the original HNIS (now called the \u201cOgura HNIS\u201d to distinguish it from its later progeny). The first, \u201cThe New HNIS\u201d (Shin HNIS<\/em>), was compiled in 1483 by the ninth Ashikaga shogun, Ashikaga Yoshihisa (1465-1489). The anthology starts with poems by emperor Monmu (697-707) and his son emperor Sh\u014dmu (724-749), following the father-child relationship between emperor Tenji and empress Jit\u014d in the\u00a0<\/span>Ogura HNIS<\/em>. Likewise, the last two poems are by the father-son pair of emperors Fushimi (1288-1298) and Hanazono (1308-1318). From this it is apparent that it was not simply the idea of one hundred poets with one poem each that could be influential, but the internal structure of the\u00a0<\/span>Ogura HNIS<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>and the relationships between the poets as well. Yoshihisa\u2019s text became a popular one for calligraphic practice and the UBC collection has a woodblock-printed example by the well-known Edo-period literatus Tachibana Chikage, dated 1837 [Figure 1]<\/strong>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n It was in fact in the late Edo period that the genre of\u00a0<\/span>ishu hyakunin isshu<\/em>\u00a0<\/span>really took off. A comic form of haiku developed in the mid-Edo period, promoted by someone named Karai Senry\u016b (1718-1790), who published anthologies of the verses. This proved to be so popular that \u201csenry\u016b\u201d not only became the name of the verse form, but also an inheritable title. It was Senry\u016b IV (1778-1844) who published the first collection of humorous\u00a0waka<\/em>in the![\"A](\"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/meijiat150\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/445\/2018\/06\/fig4.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n
\r\n<\/a> Figure 1.<\/strong> J\u014dtoku\u2019in (Ashikaga Yoshihisa)<\/em>, ed. Shin HNIS. Woodblock edition with calligraphy by Tachibana Chikage. Ky\u014dto: Katsumura jiemon ; \u014czaka [Osaka]: Kawachiya Kih\u0113\u2026 [and 4 others]; Edo: Kitajima Junshir\u014d. Tenp\u014d 8 (1837). Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_082.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_279\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"223\"]<\/a> Figure 2.<\/strong> Book-wrapper. Ryokutei Senry\u016b<\/em>, ed.; Gak\u014d Gyokuransai Sadahide, illus. Eiy\u016b HNIS. Edo: Yamaguchiya Tob\u0113, Ka\u2019ei 1 (1848). Woodblock-printed books were sold in a paper wrapper that was almost always thrown away\u2014this is an example of a rare survivor. Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_060.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/a> Figure 3<\/strong>. \u201cTachibana Chikage and H\u014din Kanj\u014d\u201d from Ryokutei Senry\u016b<\/em>, ed.; Utagawa Kuniyoshi, et al., illus. Z\u014dt\u014d HNIS. Edo: Yamaguchiya Tob\u0113, Ka\u2019ei 6 (1853). Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_005.[\/caption]\r\n<\/a> Figure 4<\/strong>. \u201cPartaking of a heavenly cup within the Imperial Palace,\u201d Shinoda Hisajir\u014d<\/em>, ed.; Ikuda H\u014dshun, illus. Meiji Eimei Hyaku\u2019ei Sen. Zen. Tokyo: Murakami Shinsuke (Bunsend\u014d) , Meiji 12 (1879). Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_009.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_282\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"]<\/a> Figure 5<\/strong>. Foreign ambassadors, Meiji Eimei Hyaku\u2019ei Sen.<\/em> Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_009.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_283\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"]<\/a> Figure 6<\/strong>. Empress Sh\u014dken and Prince Arisugawa Taruhito, Meiji Eimei Hyaku\u2019ei Sen.<\/em> Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_009.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/a> Figure 7<\/strong>. Atomi Kakei and Okuhara Seiko, Meiji Eimei Hyaku\u2019ei Sen<\/em>. Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_009.[\/caption]\r\n<\/a> Figure 8<\/strong>. A Poetry Contest in the Imperial Palace, (Genkon) Eimei Hyakushu. Shintei \u014cta.<\/em> ed.; Sensai Eitaku, illus. Rikiishi Yasunosuke, Meiji 14 (1881). Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_029.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_286\" align=\"alignleft\" width=\"300\"]<\/a> Figure 9<\/strong>. Prince Arisugawa with serving ladies, (Genkon) Eimei Hyakushu.<\/em> Shintei \u014cta (Numajiri Kai\u2019ichir\u014d)<\/em>, ed.; Sensai Eitaku, illus. Nagoya: Kajita Kansuke (Bunk\u014dd\u014d), 1881. Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_008.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/a> Figure 10.<\/strong> Tensh\u014d-in and KoMurasaki of the Ebir\u014d, (Genkon) Eimei Hyakushu (Nagoya)<\/em>. Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_008.[\/caption]\r\n<\/a> Figure 11<\/strong>. Ambassador Hanabusa in negotiation with the Korean prime minister, Meiji Eimei Hyakushu<\/em>. Fukuj\u014d Komatar\u014d<\/em>, ed.; Hasegawa Chikuy\u014d, illus. Tokyo: Bunseid\u014d, 1883. Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_010.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_289\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"400\"]<\/a> Figure 12<\/strong>. The King of Korea and Emperor Meiji, Meiji Eimei Hyakushu<\/em>. Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_010.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/a> Figure 13.<\/strong> Emperor Tenji<\/em>, Keiju HNIS<\/em>. Zen. Tokyo: Mizuno K\u014d. Meiji 21 (1888) (Mostow_093). Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_093.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n
\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_763\" align=\"aligncenter\" width=\"400\"]<\/a> Figure 14.<\/strong> Komiyama Gor\u014d, ed. (Meiji shinkoku)<\/em> Ogura HNIS<\/em>. Zen. Tokyo: Sekine K\u014dsuke (Kin\u2019eid\u014d), Meiji 18 (1885). Source: UBC Library, Rare Books and Special Collections, Mostow_86.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nReferences<\/strong><\/h5>\r\n
\r\n \t
\r\n\r\nFurther Reading<\/strong><\/h5>\r\nMostow, Joshua S.\u00a0<\/span>Pictures of the Heart: The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image<\/em>\u00a0(Honolulu: University of Hawai\u2019i Press, 1996).<\/span>","rendered":"
The One Hundred Poets in the Meiji Period<\/h1>\n
<\/a><\/p>\n
\n<\/a><\/a>