Fujiwara no Teika

Timeline

1. 1162–1201Kyoto · Kyoto PrefectureBorn into a distinguished Fujiwara house in Kyoto, he studied poetry from childhood under his father Fujiwara no Akiie and the Shunzei school tradition. In the 1190s he took part in retired Emperor Go-Toba's poetry circle, becoming known for a yūgen and elegant style and gradually emerging as one of the leading poets of his day.
2. 1201–1230Kyoto · Kyoto PrefectureAround 1201 he participated in compiling the Shin Kokin Wakashū, establishing a model for the new waka style. Thereafter he long served as instructor for poetry gatherings of retired Emperor Go-Toba, retired Emperor Juntoku and others, trained many disciples, and wrote poetic treatises such as the Meishō-shū, laying down the norms of early Kamakura poetic circles.
3. 1231–1241Kyoto · Kyoto PrefectureIn the 1230s Teika was already of advanced age yet still lived in Kyoto, guiding younger poets and attending poetry gatherings. Around 1235 he selected the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, choosing one hundred representative poems from the Kokin Wakashū, which became a classic of later waka education. He died in Kyoto in September 1241.