Waka culture at the Heian court

Timeline

1. 1005–1007Heian-kyō · KinkiFujiwara no Kuniyoshi compiled the Shūi Wakashū by imperial command, the third imperial waka anthology, establishing a model of 'yūgen' taste that became a standard for poetry contests and instruction in the 1010s and influenced later compilations such as the Goshūi.
2. 1012–1018Mikudō of Hōshōji · KinkiFujiwara no Michinaga repeatedly held lotus-viewing gatherings and poetry contests at the Mikudō of Hōshōji, inviting courtiers, monks, and lay poets; Michinaga himself was known for the famous poem 'I consider this world my own, and think that the moon at its full will also be long-lasting,' tightly linking court waka with Buddhist rites.
3. 1016–1020Dairi (Imperial Palace) · KinkiDuring Emperor Sanjō's reign, the Naidaijin household and the imperial consorts also held poetry gatherings; court ladies and princes regularly composed poems, and waka became an important marker of aristocratic socializing, political marriage, and cultural identity, laying the foundation for the era of the Goshūi Wakashū.