Three Poems From The Collection Of Poems Ancient And Modern (kokin Wakashū), Known As The “imaki Fragment” (imaki-gire) — Fujiwara No Norinaga

Three poems from the Collection of Poems Ancient and Modern (Kokin wakashū), known as the “Imaki Fragment” (Imaki-gire)


fujiwara no norinaga (1101 - 1114)

Explore Fujiwara no Norinaga’s intricate art & profound spiritual journey. A key figure in Heian Japan, known for his Buddhist themes & influential legacy as a monk and protector.

By the 1100s, many courtiers and court ladies of the palace were inscribing kana calligraphy with a firmer brush compared to previous generations. Traditionally, the inscription of these poems was attributed to the courtier Asukai Masatsune (1170–1221), but modern scholarship has securely identified it as by Norinaga, the brother of Masatsune’s grandfather, helping to establish a more solid framework of how kana writing styles evolved.