The Poetry of Japan

Japanese poetry is a beautiful and ancient art form. There are many forms of poetry, the oldest being dated back to between the 6th and 8th centuries and based on Chinese poetry. Two Japanese anthologies, called Kojiki and Man'yoshu, are some of the world's oldest. The most traditional, and classical, form of Japanese poetry is called Waka and is thirty-one syllables (five-seven-five-seven-seven). Waka poems often reflect the lives of those writing them and the world they were living in at the time.

Still, Haiku remains the most popular and most well-known Japanese forms of poetry in the world. It is also one of the oldest forms of poetry that Japan has created. An ancient Haiku could have had up to 100 verses. Compare that to the short three line, seventeen syllable poem that we know Haiku as today and you can see how much the form has evolved. The one thing that remained the same throughout the years though is the number of syllables in a verse (five-seven-five). Haikus are written on every topic but the most popular are everyday life and nature. Haiku became a very popular pastime and competitions sprung up to celebrate the art that is Haiku writing. In 1976, a museum was established to honor some of the most popular Haiku writers and become a study center for poets and students of the writing.

While there are many more types of Japanese poetry, Haiku is the most familiar throughout the world, as well as one of the most well-loved and enduring.