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Ono no Komachi

A legendary beauty and female poet of the Heian period, counted among the Six Poet Immortals and Thirty-six Poet Immortals

Ono no Komachi was a poet active early in the Heian period, though the years of her birth and death are unknown. It is said that she was the daughter of Ono Yoshizane and the granddaughter of Ono no Takamura, but this is not certain, and her life remains largely unknown.

       More than 60 of her poems are included in collections, such as Kokin waka shu (Collection of Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times), Japan's first collection of Japanese poems compiled early in the Heian period, and Gosen waka shu (Later Collection of Japanese Poems), from the middle of the Heian period. She was the only woman to be selected as one of the Six Poet Immortals and was featured in Kokin waka shu as one of "the best known poets of recent times." In the middle of the Heian period, Fujiwara no Kinto selected her as one of the Thirty-Six Poet Immortals. One of her poems was also selected for inclusion in Ogura hyakunin isshu (The Ogura Anthology of One Hundred Tanka by One Hundred Poets), compiled by Fujiwara no Teika early in the Kamakura period (1185-1333).

       Her poems are often passionate, graceful love poems that incorporate expressions found in Chinese poetry. She was a pioneer of women's court literature. Her poetry collection Komachi shu, which has been handed down to the present day, was selected by people of later times, and there are few poems that can be clearly identified as hers.

       In later ages, she became legendary as a beautiful woman with excellent talent for poetry. She is also the subject of many works such as Noh songs (yokyoku), ballads (joruri), medieval fairy tales (otogizoshi), and kabuki. The seven Noh chants based on the legend of Ono no Komachi—"Soshiarai Komachi" (Komachi Washing Her Manuscripts), "Kayoi Komachi" (Komachi and the Hundred Nights), "Omu Komachi" (Komachi's Parrot Poem), "Sotoba Komachi" (Komachi at the Grave), "Sekidera Komachi" (Komachi at Seki Temple), "Kiyomizu Komachi" (Komachi at Kiyomizu Temple), and "Amagoi Komachi" (Komachi Praying for Rain)—are called "the Seven Komachi."

       During the Edo period (1603-1867), there appeared kabuki plays with the theme of the Six Poet Immortals, plays such as Yosooi Rokkasen (The Six Poet Immortals All Dressed Up) and Rokkasen sugata no irodori (The Smartly Dressed Six Poet Immortals). In addition to many prints featuring actors appearing in these kabuki plays, there were many prints related to Ono no Komachi—prints about her as a poet immortal, prints about her as a remarkable beauty, and prints about the happenings in the Seven Komachi.

       Stories about Ono no Komachi have been passed down all over Japan—stories of her birth, her demise, and places where she stayed.

Related People, Things and Events

Books

Related Works

Drawings of Ono no Komachi in paintings

Noh plays on the subject of Ono no Komachi

Kabuki plays on the subject of Ono no Komachi

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Past Exhibitions

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Institutions Holding Related Materials

  • 小倉百人一首や日本美術をはじめとする嵯峨嵐山にゆかりのある芸術・文化を紹介するミュージアム。1階常設展で百人一首に関する展示を行うほか、シーズンごとに日本美術の企画展を開催。

  • 京都市山科区小野にある真言宗善通寺派の大本山。小町文塚や小野小町の旧邸にあった井戸と伝えられる化粧の井戸がある。

  • The National Diet Library (NDL), founded in 1948, is the library which belongs to the Diet. The NDL assists the activities of the National Diet. The Library collects and conserves materials and information both from Japan and abroad, serving as a foundation of knowledge and culture and providing library services to administrative and judicial entities and Japanese citizens.

  • As Japan’s representative museum, Tokyo National Museum collects, preserves, displays, and researches the cultural properties of Asia with a focus on Japan, and also provides educational programs.

External Links

  • 伝統芸能の「小野小町」関連の演目情報・資料情報・人物情報を調べることができる。演目情報では出演者、資料情報では番付やブロマイドなども。

References

  1. 日立デジタル平凡社,平凡社