Man'yoshu(Collection of a Myriad Leaves)
Japan's oldest collection of poetry, compiled in the Nara period
The Man'yoshu, Japan's oldest collection of poetry, is thought to have been made toward the end of the Nara period (7th-8th centuries). It consists of 20 volumes and about 4,500 Japanese poems (waka). It is believed to have been compiled by Otomo no Yakamochi, a statesman of the Nara period and an outstanding poet of the Man'yoshu collection.
Contributors came from all over Japan and represented all classes of society, from the imperial family and aristocrats to commoners. It is thought the poems were composed from the fifth century to 759, but because poems composed prior to Emperor Jomei's reign (629-641) were passed down by recitation, even their approximate date of composition is unknown.
The Man'yoshu can be divided into four periods, according to changes in poetic style. In terms of major poets, the first period, up to 672, includes Arima no Miko and Nukata no Okimi. The second period, up to 710, includes Kakinomoto no Hitomaro. The third period, up to 733, includes Yamanoue no Okura, Yamabe no Akahito, Otomo no Tabito, and Takahashi Mushimaro. The fourth period, from 734 to 759, includes Otomo no Yakamochi and Otomo no Sakanoue no Iratsume. While the Man'yoshu does include the poetry of famous poets of high social standing, it also includes that of commoners, such as local folksongs and a poem recited by a sakimori (warrior) garrisoned at a strategic post in Kitakyushu.
Since in the Nara period, Japan had not yet developed its own phonetic alphabet, kana, the poems of the Man'yoshu were all written in Chinese characters used to represent their phonetic values without regard to their meanings. Characters used in this fashion are called man'yogana. The Man'yoshu is the origin of the Japanese tradition of waka Japanese poetry. Together with the Kojiki (Records of Ancient Matters) and the Nihon shoki (Chronicles of Japan), it serves as a valuable source of information about ancient Japan.
Related People, Things and Events
Books
Related Works
Old manuscripts of Manyoshu (“Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves”)
The poets of Manyoshu
Noh plays related to Manyoshu
Videos
Past Exhibitions
| Title | shusai | Place | open | close |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Institutions Holding Related Materials
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.
Kyoto National Museum collects, preserves, displays, researches and provides educational programs focusing on cultural properties from Heian- through to Edo- period Japan, when the capital was located there.
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.
『万葉集』の世界を多角的に体感できるミュージアム。地下1階展示室は、映像や人形、アニメーションなどで『万葉集』の世界を紹介する体験型の展示空間。1階展示室では、『万葉集』の歌をモチーフにした日本画を鑑賞できる。
年間を通して越中万葉や『万葉集』をテーマとした展示や講座を開催。『万葉集』と上代文学に関する図書・研究論文約85,000冊や、貴重な『万葉集』の断簡・注釈書・古写本などを収集・保存・展示。敷地内には『万葉集』ゆかりの花木を植栽した「四季の庭」もある。
大伴家持をはじめとした国府町ゆかりの歌人や、因幡地方の歴史・文化を紹介するミュージアム。中庭には、『万葉集』で詠まれた約50種の草花が植えられている。万葉衣装の貸し出しもある。
春日大社内にある、『万葉集』に因んだ植物約300種を植栽する植物園。約3ヘクタール(9,000坪)の園内には、万葉歌の陶板とともに『万葉集』の植物を標本展示する「萬葉園」などがある。
武蔵国分寺境内にある、『万葉集』に詠まれている植物約160種が集められた植物園。
『万葉集』の歌の情景をたどり、万葉の世界観を“歩き味わう”7つのウォークルートを紹介。
『万葉集』の恋の歌をテーマにした7つのウォークルートを紹介。
External Links
『古事記』『日本書紀』『万葉集』を楽しみ、味わう奈良県公式サイト。
『萬葉集』と関連各分野の研究を行う萬葉学会が発行する学会誌(発行から3年経過)を閲覧可能。
『万葉集』研究者・上野誠氏(奈良大学文学部国文学科教授)が運営。『万葉集』にまつわるエッセイを掲載。
『万葉集』に詠まれている植物をイラストともに解説。
関西大学図書館廣瀨文庫所蔵の万葉集(冷泉本系(非仙覚本))をデジタル化し公開。
References
- 佐竹昭広, 木下正俊, 小島憲之 共著,塙書房
- 多田一臣 編,三省堂
- 大久間喜一郎 [ほか]編,雄山閣出版
- 秋山虔, 三好行雄 編著,文英堂

