National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

In the Heian period, a ten-volume utaawase (poetry contest) series was formed and after a Kokin utaawase series, a 20-volume utaawase series (also called "ruiju utaawase") was established. The 20-volume utaawase series is believed to have been established during the period from around 1118 to 1131. Since the 20-volume series contains over 20 different types of handwriting, it serves as an important material for the handwriting styles of the late Heian period.
This series contains waka poems composed at a poetry contest held at the residence of Fujiwara no Tsunehira on March 19, 1086. At the contest, two topics on each of spring, summer, autumn and winter and one topic on each of love and celebration were given to ten contestants and Michitoshi, Tsunehira's son, served as the judge. Michitoshi's ideas and style of poetry can be seen through the comments he made on each poem. This series is included in the 14th volume of the 20-volume utaawase series.