National Treasure Gallery: Ten Styles of Japanese Poetry Part of Ten Styles of Japanese Poetry
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Ten Styles of Japanese Poetry (detail)
Heian period, 11th century (National Treasure)Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 12
June 16, 2026 (Tue) - July 20, 2026 (Mon)At the imperial court in Kyoto, one’s skill in composing poetry was the definitive measure of character and cultivation. The Ten Styles of Japanese Poetry is a treatise on poetic theory written over 1,000 years ago. It categorizes the distinct "flavors" of Japanese poetry into ten specific types.Each type, bearing names such as the “Archaic Style” and the “Mysterious Style,” is illustrated with five poems.
Such treatises served as essential manuals for the art of poetry and were frequently compiled by the era's most prominent poets. The Ten Styles was written in 945 by the nobleman Mibu no Tadamine, renowned as one of Japan’s “Thirty-Six Immortal Poets.”
The writings on display are from the oldest surviving manuscript copy of The Ten Styles. The calligraphy, brushed with great skill, is both rhythmic and fluid. The paper is decorated with a pattern called tobigumo (“flying clouds”) in purple and indigo, a distinctive feature of high-quality paper from this period.
| Designation | Name | Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance |
Period | Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number |
CMT | ||
| Highlight | National Treasure | Ten Styles of Japanese Poetry | Heian period, 11th century | B-3231 | |||
| Highlight | National Treasure | Part of Ten Styles of Japanese Poetry | Heian period, 11th century | B-3232 |