Open Talk: Journey through the Ancient Imperial Capitals of Japan with Waka Poetry
We welcome Dr. Shogo Enokido, Researcher at the Manyo Culture Museum, who will speak about waka poetry and the ancient capitals of Japan.
Over more than 1,300 years of history, waka has continually evolved while maintaining its connection to the aristocratic culture centered around the emperor in ancient times. Since most poets of the era lived in or near the imperial capitals, it is only natural that their poems reflected the political activities and everyday life that unfolded there.
However, the ancient capitals were by no means fixed in one location. From the Asuka period through the Heian period, the seat of the court was relocated many times. Each capital had its own distinctive temporal and geographical characteristics, and the court life that developed in each setting must have varied accordingly.
This talk will trace the transformations of these ancient capitals as seen through the lens of waka poetry. From the Man’yōshū to the Kokin Wakashū, how were the imperial capitals depicted and represented in poetic expression? By drawing on photographs of the actual sites, we will explore how the image of the capital was reflected in the waka tradition.
- Day & Time：November 20th, 2025 (Thursday), 14:00-15:00
- Venue：Lab (2nd floor of WIHL)
- Language：Japanese
- Participation：Free
- Participants：Students, Faculty and Public
- Presented by the Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities, with support from the Waseda International House of Literature
Lecture
Shogo ENOKIDO
Researcher at the Nara Prefectural Manyo Culture Museum.
Doctor of Literature, Waseda University Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences. Specializes in ancient waka literature.
Major publications include “Tsuchiya Bunei’s Theory of ‘Folk Songs’,” in Examining Japanese Literature’s Complicity in War, vol. 2, edited by Yasuhiko Komatsu (Kacho-sha, 2025), “The Development of Poetic Theory in the Late 8th Century as Seen in the Preface to the Kakyō Hyōshiki,” Bulletin of the Graduate School of Letters, Arts and Sciences, Waseda University, vol. 68 (2023), “The Role of ‘Old Elegies’ in the Poems of the Mission to Silla in Volume 15 of the Man’yōshū,” Studies in Japanese Literature, no. 196 (2022).
Facilitator
Yanai Initiative Committee Member: Sena KANEKO
Contact
Yanai Initiative for Globalizing Japanese Humanities: [email protected]
