Court Poetry and the Culture of Learning in Japan

<p>Once the exclusive domain of the aristocracy, classical Japanese poetry (<i>waka</i>) underwent a remarkable transformation in the medieval period, becoming a dynamic tool for cultural education embraced by warriors, monks, merchants, and commoners alike. Ariel Stilerman investigates this evolution in <i>Court Poetry and the Culture of Learning in Japan</i> by examining not only poetic treatises but also overlooked genres—encyclopedias, professional manuals, Buddhist essays, literary primers, didactic fiction, and popular tales.

As new audiences turned to waka and its playful counterpart, <i>kyoka,</i> in pursuit of salvation, career advancement, love, or adventure, poetry became a bridge between emerging social identities and the elite traditions of the aristocracy. Stilerman concludes that even as <i>waka</i> declined at the turn of the twentieth century, the tea ceremony rose to take its place—preserving and reinterpreting its role as the embodiment of Japanese tradition.

Offering a fresh and far-reaching perspective, this book illuminates poetry’s enduring influence—not just as an art form, but as a vital thread woven through the fabric of Japan’s cultural history.</p>