The Kokinshū and The Tales of Ise: Tenri Central Library 96th Anniversary Exhibition

Tenri Central Library · 2F Exhibition Room · Nara · –

Eleven highlights from the library’s 41-item checklist: the Kokinshū prefaces confirmed in 2025 as Fujiwara no Shunzei’s own hand, an early copy of Teika’s text and the private collections of Tsurayuki and Ise, Teika’s secret Hekianshō and Hosokawa Yūsai’s Kokin denju notes, then the Bunryaku and Saga-bon Tales of Ise and the commentaries of Kaneyoshi and Nobukata. All eleven, including three Important Cultural Properties, are on view for the whole run.

In-depth audio guide

Plan your visit

Opening hours
9:30–15:30 Last entry 15:00.
Closed
Open every day of the run.
Admission
  • Adult ¥1,000
Reservation
No reservation. Free for junior high school students and younger. The October 24 talk needs booking and an exhibition ticket.
Address
1050 Somanouchi-chō, Tenri, Nara 632-8577

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Works (11)

Important Cultural Property: 3

  1. 3. Kokin wakashū: the two prefaces Fujiwara no Shunzei · Ink on paper; one gathering of a stitched book · Late Heian period copy · Tenri Central Library — A slim remnant holding only the two prefaces, one in Chinese and one in kana, both in the hand of Fujiwara no Shunzei.
  2. 6. Kokin wakashū, copy by Saijū and Shōon Saijū and Shōon · Ink on paper; 20 books in two volumes · Copied 1265 · Tenri Central Library — The full Kokinshū, twenty books bound in two volumes, copied in 1265 from the text written out by Fujiwara no Teika.
  3. 11. Tsurayuki shū (Collected Poems of Ki no Tsurayuki) Important Cultural Property Attributed to Nijō Tameuji · Ink on torinoko paper with gold and silver underdrawings; one stitched volume · Copied 1275 · Tenri Central Library — Look at the paper first: torinoko sheets painted in gold and silver with grasses, flowers, birds and butterflies, each of Tsurayuki’s poems set on two lines.
  4. 12. Leaf from the Tsurayuki shū, second part (Ishiyama-gire) Fujiwara no Sadanobu · Ink on four joined decorated papers; one hanging scroll · Late Heian period copy · Tenri Central Library — A single page cut from a book: birds, sprays and autumn grasses drawn in gold and silver, with Tsurayuki’s poems written over them.
  5. 13. Ise shū (Collected Poems of Ise) Important Cultural Property Fujiwara no Teika and others · Ink on paper; one stitched volume · Early Kamakura period copy · Tenri Central Library — A small volume about sixteen centimetres square: the collection of the woman poet Ise, copied under Fujiwara no Teika’s supervision.
  6. 21. Hekianshō Important Cultural Property Written by Fujiwara no Teika; copy attributed to Fujiwara no Tameie · Ink on paper; one stitched booklet · Mid-Kamakura period copy · Tenri Central Library — A secret notebook from Teika’s later years, passing on his father’s teaching on three imperial anthologies to his heirs, with orders to show no one else.
  7. 25. Lecture notes on the Kokin wakashū, by Hosokawa Yūsai Hosokawa Yūsai, with additions in Sanjōnishi Saneki’s hand · Ink on paper; five volumes · Copied 1572–1574 · Tenri Central Library — Five volumes of lecture notes: Hosokawa Yūsai’s record of Sanjōnishi Saneki’s teaching on the Kokinshū, with additions in Saneki’s own hand.
  8. 27. The Tales of Ise, Bunryaku manuscript Attributed to Reizei Tamesuke · Ink on paper; one volume · Late Kamakura period copy · Tenri Central Library — A small book about fifteen centimetres square: The Tales of Ise, attributed to Teika’s grandson Reizei Tamesuke.
  9. 33. The Tales of Ise, Saga-bon edition Publisher not named on the checklist · Printed from wooden movable type; two volumes · Printed 1608 · Tenri Central Library — The first printed edition of The Tales of Ise, and the first work of Japanese classical literature published with illustrations.
  10. 40. Ise monogatari gukenshō (Ichijō Kaneyoshi’s commentary) Written by Ichijō Kaneyoshi; copied by Kanroji Chikanaga · Ink on paper; two volumes · Copied 1494 · Tenri Central Library — Ichijō Kaneyoshi’s commentary on Ise, copied out in two volumes by the courtier Kanroji Chikanaga in 1494.
  11. 41. Ise monogatari Iseishō (lecture notes on The Tales of Ise) In Kiyohara Nobukata’s own hand (lectures by Sanjōnishi Sanetaka) · Ink on paper; one volume · Copied 1548 · Tenri Central Library — Lecture notes in the note-taker’s own hand: Kiyohara Nobukata’s record of Sanjōnishi Sanetaka’s lectures on Ise, written out by Nobukata himself.

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