The Tales of Ise Courtly Love and Poems Reflected in the Arts

Finished

Ariwara no Narihira (825–880) lived in the early Heian period. An aristocrat and grandson of an emperor, he was a superb waka (Japanese poem) poet. The poems by Narihira in the Kokin Wakashū Poetry Anthology and other anthologies also suggest that he was a man of many love affairs. The Tales of Ise is a collection of short tales centered on waka, mostly by Narihira. Composing that collection began shortly before 905, when the Kokin Wakashū was complied, and continued until the latter half of the tenth century, as more material was added, eventually reaching its final format, with 125 episodes.

A picture scroll of the Tales of Ise is mentioned in “The Picture Contest” chapter of The Tale of Genji, where participants are competing over who is the better painter. We know, then, that the Tales of Ise had already become a painting subject by the early eleventh century, when The Tale of Genji was written. From then on, the Tales of Ise has ranked with The Tale of Genji in its enormous, and multifaceted, influence on every field of Japanese culture and art.

2025 is the 1200th anniversary of Narihira’s birth. This exhibition celebrates the calligraphy, paintings, and craft arts that the Tales of Ise inspired. Focusing on waka, the heart of the Tales of Ise, we invite you to savor this poetry and consider the role that waka play in the Tales of Ise.

Schedule

Nov 1 (Sat) 2025-Dec 7 (Sun) 2025