Overview

This manuscript is an anthology of waka ("Japanese poems") that were composed by Emperor Fushimi (1265-1317, r. 1287-98) on a regular basis. Known as Hirosawa gire, or "Hirosawa fragment," it is valued highly as a masterpiece of kana ("Japanese phonetic syllabary") calligraphy from the Kamakura period (1185-1333). It was an heirloom of the Hachisuka family and contains a total of 74 poems, 66 of them on spring and eight on autumn. Since guchûreki ("calendar used during Nara and Heian periods") and a document dating 1305 (Kazen 3) are attached to the back, the work serves as important material for research on the development and transition of Hirosawa gire.