1,300-Year-Old Poem: Autumn Longing at Miyajima
About the Poet
This poem is attributed to an anonymous poet of the Nara period (710-794 CE), likely composed around 750 CE during the height of Japan's first permanent capital. Anonymous works in the Man'yoshu often represent the voices of common people, travelers, soldiers, and minor officials whose names were lost to history but whose emotions remain vivid. This poet was likely a traveler or official journeying through the Seto Inland Sea, passing the sacred shores of Itsukushima. The reference to 'aoniyoshi' (fresh verdant green), the traditional pillow word for Nara, reveals deep nostalgia for the imperial capital. During this era, Nara was Japan's political and cultural center, home to grand Buddhist temples like Todai-ji and aristocratic estates. The poet's longing while gazing at distant island shores captures the universal traveler's homesickness. For modern visitors to both Nara and Miyajima, this poem bridges two of Japan's most sacred landscapes through timeless human emotion.
Itsukushima (Miyajima), Hiroshima
Itsukushima, known worldwide as Miyajima, floats like a jewel in Hiroshima Bay. Famous for its iconic vermillion torii gate rising from the sea, this sacred island has been a pilgrimage destination for over a millennium. Autumn transforms the island into a tapestry of crimson maples against ancient shrine architecture. Visitors can wander through Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site built over tidal waters. The island's forests shelter wild deer, while Mount Misen offers panoramic views across the Seto Inland Sea. Best visited during autumn (November) for momiji viewing or during low tide when you can walk to the great torii. Ferries depart regularly from Miyajimaguchi, just 45 minutes from central Hiroshima. Don't miss the local specialty: grilled momiji manju and fresh Hiroshima oysters.
Understanding the Poem
This Man'yoshu poem exemplifies the classical Japanese poetic technique of linking distant places through emotion. The poet stands on Itsukushima's rocky shores in autumn, observing seaweed growing on tidal stones, when thoughts suddenly leap to Nara, the capital hundreds of kilometers away. The 'pillow word' aoniyoshi (verdant green) traditionally precedes mentions of Nara, evoking the lush hills surrounding the ancient capital. The final question—'has the capital burst into bloom?'—suggests seasonal displacement: while experiencing autumn's decline on the island, the poet imagines spring's renewal in the city. This temporal confusion mirrors the disorientation of homesickness. The poem's power lies in its juxtaposition of present landscape (sea, rocks, seaweed) with imagined home (blooming capital), revealing how travelers carry internal landscapes wherever they journey.
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