Hyakunin Isshu · Asuka Period · ca. 668

Japan's First Poem: An Emperor in a Peasant's Hut, 668 CE

秋の田のかりほの庵の苫をあらみわが衣手は露にぬれつつ

Aki no ta no / kariho no io no / toma wo arami / waga koromode wa / tsuyu ni nuretsutsu

In the autumn fields, a humble harvest hut— through gaps in the rough-woven thatch, my sleeves grow heavy with the falling dew.

— Emperor Tenji (天智天皇)

About the Poet

Emperor Tenji (626-672 CE) was one of Japan's most transformative rulers, reigning from 668 until his death. Born Prince Naka-no-Ōe, he orchestrated the pivotal Taika Reforms of 645, fundamentally restructuring Japanese government along Chinese Tang dynasty models. He established Japan's first water clock and created the country's earliest written legal codes. In 667, he made a momentous decision to relocate the imperial capital from Asuka to Ōtsu on the shores of Lake Biwa in present-day Shiga Prefecture—a strategic move following Japan's devastating naval defeat at the Battle of Baekgang. Though this poem is attributed to him, scholars believe it was composed later in his honor, capturing an emperor's compassion for his laboring subjects. The poem opens the famous Hyakunin Isshu anthology, symbolically placing imperial concern for common people at the foundation of Japanese poetic tradition. Visitors to the Lake Biwa region can explore the ruins of his Ōtsu Palace and visit Ōmi Shrine, dedicated to his memory, connecting directly with this foundational figure of Japanese civilization.

Otsu Palace (Ōmi Ōtsu-no-miya), Shiga

The Ōtsu Palace ruins lie along Lake Biwa's southwestern shore in Shiga Prefecture, marking where Emperor Tenji established his brief but significant capital from 667-672 CE. Today, the palace site is commemorated at Ōmi Shrine, a vermillion-lacquered sanctuary surrounded by ancient pines, dedicated to Emperor Tenji's memory. Autumn transforms this area into a spectacular display—rice fields turn golden, morning mists rise from Japan's largest lake, and the surrounding mountains blaze with crimson maples. Visit in early November for peak autumn colors, or time your trip for the shrine's annual clock festival in June, celebrating Tenji's invention of Japan's first water clock. The lakeside path offers serene morning walks where dew still clings to the reeds, evoking the poem's imagery. From Kyoto, Ōtsu is just ten minutes by train, making it a perfect half-day excursion into imperial history.

Understanding the Poem

This deceptively simple poem opens the Hyakunin Isshu anthology with profound significance—an emperor speaking from a humble harvest hut, his imperial sleeves dampened by common dew. The 'kariho' (temporary shelter) where farmers stayed during autumn harvest becomes a powerful symbol of impermanence and shared human experience. The coarse 'toma' (rush mats) fail to protect against nature's gentle intrusion, suggesting that even the most powerful cannot shield themselves from life's ephemeral beauty and hardship. The continuous action ('nuretsutsu') creates a meditative quality, as dew accumulates moment by moment through the night. This poem embodies 'aware'—the bittersweet awareness of transience that permeates Japanese aesthetics. By placing an emperor in a peasant's position, the poem bridges social hierarchy through shared vulnerability to nature, establishing a foundational theme for Japanese poetry: nobility found not in status, but in sensitivity to the natural world's quiet dramas.