Man'yōshū · Asuka Period · ca. 668

Forbidden Love in the Purple Fields | Ōmi, 668 CE

あかねさす紫野行き標野行き野守は見ずや君が袖振る

Akane sasu / Murasaki no yuki / Shimeno yuki / Nomori wa mizu ya / Kimi ga sode furu

Through fields of royal purple, glowing madder-red, Past forbidden grounds where watchful guards are set— Do they not see you waving your sleeve at me?

— Nukata no Ōkimi (額田王)

About the Poet

Nukata no Ōkimi (c. 630–690 CE) stands as one of Japan's earliest and most celebrated female poets, her verses preserved as treasures in the Man'yōshū. Born into the turbulent Asuka period, she led a dramatic life at the heart of imperial power. First consort to Prince Ōama (later Emperor Tenmu), she bore him a daughter before becoming attached to his elder brother, Emperor Tenji—a love triangle that inspired some of Japan's most passionate early poetry. Her linguistic brilliance earned her the role of court ritualist, composing verses for state ceremonies. This particular poem captures a dangerous moment of forbidden flirtation during an imperial hunt in Ōmi Province, with Prince Ōama boldly waving his sleeve despite watchful guards. Visitors to the Lake Biwa region can still feel echoes of this ancient passion in the purple wildflower fields. Her legacy as a pioneer of Japanese lyric poetry continues to inspire, representing the sophisticated cultural achievements of the Asuka court.

Gamono (East Ōmi City), Shiga

Gamono, in present-day Higashi-Ōmi City, Shiga Prefecture, preserves the memory of ancient imperial hunting grounds along Lake Biwa's eastern shores. In early summer, the fields bloom with murasaki (gromwell), the purple-rooted plant used to create the imperial purple dye that gives this landscape its poetic significance. The Manyo no Mori park commemorates this literary heritage with poetry monuments and wildflower meadows. Visitors can explore the gentle rolling terrain where 7th-century nobles once hunted and conducted elaborate court rituals. The nearby Eigenji temple and its atmospheric approach offer glimpses of timeless Japanese scenery. Best visited May through July when purple flowers carpet the fields. The Ohmi Railway provides charming local access, while Lake Biwa's eastern shore offers stunning sunset views that would have inspired Asuka-period poets.

Understanding the Poem

This poem captures a breathless moment of forbidden romance during an imperial hunting excursion around 668 CE. The opening 'akane sasu' (madder-red shining) is a makurakotoba (pillow word) conventionally paired with purple, creating a vivid color palette of passionate red and noble purple. The 'shimeno' (marked fields) were imperially restricted hunting grounds—making Prince Ōama's bold sleeve-waving doubly transgressive. Sleeve-waving was a recognized gesture of romantic beckoning in ancient Japan. The rhetorical question 'do the guards not see?' heightens the tension between public duty and private passion. Nukata no Ōkimi's genius lies in compressing political intrigue, forbidden love, and sensory beauty into thirty-one syllables. The poem exemplifies the Man'yōshū's characteristic directness and emotional intensity, predating the more subtle aesthetic of later Heian poetry.