Teika-ki (Memorial Day of Fujiwara no Teika)

What Is Teika-ki?

August 20th is "Teika-ki," the memorial day of Fujiwara no Teika (also read Sadaie), one of the most celebrated poets of the late Heian to early Kamakura period, who died on this day in 1241.

Remembering the Poet Behind the Shin Kokin Wakashu and Hyakunin Isshu

Teika-ki is a day set aside to remember the legacy of Fujiwara no Teika, whose influence on Japanese poetry remains profound to this day.

• Origin: The memorial day marks Teika's death at age 80 on August 20, 1241.
• Major achievement: He was one of the compilers of the "Shin Kokin Wakashu," an imperial anthology commissioned by Retired Emperor Go-Toba.
• Lasting legacy: He is credited as the compiler of "Ogura Hyakunin Isshu," the classic anthology that still shapes the karuta card game played today.

A Giant of Japanese Literary History

Teika is also known for his diary, the "Meigetsuki," which he kept throughout his life. Living through the transition from courtly rule to the samurai era, his refined and technically masterful poetic style left a lasting mark on later waka and renga poetry.

Ways to Mark the Day

• Read poems from the "Shin Kokin Wakashu" or "Ogura Hyakunin Isshu"
• Learn about Fujiwara no Teika's life and his diary, the "Meigetsuki"
• Recite a favorite waka poem aloud
• Play a round of Hyakunin Isshu karuta

Words That Still Reach Us Across Eight Centuries

Teika-ki is a day to reflect on a poet who refined the beauty of Japanese verse to its utmost. On August 20th, take a moment to listen again to the words Teika wove nearly 800 years ago.