Kakinomoto hitomaro biography examples

KAKINOMOTO no Hitomaro (male, c. 660 to c. 720) was a poet in the Asuka period. He is one of the 36 Immortal Poets. He, with YAMABE no Akahito, was called a kasei, or great poet, and has been regarded highly ever since.

His name has often been written as '人丸' (Hitomaro) since the time of the Heian Period.

Kakinomoto hitomaro biography examples

Personal Profile
The Kakinomoto clan is an illegitimate line of the Kasuga clan, who called themselves the descendants of the Emperor Kosho. As for Hitomaro's background, one theory suggests that KAKINOMOTO no Oba was his father and KAKINOMOTO no Saru his brother.

However, as no proof has survived in contemporary historical sources there is no other choice but to consider all of his background unknown.

His career is unknown because there are no records about it even in historical works such as the "Shoku Nihongi" (Chronicle of Japan Continued).

The only existing source is poems in the "Manyoshu" (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves) and the daish