The Kyokusui no Utage (winding stream banquet), a poetry game popular among Heian-period aristocrats, was held on April 29, 2026, at Jonan-gu Shrine in Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City. Seven poets, dressed in Heian-period attire, elegantly composed waka poems by the stream.
The Kyokusui no Utage is believed to have become a court event established from the Nara period to the Heian period. A boat carrying sake cups is floated down a stream in the garden, and waka poems are composed extemporaneously during the time.
Jonan-gu Shrine revived the event in 1970 to coincide with the World Expo, aiming to allow people to experience this elegant, ancient Japanese culture. Since then, it has been held annually on "Showa Day."
This year's theme was "The Cuckoo at Dawn," commemorating the 800th anniversary of Emperor Go-Toba's compilation of his poetry collection in 1226.
Ai Nakaoka (33 years old), a calligrapher and company employee, participated for the third time. She composed a poem depicting the scene of rice paddies shining brightly along with the sound of a cuckoo. "Since it's a bird that has been written about so often, I had a hard time finding something new," she said with a wry smile.
