Yakamochi Otomo and his additions of the Book of the Manyou
The poet Yakamochi Otomo was born to his father Tabito Otomo in 718 AD . The Otomo Clan had produced warriors for generations to protect the Imperial Court and, following in the footstepts of his ancestors, Yakamochi's father took up a post in Kyushu, bringing his son with him.
Yakamochi learned classical Chinese texts from his father and Tanka (Japanese short, syllabic style of poetry) composition from his aunt, Iratsume Sakaue and one of his father's subordinates, Okura Yamanoue.
After returning to the capital of Nara, Yakamochi's father died. Yakamochi was 15 years old, but he was soon given work as a guard of a close associate to the Emperor. In 746 AD, at the age of 29, he was chosen to be the governor of Echu (present-day Toyama.) He arrived in Echu's capital in July of that year and spent five years in service to Echu before returning to Nara in August, 751 AD.
Yakamochi, far away from the beautiful capital of Nara, had an acute case of homesickness and would thus console himself by writing many Tanka poems. Among the 4,516 Tanka in the Manyo Anthology, 472 are said to be the work of Yakamochi; 224 of them written while he was in Echu.
The places mentioned in the Manyo Anthology cover the whole of Japan, but the places most commonly mentioned are the capital Yamato region, Echu and Chikuzen. The total number of place names mentioned is 160, 140 of which mention Toyama. The figure of 140 includes not only the Tankas, but also their prefaces, and in this number, approximately 50 mention Himi. It is for this reason that Himi is called "the hometown of the Manyo Anthology."
Moreover, Yakamochi and his contemporaries wrote some 95 poems (aside from those featured in the Manyo Anthology) about Toyama, 32 of which mention Himi. A particular fondness for Himi's Lake Fuse, near the Echu capital, the Ao shore, Himi Bay, Tako shore and Matsudae beach made these sights sources of inspiration for the poets.
If you'd like to read his poems in the original classical Japanese, please check out this site
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