Meigetsuki (Handwritten Version)

Fujiwara no Teika's Own Diary

The Meigetsuki (Autograph Manuscript) (明月記〈自筆本〉) is the autograph manuscript of the Meigetsuki, the diary of Fujiwara no Teika, owned by the Reizei Family Shiguretei Library in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto City, which in 2000 was designated a National Treasure.

The Agency for Cultural Affairs records 58 scrolls and one hanging scroll, owned by the Reizei Family Shiguretei Library.

According to the Agency, the original handed down in the Reizei family comprises 56 scrolls of daily entries, one hanging scroll, a record of a special festival in 1198, and an undated fragment.

The Diary

According to the Agency, the Meigetsuki records court and aristocratic society and the movements of warriors from the Genpei War to after the Jokyu disturbance, along with Teika's own literary activity and thoughts, making it a first-rate source for the early Kamakura period. It is said to span from about 1177 to 1241, when Teika died at 80.

The daily entries held by the library cover about 25 years, with gaps, from 1192 to 1233, each scroll grouping roughly three months. All are fair copies Teika arranged himself, with many of his additions and deletions; some were copied by his aides under his supervision.

What to Look For

The Agency notes that 34 scrolls carry letters on their backs, about 600 in all. Designated an Important Cultural Property in 1982, the diary was restored over twelve years from 1988, making these letters legible; most are addressed to Teika and supplement the diary. It was designated a National Treasure when restoration was completed.

A newly found hanging scroll is a fragment from the entry for 27 October 1200, on Teika's promotion in rank. A mid-Edo supplementary copy and a scroll of old covers for ten scrolls are designated with it.

Visiting the Meigetsuki (Autograph Manuscript)

The manuscript is owned by the Reizei Family Shiguretei Library and is not on regular display; watch for exhibition announcements.