Ruijū Koshū: The Only Surviving Thematic Reorganization of the Man'yōshū

Housed within the Ōmiya Library of Ryukoku University in Kyoto, the Ruijū Koshū (類聚古集, "Classified Collection of Ancient Poems") is a designated National Treasure of Japan. This remarkable Heian-period manuscript represents the first—and only surviving—systematic reorganization of the Man'yōshū, Japan's oldest and most celebrated anthology of poetry. For visitors drawn to the literary and cultural foundations of Japan, this manuscript offers a rare window into how Heian-era scholars engaged with the poetic heritage of an even more ancient age.

What Is the Ruijū Koshū?

The Man'yōshū ("Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves"), compiled around 759 AD, contains over 4,500 poems spanning several centuries of Japanese literary history. However, its contents are arranged without a consistent organizational system, making it difficult for later readers to locate specific poems by theme or form.

In the late Heian period, the court scholar Fujiwara no Atsutaka (d. 1120) undertook the ambitious task of reorganizing the entire Man'yōshū. He classified its poems first by poetic form—chōka (long poems), tanka (short poems), and sedōka (head-turning poems)—and then further subdivided them by theme: the four seasons, celestial phenomena, mountains and rivers, and many more. Within each seasonal category, poems were arranged to follow the natural progression of the season, and within those, by specific motifs such as rain, snow, or cherry blossoms.

The result was a literary reference tool that allowed poets and scholars to quickly find poems on any given subject—functioning, in a sense, as an early form of thematic index for classical Japanese poetry.

Why Was It Designated a National Treasure?

The Ruijū Koshū was designated a National Treasure on March 31, 1953. According to Ryukoku University's official description, its extraordinary value rests on three pillars.

First, the manuscript held at Ryukoku University is the only surviving copy of the Ruijū Koshū in the world. Fujiwara no Atsutaka's original is long lost, but this copy was produced not long after the original's completion, making it an irreplaceable cultural artifact.

Second, the Ruijū Koshū is the first work to classify and reorganize the poems of the Man'yōshū. No earlier attempt at such a systematic rearrangement is known to exist, giving the Ruijū Koshū a unique place in the history of Japanese literary scholarship.

Third, the manuscript preserves man'yōgana alongside kana readings. The original Man'yōshū was written entirely in man'yōgana—Chinese characters used phonetically to represent Japanese sounds. In the Ruijū Koshū, each poem appears with both the original man'yōgana and contemporaneous kana notations, providing invaluable evidence of how these ancient poems were read and pronounced during the late Heian period.

Highlights and Points of Interest

The surviving manuscript consists of 16 booklets (jō) out of an original 20, containing approximately 3,834 poems. Each booklet is a bound manuscript measuring approximately 22.3 cm tall by 14.2 cm wide, written on traditional Japanese paper in flowing calligraphic script.

Of particular note, volumes 3 and 4 bear the cipher "Ichiken ryō" (一見了, meaning "reviewed once") in the hand of Emperor Fushimi (1265–1317), a renowned calligrapher and poetry connoisseur of the Kamakura period. This imperial endorsement confirms that the manuscript was treasured at the highest levels of Japanese society for centuries.

The manuscript also features red ink annotations, marginal notes, and variant readings added by successive generations of scholars, making each page a palimpsest of literary engagement spanning hundreds of years.

Provenance and Current Ownership

The Ruijū Koshū was long held by the Ōtani family, the hereditary heads of Nishi Honganji (the Western Temple of the Original Vow), one of the most important Pure Land Buddhist institutions in Japan. It was later entrusted to Ryukoku University, which was founded from the educational traditions of Nishi Honganji and traces its origins to 1639. Today, the manuscript is preserved in the university's Ōmiya Library, where it receives the meticulous care that a National Treasure demands.

Viewing Opportunities

As a National Treasure, the Ruijū Koshū is not on permanent display. It is exhibited only on special occasions, typically at the Ryukoku Museum, which is located directly across from the World Heritage–listed Nishi Honganji temple in central Kyoto. The museum periodically features the manuscript as part of special exhibitions or as a highlight of its collection showcases, though the specific booklets and pages on display are rotated during each exhibition period.

Ryukoku University has also made monochrome digital images of the entire manuscript available through its Rare Books Image Database, allowing scholars and enthusiasts worldwide to study the work online. For those planning a visit, checking the Ryukoku Museum's exhibition schedule in advance is essential to confirm whether the Ruijū Koshū will be on view.

Surrounding Attractions

The Ryukoku Museum's prime location places visitors within easy reach of some of Kyoto's most significant cultural landmarks. Nishi Honganji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, stands directly opposite the museum and is celebrated for its magnificent Karamon gate and lavishly decorated reception halls. Just a short walk east lies Higashi Honganji, another grand temple of the Pure Land Buddhist tradition.

Kyoto Station, one of Japan's most architecturally striking modern buildings, is approximately a 12-minute walk away, offering convenient access to restaurants, shops, and transportation links. The Kyoto Tower observation deck provides panoramic views of the city and its surrounding mountains. For those interested in further literary and historical exploration, the Kyoto National Museum is located a short bus ride to the east, housing an outstanding collection of Japanese art and cultural properties.