Saigyo biography

Saigyo (1118 - March 23, 1190) was a monk and poet during the period between the cloister government and the Kamakura period. His father was Saemon no jo (third-ranked officer of the Left Division of Outer Palace Guards) Yasukiyo SATO and his mother was a daughter of MINAMOTO no Kiyotsune.

His common name was Norikiyo SATO and his posthumous Buddhist name was Eni.

Chosen as the first poem in Shika Wakashu (Waka Collection of Verbal Flowers) of the anthology of waka poems (collected) by Imperial command. A total of 265 poems written by Saigyo were accepted in Nijuichidai-shu (the Collections of Twenty-one reigns) including 18 poems in Senzai Wakashu (Collection of Japanese Poems of a Thousand Years) and 94 poems (the largest number of accepted poems) in Shinkokin Wakashu (New Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poetry).

Kashu (personal collection of poetry) includes "Sankashu" (The first volume of the six Kashu), "Sankashinchushu" (selected by Saigyo) and "Kikig