The Kokin Wakashū was published by imperial order about the year 905. Emperor Daigo commissioned its compilation early in the tenth century, making it the first imperially sponsored anthology of waka.
The date refers to the order and beginning of the compilation, not necessarily the completion of every editorial stage. The anthology is associated with 905 in historical summaries, while some accounts place its presentation to the emperor around 906. Its finished form is often dated to about 920.
The collection contains roughly 1,100 poems and is divided into 20 books. Its subjects include spring and autumn poetry, love, travel, partings, laments, miscellaneous poems, and traditional songs from the Bureau of Song. This thematic structure became a model for later imperial anthologies.
The year 914 can also appear in discussions of the text because some historical accounts say the last poem was added then. That later editorial detail does not replace 905 as the standard answer to the question asking when it was published by imperial order.