80 Haiku And Japanese Poetry Trivia Questions with Answers
80 public questions with answers, drawn from the well. How many can you answer?
Haiku and Japanese poetry trivia covers Japan’s long poetic tradition, from classical waka anthologies to the concise haiku associated with Matsuo Bashō. Questions examine influential collections such as the Man’yōshū and Kokin Wakashū, the structure of imperial anthologies, Heian poets and the development of Japanese poetic language.
The quiz also reaches beyond the familiar 5-7-5 pattern. You may be asked about Bashō’s birth year, Ozaki Hōsai’s only haiku book or Kawahigashi Hekigotō’s rejection of strict syllabic form. It suits literature students, poetry readers, Japanese-culture enthusiasts and thoughtful classroom or pub-quiz teams. Expect a mix of recognizable names, historical context, anthology knowledge and debates about what defines modern haiku.
Which Heian poet was one of the Rokkasen and is famed for beauty in waka legend?
Answer
Ono no Komachi
Which Japanese poetry anthology contains about 4,500 poems?
Answer
Man'yoshu
How many books divide the Kokin Wakashu?
Answer
20
Which Japanese poet wrote the kana preface to the Kokin Wakashu?
Answer
Ki no Tsurayuki
In what year was Matsuo Basho born?
Answer
1644
What was the title of Ozaki Hōsai's only haiku book?
Answer
Daikū
What writing system in the Man'yōshū helped give kana its name?
Answer
Man'yōgana
Which anthology's title means Collection of Ancient and Modern Japanese Poems?
Answer
Kokin Wakashū
Which oldest extant waka anthology is noted as having no preface?
Answer
Man'yōshū
Who is widely believed to be the final compiler of the Man'yōshū?
Answer
Ōtomo no Yakamochi
Which waka form is a tanka with one extra 7-on phrase at the end?
Answer
Bussokusekika
Which waka form is literally a long poem?
Answer
Chōka
What variant name for waka literally means Japanese poem or Yamato song?
Answer
Yamato-uta
What is the sound pattern of the waka form sedōka?
Answer
5-7-7-5-7-7
Which Japanese card game uses a deck based on the Hyakunin Isshu?
Answer
uta-garuta
Who compiled the standard Ogura Hyakunin Isshu?
Answer
Fujiwara no Teika
Which court poet led the compilers of the Kokin Wakashū?
Answer
Ki no Tsurayuki
Which emperor ordered the publication of the Kokin Wakashū?
Answer
Emperor Daigo
How many volumes make up the Man'yōshū?
Answer
20
Which anthology is the oldest extant collection of Japanese waka?
Answer
Man'yōshū
What is the literal English meaning of Man'yōshū?
Answer
Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves
In which Japanese city was Masaoka Shiki born?
Answer
Matsuyama
In which Japanese city did Matsuo Bashō die in 1694?
Answer
Osaka
What was Matsuo Bashō's birth name?
Answer
Matsuo Kinsaku
What is the title of the 1691 haiku anthology compiled by Bashō and his disciples?
Answer
The Monkey's Straw Raincoat
In what year did the poet Yosa Buson die?
Answer
1784
Which 20th-century Japanese poet is known for free-form haiku and a wandering lifestyle?
Answer
Taneda Santōka
Haiku And Japanese Poetry trivia — quick answers
What are good haiku and Japanese poetry trivia questions?
Good questions cover haiku structure, major poets, classical anthologies, Japanese literary history and changing poetic forms. Examples include identifying the Man’yōshū, naming the poet who wrote the kana preface to the Kokin Wakashū, recalling when Matsuo Bashō was born and recognizing Hekigotō’s free-form approach.
How hard is haiku and Japanese poetry trivia?
This category ranges from accessible to advanced. A basic question may ask about haiku’s familiar 5-7-5 pattern or Matsuo Bashō, while harder questions concern imperial anthology order, Heian literary figures, Japanese terminology and modern reform movements. It is especially suitable for literature classes and specialist quiz rounds.
What is the Man’yōshū?
The Man’yōshū is Japan’s oldest surviving major poetry anthology and contains about 4,500 poems. Compiled during the Nara period, it includes poems in several forms, including waka, and preserves work by members of the court as well as other voices. Its title is often translated as “Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves.”
How many books are in the Kokin Wakashū?
The Kokin Wakashū is divided into 20 books. Compiled in the early Heian period by imperial order, it is one of Japan’s most influential waka anthologies. It is also known as the Kokinshū, meaning “Collection of Japanese Poems from Ancient and Modern Times.”
Who wrote the kana preface to the Kokin Wakashū?
Ki no Tsurayuki wrote the kana preface to the Kokin Wakashū. The preface is significant in Japanese literary history because it presents a sustained critical discussion of Japanese poetry in kana rather than classical Chinese. A separate preface in Chinese was written by Ki no Yoshimochi.