TheUtakai Hajime (歌会始,First poetry competition) is an annual gathering, convened by theEmperor of Japan, in which participants read traditionalJapanese poetry on a common theme before a wider audience.[1] It is held on 1 January at theTokyo Imperial Palace, and is broadcast live on theNHK General TV and abroad onNHK World Premium.
The exact origins of the tradition are unclear, though it is known that theEmperor Kameyama convened a January poetry reading, at the Imperial Palace inKyoto, as early as 1267.[1] Sometime during theEdo period the practice became more regular, and since theMeiji restoration of 1869, it has been held almost every year.[1]
Poems written by the general public were admitted for consideration for the first time in 1879.[1] Since 1946, any poet whose work is selected is invited to attend. In 1957 American poetLucille Nixon became the first non-Japanese person to do so.[2]
Poems read at the ceremony belong to thetanka genre.[1]
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