About Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō
Lived 1150 – 1207 (aged 56–57). Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō was a Japanese poet and writer.
was a 13th-century Japanese poet, painter, and lady-in-waiting to Emperor Go-Toba. A prominent poet during the Kamakura period, she is considered one of the Thirty-Six Female Immortals of Poetry. Along with Princess Shikishi and Shunzei's daughter, she is recognized as one of the greatest women poets of the 13th century. Her career as a poet-prodigy lasted from approximately 1200 to 1204; she is thought to have died in 1204 or 1205.
She was the daughter of and his wife (personal name Aki), the daughter of the painter Kose Munemochi, and the sister of Minamoto no Tomochika, who was himself recognized as one of the New Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry. Her father was a descendant of Emperor Murakami through Minister of the Left Toshifusa. Her mother had been a lady-in-waiting to retired Emperor Go-Shirakawa and was a famous koto player. It was believed that her death was a result of her great exertion and she was greatly admired and lamented by the poet Jakuren. The Sasamegoto, a poetic treatise by the 15th century poet Shinkei, stated that her poetic labours were so exhausting that she spat blood. Unlike Shunzei's daughter who lived to be in her 80s, Kunaikyō was said to have been less than 20 years old when she died.
Poetry One poems she wrote for the hundred-poem sequence was recorded in the Masukagami.
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Important facts
People in Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō?
Japanese lady poet
When was Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō born?
Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō was born in 1150 in Japan.
When did Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō die?
Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō died in 1207.
What was Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō's occupation?
Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō was a poet and writer.
What nationality was Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō?
Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō was Japanese.
Sources & further reading
· Wikipedia: Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō. https://biography.guide/go-toba-in-kunai-kyo/
MLA: "Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/go-toba-in-kunai-kyo/.
Chicago: "Go-Toba In Kunai-kyō." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/go-toba-in-kunai-kyo/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-24 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
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