About Ton'a
Lived 1289 – 1372 (aged 82–83). Ton'a was a Japanese poet and writer.
, also read as Tonna; lay name – Nikaidō Sadamune (二階堂貞宗), was a Japanese Buddhist poet who was a student of Nijō Tameyo. Ton'a took a tonsure at Enryaku-ji Temple, but was later associated with the Ji sect (founded by Ippen). He looked up to Saigyō's poetic genius.
Poetry
The following are two of his best-known poems:
Extant Works
Ei Sanshu Waka (詠三首和歌/頓阿), 1367 In 1367, Ashikaga Yoshiakira hosted a poetry gathering at Nii-Tamatsushima Shrine. The scroll consist of three poems, and the script's casual arrangements indicates influence from Fujiwara no Yukinari. The scroll originally was owned by Fujita Denzaburō until 1934, subsequently sold in Kyoto in 2014 to collectors Mary and Cheney Cowles, who then donated the scroll to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2022 (Accession 2022.432.5).
Don’t just read it —
keep it.
Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.
- E-book
- Audio
- Video
Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free
Important facts
People in Ton'a's life
Named in this biography and alive at the same time
Related people
Same field, nearest in time
Contemporaries
People whose lives overlapped Ton'a's
Frequently asked questions
Who was Ton'a?
Japanese poet
When was Ton'a born?
Ton'a was born in 1289.
When did Ton'a die?
Ton'a died on 17 April 1372.
What was Ton'a's occupation?
Ton'a was a poet and writer.
What nationality was Ton'a?
Ton'a was Japanese.
Sources & further reading
Cite this page
APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ton'a. https://biography.guide/ton-a/
MLA: "Ton'a." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ton-a/.
Chicago: "Ton'a." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ton-a/.
Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.
Page generated 2026-09-27 05:22 UTC