Sugawa no Michizane/Origin

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Origin
Sugawara no Michizane, also known as Kan Shōjō or Kanke, was a scholar, poet, and politician of the Heian Period of Japan. He is regarded as an excellent poet, particularly in Chinese poetry, and is today revered as the god of learning, Tenman-Tenjin. Michizane had an exceptional talent in poetry both for kanshi (Chinese poetry) and waka (Japanese poetry). His primary interest was kanshi, because in those days the immersion in the Chinese culture was regarded as a proof of refinement and scholarship. Since his excellence in kanshi was well-known throughout the Court, Emperor Daigo suggested him to compile his Chinese poems, and therefore he published Kanke Bunsō and dedicated it to the emperor in 900. Even after his demotion to the Vice-Governor of Dazaifu, he eargerly continued to work on kanshi and compiled them into Kanke Kōshū in 903, right before his death.