Poem by Kakinomoto Hitomaro

Kakinomoto Hitomaro (d. 708) is venerated by the Japanese as one of their earliest poets. His poem, inscribed in this image, is taken from the anthology Kokin wakashū (Collection of Japanese Poems of Ancient and Modern Times), from around the year 905: Into the mist, glowing with dawn across the Bay of Akashi a boat carries my thoughts into hiding islands beyond —trans. Lewis Cook Harunobu alludes to Hitomaro’s poem by depicting a young woman lost in thought, looking out a window toward the distant boats.