The Rhetoricity of Poetic Dialogues (<i>Zōtōka</i>) in Heian Japan

Abstract During Japan’s classical era, the Heian period (794–1185 CE), composing and exchanging waka poetry (a practice known as zōtōka [poetic dialogues]) was a necessary skill for participation in court society. In an era dominated by marriage politics, Japanese courtiers used zōtōka not only to establish and maintain relationships but also to exhibit miyabi (courtliness) and gain social currency through identification with the Heian polity. In poetic composition, courtiers exhibited miyabi through the shared aesthetic orientation of aware (sensibility), which functioned as an enthymematic emotional proof that reinforced identification as a primary suasive method within Heian court culture.