Literature, both oral and written, reflects the society in which it is produced. The history of literature in Japan, especially poetry, is quite extensive. If we start with Manyoushuu, compiled in 770, up to the present day, the history of the waka is more than twelve hundred years long. Such a vast collection of literature allows us to take a look at Japanese history through its poetry and prose. The development of waka and the changes it has undergone over time are not only a reflection of an art form, but also of its authors. Their social status, values, topic choices, and spiritual beliefs all reflect on the larger society of Japan at the time. The time from the beginning of the Heian period to the end of the Edo period in Japan is approximately one thousand seventy years long and constitutes the majority of recorded Japanese history. Within such an expanse of history and literature, parallels between works are bound to occur as authors build on each other. Ki no Tsurayuki's Tosa Nikki and Matsuo Bashou's Oku no Hesimochi are examples of this. Tosa Nikki, written in 936, and Oku no Hosochi, finished in 1694 are both examples of kikou, or travelogues. (Keene p.82) (Encyclopedia of Japan) Known more formally as kikou bungaku, or travelogue literature, kikou are compositions that record and describe a journey. The length of kikou varies considerably and can be episodic, but nowhere near the length of a work like Genji Monogatari. Journal "entries" also vary in form and can be organized by date, by event, or can simply flow freely without formatted division in the prose. The real stars of kikou like Tosa Nikki and Oku no Hosochi are the poems. Prose exists primarily to support poetry and...... middle of paper......ia long. Works Cited Ebery, Patricia – Walthall, Anne – Palais, James. East Asia: a cultural, social and political history. Second edition. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston. 2009. Donald Keene, Anthology of Japanese Literature from the Early Period to the Mid-Nineteenth Century, Grove Press, 1955. Oku no Hesimochi. Available through Laulima. EALL 271 UH Manoa. Spring 2011.Matsuo Bashou, Encyclopedia of Japan. Kodansha. Available through Japan Knowledge.Tosa Nikki, Encyclopedia of Japan. Kodansha. Available through Japan Knowledge.Uta Makura, Encyclopedia of Japan. Kodansha. Available through Japan Knowledge.Travel Diaries, Encyclopedia of Japan. Kodansha. Available through Japan Knowledge.Waka, Encyclopedia of Japan. Kodansha. Available via Japan Knowledge. "Google Maps", available online at www.google.com/maps