For centuries waka, or Japanese poetry, was by far the predominant form of literary art in medieval Japan. Poetry collections such as Manyoshu and Kokinshu contain poems written in the 5th century. (Man'yoshu, Encyclopedia of Japan) The development of waka in its various forms such as haiku, tanka, and choka reached a point of high sophistication in the Heian period into an exquisitely refined culture. (Heian Period, Encyclopedia of Japan) The earliest collections of works contained in Manyoshu and Kokinshu provided writing examples and manuals for Heian court poets, thus establishing poetic guidelines and vocabulary for use in writing traditional Japanese waka. Writing poetry was a social necessity in Heian period Japan. Even those outside the prestigious and highly literary Heian court needed a superficial knowledge of how to interpret and compose poetry to be socially successful. (Introduction to the Tale of Genji, Royall Tyler) During the Heian period, Japanese literature expanded to include works other than the traditional forms of poetry exemplified in manyoshu and kokinshu. At the Heian court in Japan, two other forms of literature were developed and produced: nikki and monogatari. Nikki can be translated as dairy or diary and indeed some examples of nikki are rather methodical daily records of feelings and events. (Nikki Bungaku, Encyclopedia of Japan) Monogatari, on the other hand, can be translated as talking about things, and is by far the more narrative of the two literary genres. (Monogatari, Encyclopedia of Japan) Well-known examples of nikki are Tosa Nikki from Ki no Tsurayuki and Izumi Shikibu Nikki from Izumi Shikibu while the most famous example of monogatari both during Heian......middle of paper.... . KnowledgeHeian Period, Encyclopedia of Japan, Kodansha, available through Japan KnowledgeRoyall Tyler, The Tale of Genji Abridged Introduction, Penguin Books, 2006.Nikki Bungaku, Encyclopedia of Japan, Kodansha, available through Japan KnowledgeMonogatari, Encyclopedia of Japan, Kodansha, available through Japan KnowledgeIse Monogatari, Encyclopedia of Japan, Kodansha, available via Japan KnowledgeMan'yougana, Encyclopedia of Japan, Kodansha, available through Japan KnowledgeTaketori Monogatari, Encyclopedia of Japan, Kodansha, available through Japan KnowledgeDonald Keene, Anthology of Japanese Literature from the early era to mid-nineteenth century, Grove Press, 1955.Izumi Shikibu, Encyclopedia of Japan, Kodansha, available through Japan KnowledgeGenji Monogatari, Encyclopedia of Japan, Kodansha, available via