Man'yōshū

thumb|right|80px|alt=Two vertical lines of Japanese text written in calligraphy, read right to left. The first character has smaller, simpler red characters written around it.|A replica of a poem  8, by Princess Nukata|Nukata no Ōkimi The is the oldest extant collection of Japanese (poetry in Classical Japanese), compiled sometime after AD 759 during the Nara period. The anthology is one of the most revered of Japan's poetic compilations. The compiler, or the last in a series of compilers, is today widely believed to be Ōtomo no Yakamochi, although numerous other theories have been proposed. The chronologically last datable poem in the collection is from AD 759 ( 4516). It contains many poems from a much earlier period, with the bulk of the collection representing the period between AD 600 and 759. The precise significance of the title is not known with certainty.

The comprises more than 4,500 poems in 20 volumes, and is broadly divided into three genres: , songs at banquets and trips; , songs about love between men and women; and , songs to mourn the death of people. These songs were written by people of various statuses, such as the Emperor, aristocrats, junior officials, soldiers ( songs), street performers, peasants, and folk songs (Eastern songs). There are more than 2,100 poems by unknown authors.