Shirome
Shirome (白女) was a Heian-era Japanese waka poet and asobi, or female entertainer. Her name was almost certainly a moniker used by multiple asobi, and follows the trend of suffixing -me (女) to mean "girl" (Shirome means "white girl"). The daughter of Ōe no Tamabuchi (摂津国玉淵), governor of Tango Province and himself a waka poet.
Shirome
- Born
- 1000 · Settsu Province.
- Nationality
- Japan
- Occupation
- poet · writer
- Languages
- Japanese
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
VALÉORINE documentary reading
Documentary summary
Shirome (白女) was a Heian-era Japanese waka poet and asobi, or female entertainer. Her name was almost certainly a moniker used by multiple asobi, and follows the trend of suffixing -me (女) to mean "girl" (Shirome means "white girl"). The daughter of Ōe no Tamabuchi (摂津国玉淵), governor of Tango Province and himself a waka poet.
Admitted source layer · organised and presented by VALÉORINE
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Shirome. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
wikidata · Q3482373 · wikipedia · Shirome
In this article
Biography
Her aristocratic background was rare but not unique among asobi. Her encounter with Emperor Uda, recorded in both the Ōkagami and Yamato Monogatari, illuminates this tension. The retired emperor notices Shirome's beauty while relaxing at Torikai (鳥飼), and hearing Tamabuchi is her father challenges her to prove it by composing a poem on the theme of Torikai. She promptly recites a poem punning on Torikai and alluding to the emperor as spring, whereupon the court showers her with praise and gifts. The Kokin Wakashū includes one of her poems: • If life were to last • however long we saw fit • would we be likely • to suffer such deep distress • just because of a parting? The only asobi identifiable in the Kokin Wakashū, though many asobi composed poetry to entertain large groups.
The recorded working language is Japanese.
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Shirome”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q3482373: Shirome
General reference · Wikidata
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
38,377 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Shirley ConranAuthor
- Shirley Graham Du BoisAuthor
- Shirley JacksonAuthor
- Shirley KaufmanAuthor
- Shirshendu MukhopadhyayAuthor
- ShitaoAuthor
- Shitou XiqianAuthor
- Shiv Kumar BatalviAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own a work by Shirome?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.