Hyakunin Isshu Visualized
TF-IDF Analysis

Each of the hundred poems has been broken down word by word. Based on how the words that symbolize each poem resonate with one another (a TF-IDF analysis), poems with kindred spirits are placed close together, while unrelated poems drift apart. Like constellations in a night sky, you can enjoy the connections between poems visually.

Narrow Down the Stars

Adjust the "connection strength" slider below, and only the stars (poems) that are more alike will rise into view.

Light Up Stars by Theme

Try pressing the theme buttons below (grouped by classical anthology categories, or by finer shades of love). These themes classify the "heart" of each poem — something data analysis alone can't measure. Choose a theme like "Hidden Love" or "Waiting Love," and the matching stars will all light up at once, rising out of the vast cosmos.

Enjoy a world of waka poetry where objective data and subjective themes intersect.

The diagram above is a 3D map created by running the Hyakunin Isshu through morphological analysis. Using TF-IDF, it visualizes the semantic closeness between poems as an interactive 3D map.

For the morphological analysis on this page, we used MeCab as the analysis engine and the National Institute for Japanese Language and Linguistics' Chūko-Wabun UniDic as the dictionary.