A leading poet-aristocrat of the early Heian period, born a grandson of Emperor Heizei. Counted among the Six Poetry Immortals (Rokkasen) and the Thirty-Six Poetry Sages, he is regarded as the model for the protagonist "a man of old" in the Ise Monogatari. Despite his imperial lineage, he was politically marginalized during the Fujiwara ascendancy and served as a provincial official in various regions. His poem composed during an eastward journey—"If you live up to your name, let me ask you, capital bird: is the one I love still there or not?" (Kokinshū)—poignantly captures his longing for a lover left in the capital. Together with Ono no Komachi, he became the archetype of romantic ardor, and his style of interweaving love and nature formed a major current in Heian literary aesthetics.

A man of refined taste who combined ardent romantic feeling with a delicate aesthetic sensibility. He prioritized poetry and love over his duties as an official, and was known for pursuing women beyond social boundaries—yet his emotions were sincere and deep, producing many celebrated poems.

Through the Ise Monogatari, he exerted enormous influence on later literature, performing arts, and visual culture. Numerous Noh plays, Kabuki performances, and ukiyo-e works feature him as protagonist. He remains a symbolic figure of Japan's culture of romantic sensibility to this day.