Kamo no Chomei

Kamo no Chomei was a Japanese poet born in the city of Shimokamo in 1155. His father held a high position in the administration of a Shinto shrine, and Kamo was soon introduced to the court. From this early experience, his passion for poetry and music seems to have been born. Nevertheless, his life was strongly marked by the politically and socially turbulent times in which he lived, leading him to abandon the privileged circle in which he had grown up. After converting to Buddhism in 1204, he decided to leave the city permanently and take refuge in his mountain hut. He died in 1216, at the age of 61.