In Japan, what is "Renga"?

"Renga" is a Japanese verse form. It is ancient in origin, going back at least to the 7th century CE, and was formalised as early as the 14th century by Nijō Yoshimoto (1320-1388).

Two things distinguish "Renga" poetry. It was often viewed as oral or performance poetry rather than being always written down, and there was also frequently a collaborative element to it, with two or more poets acting as a kind of "tag team".

As time passed, some of the more rigid rules were relaxed, and such concessions were made as allowing some slang words to feature in the verse, and also words of Chinese origin. There are also instances of it composed by one poet, without the characteristic collaborative element.

The form did not achieve any prominence in the English speaking world until the 1960s. In the United Kingdom, there is a centre dedicated to the production and performance of Renga poetry in Northumbria, in the North East of the country.