Kyoka Four Heavenly Kings - Kyoka Tennou

Japanese: 狂歌四天王 - きょうかしてんのう

…His works, Genchu Yoteki and Gagen Shuran, are highly regarded in the history of Japanese linguistics. He was also famous as a kyoka poet, and was one of the four great masters of kyoka, along with Toko, Shikatsube no Mago, and Zeniya no Kinratsu. He compiled many kyoka anthologies, including Jisan Kyokashu and Bandai Kyokashu. …

From "Kyo-ka"

…Karagoromo Kitsushu, Yomono Akara, Akera Kanko, Motomokuami, Hezutsu Tosaku, and Chienonashi are among the most distinguished of these poets, who possessed a rich culture of taste and a light and witty wit. The second generation of Edo kyoka poets were the four great masters of kyoka: Yadoya Imori, Shikatsube no Mago, Tsuburi Hikaru, and Baba Kinri. Among them, Imori, who advocated pure kyoka in the Tenmei style, and Mago, who advocated elegant and noble kyoka and called it haikai ka, were long rivals until the Bunsei era (1818-30). After the Bunsei era, Shakuyakutei Nagane and Bunbunsha Kanikomaru were also active. …

From [Katsube Makoto]

…He studied kyoka under Yomono Akara (Ota Nanpo) and was given the position of judge, becoming the leader of the four sides. He is one of the four great masters of kyoka. As a member of the second generation of Tenmei kyoka, he is on par with Yadoya Iimori (Ishikawa Masamitsu). However, while Iimori pioneered the pure Tenmei style, he sought to make kyoka elegant and refined, calling it haikai poetry. …

From [Headlight]

…Also written as Shiho-ren or Honmachi-ren, he was a central figure in the Hakuraku-ren. He was one of the four great masters of Tenmei Kyoka. He edited and wrote works such as Kyoka Jodanshu and Seiten Toukashu. …

From Baba Kinri

…A money exchanger in Edo Sukiyabashi-Soto Sukiyacho 2-chome. One of the four great masters of Tenmei Kyoka. He originally belonged to the Ochiguri Ren of Motomokuami, and later formed a Sukiya Ren with Shikatsube no Mago. …

*Some of the terminology used in reference to the "Four Heavenly Kings of Kyoka" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

Japanese:

…その著《源註余滴》《雅言集覧（がげんしゆうらん）》は国語学史上評価が高い。狂歌師としても著名で頭光，鹿都部真顔（しかつべのまがお），銭屋金埒（ぜにやのきんらつ）とともに狂歌四天王の一人として勢力を張る。《自讃狂歌集》《万代狂歌集》など多くの狂歌集を編んだ。…

【狂歌】より

…唐衣橘洲（からごろもきつしゆう），四方赤良（よものあから），朱楽菅江（あけらかんこう），元木網（もとのもくあみ），平秩東作（へずつとうさく），智恵内子（ちえのないし）らはその錚々たる者で，豊かな趣味教養と軽妙洒脱な機知とを併せもつ人々である。これに次ぐ江戸狂歌の第二世代として宿屋飯盛，鹿都部真顔（しかつべのまがお），頭光（つぶりひかる），馬場金埒の狂歌四天王があり，なかでも天明調の純正狂歌を主張する飯盛と，優美高尚な狂歌を主張して〈俳諧歌〉と称した真顔は，文政(1818‐30)に至るまで長くライバルとして活躍した。文政以後は芍薬亭長根，文々舎蟹子丸らが活躍した。…