Kokin Wakashu established the tradition of anthology of waka by Imperial command as a state project and it is recognized as the number one among Hachidaishu (the eight collections of history books by Imperial command) and Nijuichidai-shu (the twenty-one collections of waka compiled by imperial command).
天皇が勅命を出し国家事業として和歌集を編むという伝統を確立した書でもあり、八代集・二十一代集の第一に数えられる。