Tanka circles in the beginning of the Meiji period were led by traditional men of culture from the aristocracy, with the Outadokoro school (the Palace School), especially the Keien school, at their center.
明治時代初期の歌壇は、桂園派を主とする御歌所派が中心となって貴族的・伝統的な文化人たちが担っていた。