Although the names of star Shokujo and Kengyu firstly appeared in "Shikyo" (Chinese poetry book) compiled in the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period, it is not clear which stars these two pointed to.
織女や牽牛という星の名称は春秋戦国時代の『詩経』が初出とされているが、どの星を指すかは定かではない。