It is said that a subject was allotted to each participant in advance and their waka poems were delivered to Yoshimoto two days before the day of utaawase and announced on the day.
参加者には事前に歌う題材について割り当てられ、歌合の2日前には歌が良基の元に歌が届けられ、当日に発表される形式が採られたという。