Utakai Hajime is one of the attention-grabbing court functions because of the fact that Hikojoyaku's recitation is attractive in its quality, that people are interested in such a national contest at which poems of people throughout Japan are presented, and that sometimes ohomi uta, ohokisai no miyano miuta and poems of other Imperial Family members suggest feelings and recent situations of the writers.
披講所役による朗詠そのものの持つ「質的な魅力」に加え、各地の国民の詠進歌が披露されるという全国大会のような興味、また、御製・皇后宮御歌・皇族の詠進歌には詠者の心情・近況が示唆されることもあり、注目を浴びる宮中行事の一つである。