However, in the nineteenth volume of "Manyoshu" (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves), there is a poem composed by Middle Councillor, OTOMO no Yakamochi, that says 'In China people float toy boats down their garden stream today, taking delight, decking their hair with flowers,' which suggests that kyokusui no en was held as a private game by 750.
しかし『万葉集』巻十九には、中納言大伴家持が曲水宴を詠んだ「漢人毛　筏浮而　遊云　今日曽我勢故　花縵世余（からびとの舟を浮かべて遊ぶてふ今日ぞわがせこ花かづらせよ）」があり、天平勝宝2年（750年）には私的な遊びとして催されていたことがわかる。