As the standard par excellence for waka, a thorough knowledge of and familiarity with the "Kokin wakashu" was considered an indispensable mark of refinement for distinguished personages of the Heian period, and was held in very high regard.
『古今和歌集』は和歌の規範として、平安時代の貴顕には必須の教養とされ、尊重されてきた。