Yamanoue no Okura (660–733), a Japanese poet of the Nara period, is celebrated for his contributions to the *Man'yōshū*, the oldest extant collection of Japanese poetry. His verse often integrates Confucian moral themes, delving into subjects like poverty, aging, and life’s transience.

Details of Okura’s early life remain uncertain. Scholars such as Susumu Nakanishi posit that he was born in the Korean kingdom of Baekje and immigrated to Japan as a child following Baekje’s fall in 663. His father, a court physician, reportedly secured him an extensive education in Chinese classical traditions.

In 702, Okura embarked on the seventh diplomatic mission to China’s Tang Dynasty, studying Confucianism and Buddhism. Returning to Japan in 707, he became a tutor to the crown prince and later governed Hōki and Chikuzen Provinces. During his tenure in Chikuzen, he forged a close literary partnership with Ōtomo no Tabito, a fellow poet and patron of the arts.

Okura’s poetry emphasized the plight of common people, highlighting social inequality and the harsh realities of poverty. His renowned "Hinkyu mondō" ("Dialogue on Poverty") vividly portrays hardship through an exchange between two impoverished men. He also penned verses expressing paternal affection and mourning the loss of his son.

Yamanoue no Okura died in 733 at age 74. His literary legacy endures through his works’ emotional resonance and ethical depth.