Lit. "six jewelled rivers." Six famous rivers all named Tamagawa 玉川 located in six different Japanese prefectures. They appeared in waka 和歌 poetry and became a popular theme of *ukiyo-e 浮世絵 prints. The location of the six rivers, the poet who wrote the relevant verse, and the name of the anthology in which the poem appears are as follows:
1 Ide 井手 (Kyoto), Fujiwara Shunzei 藤原俊成 (1114-1204), Shin kokinshū 新古今集 2.
2 Noji 野路 (Shiga), Minamoto Toshiyori 源俊頼 (1055-1129), Senzaishū 千載集 4.
3 Noda 野田 (Miyagi), Nōin 能因 (988-?), Shin kokinshū 新古今集 6.
4 Kōya 高野 (Wakayama), att. *Kūkai 空海 (774-835), Fūgashū 風雅集 17.
5 Chōfu 調布 (Tokyo, Fujiwara Teika 藤原定家 (1162-1241), Shūigusō 拾遺愚草.
6 Mishima 三島 (Osaka), Minamoto Toshiyori 源俊頼, Senzaishū 千載集 5.
Depictions of these rivers include both landscape scenes as well as parody picture *mitate-e 見立絵 which feature courtesans. Representative examples include single-sheet prints by Suzuki Harunobu 鈴木春信 (1725-70) and a series by Kubo Shunman 窪俊満 (1757-1820).