The Thirty-Six Immortals of Poetry (三十六歌仙 Sanjūrokkasen) are a group of Japanese poets of the Nara, Asuka and Heian periods selected by Fujiwara no Kintō as exemplars of Japanese poetic ability. The eldest survived collection of 36 poets works is Nishi Honganji Sanju-rokunin Kashu (Nishi Honganji 36 poets collection) in ACE1113. There are five female poets among them. Similar groups of Japanese poets include the Kamakura period Nyōbō Sanjūrokkasen (女房三十六歌仙), composed of court ladies exclusively, and the Chūko Sanjūrokkasen (中古三十六歌仙), or Thirty-Six Heian-era Immortals of Poetry, selected by Fujiwara no Norikane 藤原範兼 (1107–1165). This list superseded an older group called the Six Immortals of Poetry. Sets of portraits (essentially imaginary) of the group were popular in Japanese painting and later woodblock prints, and often hung in temples.

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