Japan is a society filled with unique literary styles, not least amongst them poetry. Japan is most well known for the haiku, a poetry style popularized to the point that it is just as well known in the West as Shakespearean styles.  Haiku traditionally consist of three lines: the first five syllables, second seven, and the third five again. Besides haiku, Japan has also produced the less well-known tanka.  Tanka are typically five lines: The first line and third line containing five syllables, while the remaining three have seven.

General Resources:

• An Anthology of Japanese Literature
• Literary Con/Texts