Abstract: In the past, scholars paid more attention to the comparison of poetic style and theory when dealing with the controversy of the Tang and Song poems in the poetry circle of the Edo period. However, by investigating the popular poetry notes of Edo in Japan, the publication of Chinese books, the reception of Chinese poets and the creation of Chinese poems, etc., one can find the essence of the controversy over the Tang and Song poems in the Edo poetry circle, namely, the preference for the "lyrical" Tang poetry and the rejection of Jiangxi poetry school. One can also find the Japanese culture's selectiveness to Chinese culture and the local characteristics of the Japanese Edo poetry.

Key words: Japanese poetry notes, Edo poetry circle, the controversy over the Tang and Song Poetry, Jiangxi poetry school, Huang Tingjian