Akiko BabaAkiko Baba is a Japanese tanka poet and literary critic. Her real name is Akiko Iwata.OverviewsShe also has an interest in Noh drama, and her works have been performed at the National Theatre of Japan. Heavenly Maiden Tanka is a collection of her poems translated by Hatsue Kawamura and Jane Reichhold. She has won a number of prizes, including the 45th Yomiuri Prize and the Asahi Prize.