was a mid-

Heian The Japanese word Heian (平安, lit. "peace") may refer to: * Heian period, an era of Japanese history * Heian-kyō, the Heian-period capital of Japan that has become the present-day city of Kyoto * Heian series, a group of karate kata (forms) * ...

period Imperial court noble and poet. He is included in the

Hyakunin Isshu is a classical Japanese anthology of one hundred Japanese ''waka'' by one hundred poets. ''Hyakunin isshu'' can be translated to "one hundred people, one poem ach; it can also refer to the card game of '' uta-garuta'', which uses a deck compo ...

and was the nephew of

Emperor Ichijo The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

's wife, Empress

Fujiwara no Teishi , also known as Sadako, was an empress consort of the Japanese Emperor Ichijō. She appears in the literary classic ''The Pillow Book'' written by her court lady Sei Shōnagon. Biography She was the first daughter of Fujiwara no Michitaka. ...

Career

Raised by his grandfather,

Fujiwara no Michitaka , the first son of Kaneie, was a ''Kugyō'' (Japanese noble) of the Heian period. He served as regent ('' Sesshō'') for the Emperor Ichijō, and later as '' Kampaku''. Ichijō married Michitaka's daughter Teishi (Sadako), thus continuing the c ...

, who died in 995. His father,

Fujiwara no Korechika , the second son of Michitaka, was a '' kugyo'' (Japanese noble) of the Heian period. His mother was Takashina no Takako, also known as Kō-no-Naishi (高内侍). His sister Teishi (Sadako) was married to Emperor Ichijō, and Korechika aspired ...

, was promoted to Minister of the Interior (

Naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre- Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remained as a significant post under the Ta ...

) the following year, but following an incident in which an arrow was shot at

Emperor Kazan was the 65th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 花山天皇 (65)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Kazan's reign spanned the years from 984 through 986. Biography Before his ascension to the Chrysa ...

, he was demoted to the post of governor of Dazai. Michimasa lived during the downfall of his family's fortunes. In 1004, at the age of 14, he was conferred with the rank of Junior fifth rank lower. In 1011, he became a servant of the future

. In 1015 he became Lieutenant of the Guard for the Left. In 1016, at the time of Emperor Ichijo's accession to the throne, he was promoted to lower third rank. However, he was dismissed 8 days after taking up his new post. Furthermore, in September of the same year, when escorting the Imperial Princess Masako to Ise to become the sacred maiden, their affair was made known to her father the Retired Emperor Sanjo, who censured Michimasa heavily. According to the

Eiga monogatari is a Japanese ''monogatari'' and epic account that relates events in the life of the imperial courtier Fujiwara no Michinaga. It is believed to have been written by a number of authors between 1028 and 1107 during the Heian era. It is notable for ...

, Masako took the tonsure before her father's death, but according to the Shōyūki (小右記), she took the tonsure on November 13, 1017, six months after her father's death. On December 6, 1024, Emperor Kazan's daughter, Jōtomo-In was murdered in the night and her body was discovered the following morning. The following year a suspect was caught; however, the suspect confessed that he killed her on Michimasa's orders. The following year 1026, with the case still undecided, Michimasa was demoted from his posts. In July 1054 he took the tonsure and died shortly after. Fujiwara no Sanesuke, Shōyūki (小右記)

Life

Though he was described as a violent man in the Shōyūki, five of his poems were included in the

Goshūi Wakashū :''"The language of poetry should be like brocade and the feeling deeper than the ocean."'' -from Michitoshi's Preface The , sometimes abbreviated as ''Goshūishū'', is an imperial anthology of Japanese waka compiled in 1086 at the behest of E ...

and two were included in the

Shika Wakashū , abbreviated as ''Shikashū'', is an imperial anthology of Japanese waka, compiled –1154 CE at the behest of the Emperor Sutoku who ordered it in 1144. It was compiled by Fujiwara no Akisuke (1090–1155; a member of the Rokujō). ...

, both Imperial anthologies. His poem included in the

is commonly interpreted as Michimasa's response to being barred from visiting the Imperial Princess Masako after her father learned of their affair.Mostow, Joshua. (1996). ''Pictures of the Heart:The Hyakunin Isshu in Word and Image,'' p. 328. Michimasa's relationship with the former Ise Priestess is mentioned in the

in several places. The narrator draws a parallel between

Ariwara no Narihira was a Japanese courtier and '' waka'' poet of the early Heian period. He was named one of both the Six Poetic Geniuses and the Thirty-Six Poetic Geniuses, and one of his poems was included in the '' Ogura Hyakunin Isshu'' collection. He ...

's relationship with a serving Ise priestess and Michimasa and Masako's relationship. However, the narrator points out that as Masako was no longer serving it was not as great an offense.McCallugh, Hellen C. (1980). ''A Tale of Flowering Fortunes: Annals of Japanese Aristocratic Life In the Heian Period, Volume 1,'' p. 452.

References

*Peter McMillan (2008) ''One hundred poets, one poem each: a translation of the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu.'' New York: Columbia University Press. (p. 65 & 143) *Fujiwara no Michinaga, Mido Kanpakuki (御堂関白記), *Fujiwara no Kiyosuke,

Fukuro Zōshi Fukuro may refer to: * (), in Buddhist temple architecture, a set of covered corridors supported by three rows of pillars Places * Fukuro Station (), Kumamoto, Japan *Fukuro (), a former village merged into Kuga, Gunma, Japan *Fukuro, a former v ...

(袋草子)

Links

''Poem by Sakyô no Dayû Michimasa, from the series One Hundred Poems by One Hundred Poets''
at

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston The Museum of Fine Arts (often abbreviated as MFA Boston or MFA) is an art museum in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the list of largest art museums, 20th-largest art museum in the world, measured by public gallery area. It contains 8,161 painting ...

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fujiwara no, Michimasa 992 births 1054 deaths Michimasa Japanese nobility 11th-century Japanese poets Hyakunin Isshu poets 11th-century Japanese nobility