Fujiwara no Yoshifusa explained

, also known as Somedono no Daijin or Shirakawa-dono, was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.^[1]

When Yoshifusa's grandson was enthroned as Emperor Seiwa, Yoshifusa assumed the role of regent (sesshō) for the young monarch.^[1] He was the first sesshō in Japanese history who was not himself of imperial rank; and he was the first of a series of regents from the Fujiwara clan.^[1]

Career

He was a minister during the reigns of Emperor Ninmyō, Emperor Montoku and Emperor Seiwa.^[1]

• 834 (Jōwa 1, 9th day of the 7th month): Sangi
• 835 (Jōwa 2): Gon-no-Chūnagon
• 840 (Jōwa 7): Chūnagon
• 842 (Jōwa 9): Dainagon
• 848 (Saikō 1, 1st month): Udaijin^[2]
• 857 (Saikō 4, 19th day of the 2nd month): Daijō Daijin^[3]
• 858 (Ten'an 2, 7th day of the 11th month): Sesshō for Emperor Seiwa.^[4]
• October 7, 872 (Jōgan 14, 2nd day of the 9th month): Yoshifusa died at the age of 69.^[5]

Yoshifusa conceived the programme of boy-sovereigns with Fujiwara regents; and his adopted son, Mototsune, carried out the plans.^[6]

Genealogy

This member of the Fujiwara clan was the son of Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu.^[1] Yoshifusa's brothers were Fujiwara no Nagayoshi,^[7] Fujiwara no Yoshisuke^[8] and Fujiwara no Yoshikado.^[9]

Marriages and children

He was married to Minamoto no Kiyohime (源 潔姫), daughter of Emperor Saga.

They had only one daughter.

• Akirakeiko/Meishi (明子) (829–899), consort of Emperor Montoku

He adopted his brother Nagara's third son.

• Mototsune (基経) (836–891) – Daijō Daijin and Kampaku

Yoshifusa is referred to as Chūjin Kō (忠仁公) (posthumous title was Daijō Daijin).

See also

• Fujiwara Regents
• Shoku Nihon Kōki, one of the Six National Histories of Japan; edited by Fujiwara no Yoshifusa.

References

• Brinkley, Frank and Dairoku Kikuchi. (1915). A History of the Japanese People from the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era. New York: Encyclopædia Britannica.
• Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979). Gukanshō: The Future and the Past. Berkeley: University of California Press. ;
• Hioki, S. (1990). Nihon Keifu Sōran. Tokyo: Kōdansya.
• Kasai, M. (1991). Kugyō Bunin Nenpyō. Tokyo: Yamakawa Shuppan-sha
• Kodama, K. (1978). Nihon-shi Shō-jiten, Tennō. Tokyo: Kondō Shuppan-sha.
• Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan encyclopedia. Cambridge: Harvard University Press. ;
• Owada, T. et al. (2003). Nihonshi Shoka Keizu Jimmei Jiten. Tokyo: Kōdansya.
• Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). Nihon Odai Ichiran; ou, Annales des empereurs du Japon. Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland.

Notes and References

1. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Nakahira" in ; Brinkley, Frank et al. (1915).
2. Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ; see "Fousiwara-no Yosi fousa", pre-Hepburn romanization
3. Titsingh, ; Brown, Delmer et al. (1979). The Future and the Past, p. 285; n.b., Yoshifusa was the first minister to be promoted to Daijō-daijin. That high office was previously filled by Imperial Princes only.
4. Brown, p. 286.
5. Titsingh, .
6. Brinkley,
7. Brinkley,
8. Titsingh,
9. Florenz, Karl. (1906)