Tamekane Kyogoku

A poet from the late Kamakura period, founder of the Kyogoku school. His correct name is "Tamekanu". A son of Fujiwara no Tamenori. He learned waka poetry from his grandfather Tameie, and rebelled against the authority of the Mikohidari line (Nijo Tameuji and Tameyo) who stuck to traditional waka poetry, and advocated an innovative method of composing waka poetry in which one writes in free words according to one's heart. He became close to Emperor Fushimi from his days as Crown Prince, and became a waka poetry instructor. At the same time, he was active in politics, supporting the Jimyoin line government, and was slandered by the shogunate as being a different kind of person, and was exiled to Sado in 1298 (Einin 6). He returned to Kyoto five years later, and still held the strong trust of Emperor Fushimi. He rose to the position of Junior Second Rank Gon Dainagon (provisional chief councilor) during the Hanazono Court. After a fierce battle with Tameyo over who would be the compiler of the imperial anthology (the "Petition of the Two Lords of the Enkei Era"), he independently compiled the "Gyokuyo Wakashu" (the Gyokuyo Collection) in 1312 (the first year of the Showa Era). In October of the following year, he became a monk, taking the posthumous name Renkaku, later Jokaku. In April of the 15th year, he made a grand pilgrimage to Kasuga Shrine, which violated the taboo of Saionji Sanekane, and he was exiled again to Tosa. Later, he moved to Izumi and Kawachi (Osaka Prefecture), and died on March 21, 1331 (the second year of the Genko Era).

He excels in realistic descriptive poetry that boldly captures the movement of nature, and is also known for his philosophical poems. "Snow piles up above my bedroom, and the hail that rolls silently across me knocks on the window," and "I think that even a heavy boat floats on weak water that is difficult to measure."

His works are included in the "Gyokuyoshu", "Fugashu", and various poetry contests of the Kyogoku school, as well as "One Hundred Years' Gifts", "One Hundred First Poems of Spring", "Thirty Flower Poems", and "One Hundred Deer Poems". The first and second collections of "Tamekane Kyo Kashu" are private anthologies that include his works, and are not family anthologies. He also wrote a book on waka poetry, "Tamekane Kyo Waka Excerpts", and a diary, "Tamekane Kyo Ki" (which contains excerpts of articles related to waka poetry only). He was a distinctive figure as a poet and politician in a period of change.

[Miyoko Iwasa]

"Kyogoku Tamekane" by Ishida Yoshisada (included in "Japanese Poets Lecture Series: Medieval Poets II", 1961, Kobundo) " ▽ "Selected Japanese Poets 15: Kyogoku Tamekane" by Toki Yoshimaro (1971, Chikuma Shobo)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

鎌倉末期の歌人、京極派の創始者。正しくは「ためかぬ」。藤原為教(ためのり)の男。祖父為家に歌学を学び、伝統的歌風を固執する御子左(みこひだり)嫡流（二条為氏・為世）の権威に反発、心の赴くままに自由なことばで詠歌する革新的な作歌法を主張した。伏見(ふしみ)天皇に春宮(とうぐう)時代から親近、歌道師範となる一方、持明院統(じみょういんとう)政権を支持して政治的に活躍し、ために幕府に異図ありと讒言(ざんげん)されて1298年（永仁6）佐渡配流となる。5年後帰京、なお伏見院の信任厚く、花園(はなぞの)朝において正二位権大納言(ごんだいなごん)に至り、為世との激しい勅撰集(ちょくせんしゅう)撰者争い（『延慶両卿訴陳状(えんきょうりょうきょうそちんじょう)』）のすえ、1312年（正和1）『玉葉和歌集』を単独で撰進した。翌年10月出家、法名蓮覚(れんかく)、のち静覚(じょうかく)。15年4月盛大な春日(かすが)社参りを行ったことが西園寺実兼(さねかね)の忌諱(きい)に触れ、ふたたび土佐配流。後年和泉(いずみ)、河内(かわち)（大阪府）に移り、元弘(げんこう)2年3月21日没。

　自然の動きを大胆にとらえた迫真的な叙景歌に優れ、また思想的な観念歌にも特色がある。「閨(ねや)の上は積れる雪に音もせで横ぎるあられ窓たたくなり」「ものとして量(はか)り難しな弱き水に重き舟しも浮ぶと思へば」。

　作品は『玉葉集』『風雅集』、京極派諸歌合(うたあわせ)に入るほか、『歳暮百首』『立春百首』『花三十首』『鹿(しか)百首』などがある。『為兼卿家集』前後2集は彼の作を含む私撰集で家集ではない。歌論書『為兼卿和歌抄』および日記『為兼卿記』（和歌関係記事のみの抄出）がある。変革期の歌人政治家として特色ある人物。

［岩佐美代子］

『石田吉貞著「京極為兼」（『日本歌人講座　中世の歌人Ⅱ』所収・1961・弘文堂）』▽『土岐善麿著『日本詩人選15　京極為兼』（1971・筑摩書房）』

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例