Tokudaiji Sanesada

Japanese: 徳大寺実定 - とくだいじ・さねさだ

Year of death: Kenkyu 2, leap year 12, 16 (February 1, 1192)
Year of birth: 1139
A nobleman and poet of the late Heian period. He was the son of Fujiwara no Kinyo, Minister of the Right, and Goshi, the daughter of Fujiwara no Toshitada, Gon Chunagon. He descended from the Kan'in lineage, which had produced many empresses and national mothers, and had full sisters, Yoshiko (the Empress of Emperor Goshirakawa) and Takiko (the Empresses of Emperor Konoe and Emperor Nijō). He was ennobled at the age of three in 1141. He rose steadily through the ranks, becoming Junior Second Rank in 1162 and Gon Dainagon in 1164, but the following year he resigned from Dainagon in order to surpass the rank of Fujiwara no Sanenaga, and instead was promoted to Shonii, and his official rank stagnated thereafter. He returned to his post in March 1177, and in December of the same year became Left General. He excelled in court etiquette and customs, based on the abundant books he had in his own home. In 1183 he became Minister of the Interior. In the same year, Minamoto no Yoshinaka defeated the Taira clan in the western provinces and entered Kyoto, where he allied with the priest and regent Fujiwara no Motofusa. He borrowed the position of Minister of the Interior from Sanesada and appointed Motofusa's son, Motoie, as Minister of the Interior in November, but returned to his position when Yoshinaka fell from grace the following January. After the downfall of the Taira clan in 1185, he became one of the councilors at the request of Minamoto no Yoritomo, and the following year he became Minister of the Right. In the same year he became Minister of the Left. In 1190 he resigned. The following year he became a monk, taking the post of Nyoen. He excelled in poetry, music and the performing arts. At a time when waka poetry was in particular in decline, he was an active member of the poets' group Karin-en, and in 1170 he organized the Kenshunmon-in Kita-men Uta-awase (Poetry Contest) event. He also hosted and attended many other poetry and poetry contests. Around the third year of the Jisho era, he compiled his family anthology, Rinka-shu (Rinka-shu). In "Mumyosho" and "Kasen Rakusho", his evaluation as a poet and a poet is recorded with both praise and criticism. 76 of his poems were collected in imperial anthologies such as "Senzai Wakashu". He is also known for his works on flute, kagura and imayo. A part of his diary "Kairin-ki (Teikai-sho)" remains.

(Yoko Sakurai)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

没年：建久2.閏12.16(1192.2.1)
生年：保延5(1139)
平安後期の公卿,歌人。右大臣藤原公能と権中納言藤原俊忠の娘豪子の子。代々の皇妃,国母を輩出した閑院流の流れを汲み,同母姉妹に忻子(後白河天皇中宮),多子(近衛・二条両天皇の后)がいる。永治1(1141)年3歳で叙爵。順調に昇進し,応保2(1162)年従二位,長寛2(1164)年権大納言になるが,翌年藤原実長の位階を超えるために大納言を辞して代わりに正二位に上り,官位は以後停滞する。治承1(1177)年3月還任,同年12月左大将。自家に蔵する豊富な書物を基礎に有職故実に秀でる。寿永2(1183)年内大臣。同年源義仲が平家を西国に落として入京し入道関白藤原基房と結託し,実定の内大臣職を借用して基房の子の師家を11月に内大臣とするが,翌年1月義仲の失脚とともに還任,文治1(1185)年平家滅亡後,源頼朝の奏請で議奏公卿のひとりとなり,翌年右大臣。同5年左大臣。建久1(1190)年辞任した。翌年出家,法名如円。詩歌管絃,芸能に優れる。特に和歌は沈淪していたころに歌人集団・歌林苑の会衆として活躍し,嘉応2(1170)年建春門院北面歌合を結構する。他にも多くの歌合,詩歌合などを主催,また出席する。治承3年ごろに家集『林下集』を編む。『無名抄』『歌仙落書』などには歌や歌人としての評価が毀誉半ばして記される。『千載和歌集』以下の勅撰集に76首入集。また,笛,神楽,今様などにも通じる。日記『槐林記(庭槐抄)』は一部分が残る。

(櫻井陽子)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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