Fujiwara no Tadamichi - The path of Fujiwara

Japanese: 藤原忠通 - ふじわらのただみち

Year of death: 19th February 1164 (13th March 1164)
Year of birth: 15 March 1097 (1st year of Chengde, leap year 1, 29th)
A nobleman in the late Heian period. Son of the chancellor Fujiwara Tadazane and the daughter (Shishi) of the right minister Minamoto Akifusa. His childhood name was Itoku. He came of age in 1107, was awarded the rank of Junior Third Rank in 1110, and became the Minister of the Interior in 1115. In 1120, his father Tadazane incurred the wrath of Emperor Shirakawa over the issue of his daughter Taishi (Koyoin) entering the Imperial Court and was placed under house arrest, and he became the chancellor the following year. He subsequently served as regent and chancellor for Emperors Sutoku, Konoe, and Goshirakawa, and after serving as the Minister of the Left and the Grand Minister of State, he reached the rank of Junior First Rank. With the death of Emperor Shirakawa in 1129 and the start of the Toba cloistered government, his father Tadazane returned to politics, and when he gained real power as the Nairan (a position equivalent to the chancellor), they began to have a falling out, and in 1150 he was disowned by his father, and his position as head of the clan was taken by his half-brother Yorinaga. Furthermore, in response to Yorinaga's adoption of his adopted daughter Fujiwara no Takiko into the harem of Emperor Konoe, Tadamichi adopted Fujiwara no Koremichi's daughter Teishi (Kujo-in) and adopted her into the harem, leading to continued conflict within the regent family. However, when Emperor Konoe died of illness, the issue of succession arose, and Tadamichi was consulted by Emperor Toba, who was in conflict with Emperor Sutoku, about the throne. Tadamichi advised Emperor Goshirakawa to ascend to the throne, and regained Emperor Toba's trust. These various events became one of the causes of the Hogen Rebellion (1156). After the rebellion, he sided with Emperor Sutoku and inherited the land of his father, who had been defeated, prevented his father from being exiled, and worked hard to preserve the regent family. He loved waka poetry, and a private poetry circle, rare among the traditional regent family, was formed around Tadamichi, and many poetry contests and poetry gatherings were held up until the Taiji era. 69 of his poems were collected in imperial anthologies such as the Kinyoshu. He also excelled in Chinese poetry, and while hosting poetry gatherings, he was also ordered by Emperor Shirakawa to select the "Continuation of Honcho Shuku" (which has since been lost). Later, he had "Honcho Untitled Poems" compiled. "Sumo Tachi-shi-uta-awase" was the idea of Tadamichi. In his later years, he lived in a villa at Hossho-ji Temple, and hence he took the name Hossho-ji Kanpaku. Renowned for his calligraphy, his style was called the Hossho-ji school, and influenced future generations. In 1158 (Hogen 3), he handed over the position of regent to his son Motozane, and in 1162 (Oho 2), he became a monk. His posthumous name was Enkan. His descendants split into the Konoe and Kujo families, and further became the five regent families. <Works> "Tada Tamijishu", "Hossho-ji Kanpaku Goshu", "Hossho-ji Kanpakuki" <References> Tsunoda Fumiei "The Trajectory of Court History"

(Harumi Watanabe)

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

Japanese:

没年：長寛2.2.19(1164.3.13)
生年：承徳1.閏1.29(1097.3.15)
平安末期の公卿。関白藤原忠実と右大臣源顕房の娘(師子)の子。童名を威徳。嘉承2(1107)年元服,天永1(1110)年従三位,永久3(1115)年内大臣。保安1(1120)年父忠実が娘泰子(高陽院)の入内問題で白河法皇の勘気を被り蟄居となったあとをうけ翌年関白となる。こののち崇徳,近衛,後白河各天皇の摂政関白を務め,左大臣・太政大臣を経て従一位に至る。大治4(1129)年白河法皇の死去,鳥羽院政の開始で父忠実が政界に復帰,内覧(関白に準ずる職掌)となって実権を握ると不仲になり,久安6(1150)年父より義絶され,氏長者を異母弟の頼長に奪われた。また,頼長が養女藤原多子を近衛天皇の後宮に入れたことに対抗して,忠通は藤原伊通の娘呈子(九条院)を養女として同じく後宮に入れるなど,摂関家内部での対立が続いた。しかし,近衛天皇病没による後嗣問題で,忠通は崇徳上皇と対立していた鳥羽上皇に皇位を諮問され,後白河天皇の即位を助言し,鳥羽上皇の信頼を回復。これら諸々の出来事が保元の乱(1156)の一因となっていった。乱後,崇徳上皇方について敗れた父の所領を相続,父の流罪を防ぎ,摂関家の保全に尽力した。和歌を好み,従来の摂関家には珍しい私的な歌壇が忠通を中心に形成され,大治年間に至るまで歌合や歌会が数多く催された。『金葉集』以下の勅撰集に69首入集。また漢詩の才能にも優れ,詩会を主催する一方,白河院より『続本朝秀句』(散逸)の選を命ぜられた。のち『本朝無題詩』を編纂させる。『相撲立詩歌合』は忠通の発案である。晩年,法性寺の別荘に住んだことから法性寺関白と号する。能書の誉れ高く,その書風は法性寺流と称され,後代にまで影響をおよぼした。保元3(1158)年摂関職を子基実に譲り,応保2(1162)年に出家。法名は円観。子孫は近衛家,九条家に分かれ,さらに五摂家となっていく。<著作>『田多民治集』『法性寺関白御集』『法性寺関白記』<参考文献>角田文衛『王朝史の軌跡』

(渡辺晴美)

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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