Fujiwara no Toshihito

Japanese: 藤原利仁 - ふじわらのとしひと

Year of birth: Year of birth and death unknown. A warrior in the mid-Heian period. Son of the Chinjufu Shogun, Tamibukyo Tokinaga, and the daughter of Echizen local lord Hata Toyokuni. Grandson of Uona. After serving as Kozuke no Suke and Kazusa no Suke, he became Chinjufu Shogun in 915 (Engi 15). Known as a legendary figure, the Konjaku Monogatarishu describes him as "a man of fierce heart and skilled in the art of valor," and records the story of how he was ordered to invade Silla, but was subjugated by Enchin, who was in that land. The story of how he treated a large amount of yam porridge to a man named Goi, who served Fujiwara no Mototsune, was made into a novel by Akutagawa Ryunosuke (Yam porridge). In 1189 (Bunji 5), on the way back from attacking Hiraizumi (Hiraizumi Town, Iwate Prefecture), Minamoto no Yoritomo stopped by Takkoku Iwaya and heard the tale of Toshihito's valor in defeating Akuro-oh together with Sakanoue no Tamuramaro (Azuma Kagami). In the Sonpi Bunmyaku, which was compiled during the Nanboku-cho period, his life is further exaggerated, stating, "He flew across the seas as if he had wings. People wondered if he was a god incarnated," and there are many stories, such as the Kurama-gai-dera Engi, that portray Toshihito as a hero who defeated demons and evil bandits. There is also a story that he became the son-in-law of Arihito, a powerful lord in Echizen Province, and the ruins of Toshihito's mansion can still be seen today in Ona, Tsuruga City.

(Takinami Sadako)

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

Japanese:

生年：生没年不詳
平安中期の武人。鎮守府将軍民部卿時長と越前国人秦豊国の娘の子。魚名の孫。上野介,上総介を経て延喜15(915)年,鎮守府将軍。伝説的な人物として知られ,『今昔物語集』には,「心猛クシテ其ノ道(武勇)ニ達セル者」とあり,新羅征討を命じられたが,かの地にいた円珍に調伏された話を記す。また藤原基経に仕える「五位」という男に大量の芋粥を馳走した話は,芥川竜之介によって小説化されて有名(『芋粥』)。源頼朝は文治5(1189)年,平泉(岩手県平泉町)を攻撃しての帰路,達谷窟に立ち寄った際,坂上田村麻呂と共に悪路王を討った利仁の武勇譚を聞いている(『吾妻鏡』)。南北朝時代に成立した『尊卑分脈』ではさらに誇張され,「海路を飛ぶこと翅在るが如し。人おもえらく,神の化せし人かと」と記され,『鞍馬蓋寺縁起』など利仁を鬼神や悪賊退治のヒーローとした物語は数多い。越前国の豪族有仁の娘婿になったという話もあり,敦賀市御名には利仁の館跡がいまも伝えられる。

(瀧浪貞子)

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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