Fujiwara no Fuhito - Fujiwara no Fuhito

Japanese: 藤原不比等 - ふじわらのふひと

Year of death: 4th August 3rd of Yoro (9th September 720)
Year of birth: 5th year of the Saimei era (659)
A politician during the period when the Ritsuryo state was established. The second son of Nakatomi Kamatari, Minister of the Interior (Fujiwara). Also written as Shi. His eldest brother was Jokei (also known as Teie or Sadae), a monk who traveled to China to study and learn. His mother was Yoshiko, the daughter of Kurumamochi Kuniko. The theory that he was the son of Emperor Tenchi is a later addition. In the 8th year of Tenchi (669), he lost his father at the age of 11, and was raised in the home of Tanabe Fumi Osumi and others in Yamashina, from which the name Shi was derived. In the 9th year of Tenmu (680), he had a son called Muchimaro with Soga no Omi Murajiko's daughter, Shoko, followed by Fusasaki and Uai, and he had a fourth son, Maro, with his half-sister, Ioyojou Musume. These four children later established the Nanke, Hokuke, Shiki and Kyo families. As for daughters, he had Miyako with Kamohime, the daughter of Kamo no Oguromaro, and Yasuyadohime (Komyoko) and Taino with his second wife, Agata no Inukai Michiyo. In 689, the third year of the reign of Jito, Naohiro became a judge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower) (first appearance in official history). In that year, Crown Prince Kusakabe gave her a sword, the Kurotsukake sword, before his death, entrusting the future of Prince Karu (later Emperor Mommu) to him (Tōdai-ji Temple Donations Record). In 697, the eleventh year of the reign of Jito, Naohiro presented the Kurotsukake sword to Emperor Mommu when he ascended to the throne, and Miyako entered the Imperial Court and became Empress Mommu. The following year, an imperial decree was issued stating that the Fujiwara Ason family name would be inherited by Fuhito, and Omimaro (said to be Kamatari's adopted son) and others were allowed to revert to their maiden name of Nakatomi in order to be involved in Shinto rituals. As a result, the Fujiwara clan withdrew from Shinto rituals and took the path of political aristocracy. In the fourth year of the same year, he participated in the compilation of the Taihō Code. Naohiro was ranked as a lower fourth rank. In 701, he was promoted to Dainagon and Shosanmi, and was ranked as a noble. In the same year, Miyako gave birth to Prince Suku (later Emperor Shomu), and his daughter Yasuyadohime, born in the same year, later became the wife of Crown Prince Suku (716). In 704, he became Dainagon Junior Second Rank (Third Place in the Imperial Court). In 705, Mommu once again bestowed upon him the Kurosakukake sword on his wife. In March 708, he became Minister of the Right Senior Second Rank. In 709, the capital was moved to Heijō, and he moved his clan temple (Kofuku-ji) to Heijō. In 715, Prince Hozumi, the Chief Minister of State for State, died, and he became Second Place in the Imperial Court. In 717, Isonokami Maro died, and he became the Chief Minister in the Imperial Court. In 718, he began compiling the Yoro Code. He was appointed Dajōdaijin, but refused. In 719, he presented the Kurosakukake sword to Crown Prince Suku prior to his death. He passed away on August 3rd. In October he was posthumously awarded the rank of Daijo-daijin Shoichii (First Rank) and given the posthumous title of Bunchu-ko. He was the architect of the Ritsuryo Emperor system, and is known as a cold-hearted and realistic bureaucrat-politician, but there are very few historical documents that directly speak of him. He published five Chinese poems in Kaifu-so. In 760 (4th year of Tenpyo Hoji), he was posthumously named Tankai-ko due to the story of Taigong of Qi. <References> Ueda Masaaki, Fujiwara no Fuhito

(Hira Hidesaburo)

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

Japanese:

没年：養老4.8.3(720.9.9)
生年：斉明5(659)
律令国家成立期の政治家。内大臣中臣(藤原)鎌足の第2子。史とも書く。長兄は入唐学問僧定恵(貞慧・貞恵とも)。母は車持国子の娘与志古娘。天智皇胤説は後世の付会。天智8(669)年11歳で父と死別,山科の田辺史大隅らの家に養われ,史の名はそれによるという。天武9(680)年蘇我臣連子の娘娼子との間に武智麻呂が誕生,次いで房前,宇合が生まれ,また異母妹五百重娘との間に4男麻呂をもうけた。この4子はのち南家,北家,式家,京家を興す。女子では賀茂小黒麻呂の娘賀茂比売との間に宮子,また後妻県犬養三千代との間に安宿媛(光明子)と多比能が生まれた。持統3(689)年直広肆(従五位下)判事(裁判官)となる(正史上の初見)。この年草壁皇太子は死に臨んで佩刀「黒作懸佩刀」を与え,軽皇子(のちの文武天皇)の将来を託したという(「東大寺献物帳」)。持統11(697)年文武即位に当たり黒作懸佩刀を献呈,また宮子入内,文武妃となる。翌2年詔により藤原朝臣の姓は不比等の継承するところとし,意美麻呂(鎌足の猶子という)らは神事にかかわるため中臣の旧姓に復す。これにより藤原氏は神事から離脱,政治貴族の道を進む。同4年大宝律令の編纂に加わる。直広壱(正四位下)。大宝1(701)年大納言正三位となり公卿に列す。この年宮子に外孫首皇子(のちの聖武天皇)が誕生,また同年に生まれた娘・安宿媛はのち首皇太子妃となる(716)。慶雲1(704)年大納言従二位(廟堂第3座)。同4年文武は死に臨んで黒作懸佩刀を再び与える。和銅1(708)年3月右大臣正二位となる。同3年平城遷都が実現すると,氏寺(興福寺)を平城に移す。霊亀1(715)年,知太政官事穂積親王没し,廟堂第2座となる。養老1(717)年,石上麻呂没し,廟堂首座となる。同2年養老律令の編纂を開始。太政大臣に任じられるが,固辞。同4年,死に先だち黒作懸佩刀を首皇太子に献ずる。8月3日死去。10月太政大臣正一位を追贈,諡を文忠公という。律令天皇制国家の演出者であり,冷徹で現実的な官僚政治家の風貌を想わしめるが,それを直接語る史料は極めて少ない。『懐風藻』に漢詩5首を載す。天平宝字4(760)年斉の太公の故事により追封されて淡海公と称される。<参考文献>上田正昭『藤原不比等』

(原秀三郎)

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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