Emperor Murakami

Japanese: 村上天皇 - むらかみてんのう

Year of death: 25 May 967 (5 July 967)
Year of birth: Extension 4.6.2 (926.7.14)
An emperor in the mid-Heian period. His name was Nariakira. He was the 14th son of Emperor Daigo, and his mother was Empress Onshi, the daughter of regent Fujiwara no Mototsune. At the age of 19, he became the crown prince of his elder brother Emperor Suzaku, and ascended to the throne two years later. After the death of the previous regent Fujiwara no Tadahira in the fourth year of his reign, he promoted direct rule without appointing a regent. This, along with the reign of Emperor Daigo, is considered a sacred era by posterity as the "Enki and Tenryaku eras (the era of Emperor Murakami)," but society was beginning to falter due to turmoil in local politics and the collapse of national finances. When he once asked a subordinate how the current government was going, he blushed at the answer, "There is a lot of torch consumption in the Shudenryo, and grass is growing in the Sotsubunzo (the storehouse of the Ministry of Finance)" (official events are dragging on into the night, and gifts from various provinces are delayed). In reality, his direct rule was supported by the brothers Fujiwara no Saneyori (Minister of the Left) and Michisuke (Minister of the Right), both sons of Tadahira. He was appointed regent by Emperors Reizei and En'yu, who succeeded him (the two were the daughters of Michisuke and the children of Empress Anshi). The Emperor was skilled in poetry, calligraphy, biwa, and flute, and even argued with Sugawara no Fumitoki over poetry. He had the five poets of the Pear Tree selected to write the Gosenshu, and many of his own poems were included in imperial anthologies. He is also famous for holding a large-scale poetry contest (Tentoku Dairi Utaawase) in the spring of the 4th year of Tentoku (960) at the Imperial Palace, but in the autumn of that year the Imperial Palace was burned down for the first time since the capital was moved to Heian, which he deeply lamented. He has a diary, Murakami Tenno Goki (which remains as excerpts), and a collection of poems. He died while still in power. His tomb is in Narutaki Utanotani, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City.

(Oboriya Hisashi)

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

Japanese:

没年：康保4.5.25(967.7.5)
生年：延長4.6.2(926.7.14)
平安中期の天皇。名は成明。醍醐天皇の第14皇子で母は関白藤原基経の娘で皇后の穏子。19歳で実兄朱雀天皇の皇太弟となり,2年後に即位。前代からの関白藤原忠平が在位4年目に死去したあとは摂関を置かず親政をすすめた。このことが先の醍醐天皇の治世とともに「延喜・天暦(村上天皇の時代)の治」として後世に聖代視されるが,社会は地方政治の乱れ,国家財政の破綻などにより揺らぎ始めていた。あるとき臣下に今の政道はどうかと尋ねたところ「主殿寮の松明の消費が多く,率分蔵(大蔵省の倉庫)には草が生えている」(公事が夜まで長びき,諸国からの進上物が滞っている)との答えに赤面したという。親政の実態は藤原実頼(左大臣),師輔(右大臣)兄弟(忠平の子)に支えられたものであった。そしてあとを継いだ冷泉・円融両天皇(ふたりは師輔の娘で皇后安子の子)から摂関常置となった。天皇は詩歌,書,琵琶,笛をよくし,詩に関しては菅原文時と論争するほどであった。和歌については梨壺の5人に『後撰集』を選進させ,自作の歌が勅撰集に多くとられている。また天徳4(960)年の春には内裏で大規模な歌合(『天徳内裏歌合』)を催したことはことに有名であるが,この年の秋に平安遷都以来初の内裏焼亡に遭い,深く嘆いている。日記の『村上天皇御記』(逸文として残る)や歌集がある。在位のまま死去。陵は京都市右京区鳴滝宇多野谷にある。

(朧谷寿)

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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