Fujiwara no Yoritada
Fujiwara no Yoritada (藤原 é ¼å¿ ; 924–989), the second son of Saneyori, was a kugyo (high-ranked Japanese noble) who served as regent for Emperor En'yÅ« and Emperor Kazan. His mother was a daughter of Fujiwara no Tokihira. His elder brother from the same mother Atsutoshi died before their father's death.
In 977 he became Sadaijin, and when his cousin, the regent Fujiwara no Kanemichi was in a critical medical condition, he ceded the position of Kampaku (regent) to Yoritada, instead of his rival brother Kaneie.
Although Yoritada's two daughters were consorts of Emperor En'yÅ« and Emperor Kazan, they did not have any sons. Yoritada thus had only a tenable blood relationship with the Emperors. His cousin Kaneie was the grandfather of Crown Prince Yasuhito (Emperor IchijÅ), and he encouraged Emperor Kazan to abdicate a throne. By the accession of Emperor IchijÅ, Yoritada retired from his post as Kampaku, and Kaneie became Sessho (regent) for his grandson Emperor IchijÅ. Yoritada was DaijÅ Daijin from 978, and he is referred to as Rengi-kÅ (廉義公) (posthumous name of DaijÅ Daijin).
His poet son Fujiwara no KintÅ compiled the ShÅ«i WakashÅ«, and also a collection of Chinese verse and prose (~600 selections) and 25 Japanese poems in his Wakan RÅeishÅ« (å’Œæ¼¢æœ—è© é›†), a widely-admired collection that helped spread the influence of Chinese culture (and especially the poetry of Bai Juyi) in the Japanese Imperial court. KintÅ's collection would be imitated by a successor, Fujiwara no Mototoshi's Shinsen RÅeishÅ« (æ–°æ’°æœ—è© é›†). KintÅ also wrote an influential critical guide to incorporating Bai Juyi's poetic techniques (and more generally, T'ang dynasty poetry) into Japanese poetry called Shinsen ZuinÅ (新撰髄脳) ("The Essence of Poetry Newly Selected").
References
- pg. 483 and 181-183 of Japanese Court Poetry, Earl Miner, Robert H. Brower. 1961, Stanford University Press, LCCN 61-10925
- Nihonshi Shoka Keizu Jimmei Jiten, Owada,T. et al. 2003, Kodansya. (Japanese)
- ÅŒkagami, Hosaka,H.(translation into modern Japanese) 1981, Kodansya. (Japanese)