Fujiwara no Akinaka (藤原顕仲; 1059–1129) was a Japanese nobleman and ''

waka Waka may refer to: Culture and language * Waka (canoe), a Polynesian word for canoe; especially, canoes of the Māori of New Zealand ** Waka ama, a Polynesian outrigger canoe ** Waka hourua, a Polynesian ocean-going canoe ** Waka taua, a Māori w ...

'' poet of the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

Life

Fujiwara no Akinaka was born in Kōhei 2 (1059 in the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...

). He was the third son of Sukenaka ( ja), a member of the Saneyori lineage (実頼流) of the

Northern Branch The Northern Branch is a railroad line that runs from Jersey City to Northvale in northeastern New Jersey. The line was constructed in 1859 by the Northern Railroad of New Jersey to connect the New York and Erie Railroad's Piermont Branch ter ...

of the

Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

. He was later adopted by , the

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Mutsu Province was an old province of Japan in the area of Fukushima, Miyagi, Iwate and Aomori Prefectures and the municipalities of Kazuno and Kosaka in Akita Prefecture. Mutsu Province is also known as or . The term is often used to refer to the comb ...

. His mother was a daughter of . He is known as ''Suke Akinaka'' (佐顕仲) to distinguish him from . He had various other names, such as ''Katsumata no Hyōe no Suke'' (勝間田兵衛佐), by which name the ' calls him. The latter name is a derived from a combination of his court position, ''Sahyōe-no-suke'', and a famous poem he composed at the '' Shirakawa-den Gyokai'' (白河殿御会) on Katsumata Pond (勝間田池 ''Katsumata-no-ike''): He was close friends with

Minamoto no Toshiyori was an important and innovative Japanese poet, who compiled the ''Gosen Wakashū''. He was the son of Minamoto no Tsunenobu (1016–1097); holder of the second rank in court and of the position of Grand Counsellor). Shunrai was favored by Empero ...

and

Fujiwara no Mototoshi Fujiwara no Mototoshi (, 1060–1142) was a ''waka'' poet and Japanese nobleman active in the Heian period. One of his poems is included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu. He served as Udaijin was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and He ...

, and in addition to being a respected poet he was also known for his skill as a

calligrapher Calligraphy (from el, link=y, καλλιγραφία) is a visual art related to writing. It is the design and execution of lettering with a pen, ink brush, or other writing instrument. Contemporary calligraphic practice can be defined as "t ...

and

musician A musician is a person who composes, conducts, or performs music. According to the United States Employment Service, "musician" is a general term used to designate one who follows music as a profession. Musicians include songwriters who wri ...

, but was unable to attain success due to his relatively low birth. By the end of his career, he had risen to the Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade. He held the position of Assistant Head of Left Military Guards (左兵衛佐 ''sahyōe-no-suke''). According to the ', Akinaka died on the third day of the first month of Daiji 4 (31 January 1129). He was 71 (by Japanese reckoning).

Poetry

The first ''

uta-awase , poetry contests or ''waka'' matches, are a distinctive feature of the Japanese literary landscape from the Heian period. Significant to the development of Japanese poetics, the origin of group composition such as ''renga'', and a stimulus to a ...

'' contest in which he took part was the ''

Sakon no Gon-Chūjō Toshitada Ason-ke Uta-awase Sakon may refer to: * ''Karakurizōshi Ayatsuri Sakon'' (Puppet Master Sakon), a 1999 manga and anime series * Sakon (Naruto), a ninja from the Land of Sound in the manga and anime series ''Naruto'' * Sakon, a character in the early 2000's video ga ...

'' (左近権中将俊忠朝臣家歌合) in Chōji 1 (1104). He took part in the following poetic gatherings: *the '' Ungo-ji Kechien-kyō Goen Uta-awase'' (雲居寺結縁経後宴歌合) in Eikyū 4 (1116); *the '' Hitomaro-eigu'' held by

Fujiwara no Akisue was a noted Japanese poet and nobleman. He was active at the end of the Heian period, and the son of Fujiwara no Takatsune (藤原隆経). He was also a member of the famous poetic and aristocratic clan, the Fujiwara. Akisue was close to Empe ...

in Gen'ei 1 (1118); and *the '' Naidaijin-ke Uta-awase'' (内大臣家歌合) that was held over three sessions between Gen'ei 1 and Gen'ei 2 (1119). He was one of the poets of the '' Horikawa-in Ontoki Hyakushu Waka'' (堀河院御時百首和歌). According to the ', he was disappointed with the '' Kin'yōshū'', and in Daiji 1 (1126) compiled his own anthology, the ''Ryōgyokushū'' (良玉集), which is no longer extant. 18 of his poems were included in

imperial anthologies Imperial is that which relates to an empire, emperor, or imperialism. Imperial or The Imperial may also refer to: Places United States * Imperial, California * Imperial, Missouri * Imperial, Nebraska * Imperial, Pennsylvania * Imperial, Texas ...

from the ''Kin'yōshū'' on. One famous poem of his, in which he laments his lack of success at court, is the following from the first book of miscellaneous poems in the ''Kin'yōshū'':

References

Citations

Works cited

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Fujiwara Akinaka Waka poets 11th-century Japanese poets 12th-century Japanese poets Kuge 1059 births 1129 deaths