The was one of the four houses of the powerful

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 ...

, the other three being the Nanke,

Kyōke The was a cadet branch of the Fujiwara clan. It was founded by Fujiwara no Maro Maro had three brothers: Muchimaro, Fusasaki, and Umakai. These four brothers are known for having established the "four houses" of the Fujiwara.Brinkley, ; exce ...

and Shikike. The Hokke were the ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

'' rulers of Japan through their hereditary position as imperial regents ( ''Sesshō'' and ''Kampaku''). In the

Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...

, it split into the

Five regent houses The Five Regent Houses (五摂家; ''go-sekke'') is a collective term for the five families of the Fujiwara clan that monopolized the regent position of '' Sekkan'' in Japan from 1252 until 1868. The five houses are Konoe, Takatsukasa, Kujō, Ic ...

, who continued to monopolize the regency from the 12th century until 1868. After the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...

, these houses were appointed

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...

in the new

hereditary peerage The hereditary peers form part of the peerage in the United Kingdom. As of September 2022, there are 807 hereditary peers: 29 dukes (including five royal dukes), 34 marquesses, 190 earls, 111 viscounts, and 443 barons (disregarding subsidi ...

History

The Hokke was founded by

Fujiwara no Fusasaki Fujiwara no Fusasaki (藤原房前, 681 – May 25, 737) was a member of the Fujiwara clan and the founder of the Hokke branch of the Fujiwara.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Fusasaki" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). ...

, the second son of

Fujiwara no Fuhito Fujiwara no Fuhito (藤原不比等: 659 – 13 September 720) was a powerful member of the Imperial Court in Kyoto, imperial court of Japan during the Asuka period, Asuka and Nara periods. Second son of Fujiwara no Kamatari (or, according ...

, in 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. ...

. Fusasaki had three brothers: Muchimaro, Maro and Umakai, and these four brothers are known for having established the "four houses" of the Fujiwara; the Hokke, Nanke,

and Shikike. During the time of

Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu was a Japanese noble, statesman, general, and poet of the early Heian period. A member of the Hokke, he was the second son of the ''udaijin'' Fujiwara no Uchimaro. He attained the court rank of and the position of '' sadaijin'', and posthum ...

, the Hokke became prosperous after Fuyutsugu was appointed ''kurōdo-no-tō'' (Head

Chamberlain Chamberlain may refer to: Profession *Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure People *Chamberlain (surname) **Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...

). His son

Fujiwara no Yoshifusa , also known as ''Somedono no Daijin'' or ''Shirakawa-dono'', was a Japanese people, Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Nakahira" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1 ...

became the first ''sesshō'' (regent in the place of a child

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

), and his son,

Fujiwara no Mototsune , also known as , was a Japanese statesman, courtier and aristocrat of the early Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Mototsune" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). He was the first '' kampaku'', a regent of an adult ...

, became '' kampaku'' (regent in the place of an adult Emperor). After that, members of the Hokke continued to have a strong relationship with the

Imperial Family A royal family is the immediate family of King, kings/Queen regnant, queens, Emir, emirs/emiras, Sultan, sultans/Sultana (title), sultanas, or raja/rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the ...

by marrying Hokke daughters to the emperors. This allowed them to exclude other families and monopolize the regent position. The Hokke prospered during the time of

Fujiwara no Michinaga was a Japanese statesman. The Fujiwara clan's control over Japan and its politics reached its zenith under his leadership. Early life Michinaga was born in Kyōto, the son of Kaneiye. Kaneiye had become Regent in 986, holding the position unt ...

and Yorimichi. In the

, Hokke split into the

Konoe Konoe (written: 近衛 or 近衞) is a Japanese surname. It is sometimes spelled "Konoye" based on historical kana usage. Notable people with the surname include: *, the 76th emperor of Japan *, Japanese politician and journalist *, Japanese politi ...

, Takatsukasa, Kujō, Ichijō, and Nijō. These families continued to monopolize the regency until the

in 1868. When the regency was abolished, a new

(''kazoku'') was established, and these houses were all appointed as

Notable members

Murasaki Shikibu was a Japanese novelist, poet and lady-in-waiting at the Imperial court in the Heian period. She is best known as the author of '' The Tale of Genji,'' widely considered to be one of the world's first novels, written in Japanese between abou ...

Fujiwara no Teika , better-known as Fujiwara no Teika"Sadaie" and "Teika" are both possible readings of ; "...there is the further problem, the rendition of the name in romanized form. Teika probably referred to himself as Sadaie, and his father probably called ...

Fujiwara no Tokihira was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Tokihira" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). Career Tokihira was a minister under Emperor Daigo. * 891 ('' Kanpy� ...

Fujiwara no Atsutada was a mid-Heian ''waka'' and Japanese nobleman. He was designated a member of the Thirty-six Poetry Immortals, and was also known as the and . Poetry Many of Atsutada's poems written in correspondence with court women remain, and some are in ...

Fujiwara no Sukemasa was a Japanese noble, statesman, and renowned calligrapher of the middle Heian period. Grandson and adopted son of the ''daijō-daijin'' Fujiwara no Saneyori and son of major general of the imperial guard , he is honored as one of the Sanseki, ...

Fujiwara no Kintō , also known as Shijō-dainagon, was a Japanese poet, admired by his contemporaries "... Fujiwara no Kinto (966–1008), the most admired poet of the day." pg 283 of Donald Keene's '' Seeds in the Heart''. and a court bureaucrat of the Heian p ...

* Fujiwara no Kiyosuke *

Lady Ise , also known as , was a Japanese poet in the Imperial court's ''waka'' tradition. She was born to of Ise Province, and eventually became the lover of the and a concubine to Emperor Uda; her son by him was Prince Yuki-Akari.pg 141 of ''Woman p ...

* Fujiwara no Michitsuna's mother * Fujiwara no Michimasa *

Fujiwara no Koretada Fujiwara no Koretada/Koremasa (藤原伊尹; 924 – December 9, 972), also known as Ichijō Sesshō, was a Japanese statesman, courtier, politician and waka-poet during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Tokih ...

Fujiwara no Yoshitaka was a Japanese ''waka (poetry), waka'' poet of the mid-Heian period. One of his poems was included in the ''Ogura Hyakunin Isshu''. He produced a private ''waka'' collection, the ''Yoshitaka-shū''. Biography Yoshitaka was born in 954, the son ...

Fujiwara no Yorimichi (992–1071) was a Japanese court noble. He succeeded his father Michinaga to the position of Sesshō in 1017, and then went on to become Kampaku from 1020 until 1068. In both these positions, he acted as Regent to the Emperor, as many of his ...

Fujiwara no Yukinari , also known as Fujiwara no Kōzei, was a Japanese calligrapher (''shodoka'') during the Heian period. He was memorialized for his prowess in his chosen art by being remembered as one of the outstanding Three Brush Traces (Sanseki 三跡), along ...

* Fujiwara no Sanekata * Fujiwara no Sadayori *

Fujiwara no Ietaka was an early Kamakura period Japanese 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 Polynes ...

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 ...

Fujiwara no Sadakata , also known as the , was a Japanese poet and courtier. The poet Fujiwara no Kanesuke was his cousin and son-in-law and his son Asatada was also a poet. He was appointed as Udajin of the Third Ward and we see him in storied from the Tales of Ya ...

Fujiwara no Asatada Fujiwara no Asatada (Japanese: 藤原朝忠, also 中納言朝忠, ''Chunagon Asatada'') (910 – January 19, 966) was a middle Heian ''waka'' and Japanese nobleman. He was designated a member of the Thirty-six Poetry Immortals and one of his poe ...

Fujiwara no Tadamichi was the eldest son of the Japanese regent ('' Kampaku'') Fujiwara no Tadazane and a member of the politically powerful Fujiwara clan. He was the father of Fujiwara no Kanefusa and Jien. In the Hōgen Rebellion of 1156, Tadamichi sided with the ...

* Fujiwara no Sadanaga * Fujiwara no Atsuyori

Notes

References

* Brinkley, Frank and

Dairoku Kikuchi Baron was a Japanese mathematician, educator, and education administrator during the Meiji era. Biography Early life and family Kikuchi was born in Edo (present-day Tokyo), as the second son of Mitsukuri Shūhei, a professor at Bansho ...

. (1915). ''A History of the Japanese People from the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era.'' New York: Encyclopædia Britannica
OCLC 413099
* Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). ''Japan Encyclopedia.'' Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
OCLC 58053128
Fujiwara clan Japanese clans {{Japan-hist-stub

History

Notable members

See also

Notes

References