:''This is about the 9th-century Japanese statesman. For the 10th-century Japanese poet also known as Nagayoshi, see

Fujiwara no Nagatō :''This is about the 10th-century Japanese poet. For the 9th-century Japanese statesman, see Fujiwara no Nagayoshi.'' , also known as Nagayoshi, was a Japanese poet and a court bureaucrat of the Heian period. He was the son of Fujiwara no Tomoyas ...

.'' , also known as Fujiwara no Nagayoshi, was a

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

statesman, courtier and politician of the early

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. ...

.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Mototsune" in He was the grandfather of

Emperor Yōzei was the 57th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 陽成天皇 (57)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Yōzei's reign spanned the years from 876 through 884. Traditional narrative Before his ascension ...

Life

Nagara was born as the eldest son of the ''

sadaijin The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the ini ...

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 ...

, a powerful figure in the court of

Emperor Saga was the 52nd emperor of Japan,#Kunaichō, Emperor Saga, Saganoyamanoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. Saga's reign spanned the years from 809 through 823 ...

. He was also a descendant of the early Japanese emperors and was well trusted by

Emperor Ninmyō was the 54th emperor of Japan, Emperor Ninmyō, Fukakusa Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Ninmyō's reign lasted from 833 to 850, during the Heian period. Traditional narrative Nin ...

since his time as crown prince, and attended on him frequently. However, after Ninmyō took the throne, Nagara's advancement was overtaken by his younger brother

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 ...

. He served as director of the and in the imperial guard before finally making '' sangi'' and joining the ''

kugyō is the collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre- Meiji eras. The term generally referred to the and court officials and denoted a court rank between First Rank and Third Rank un ...

'' in 844, ten years after his younger brother. In 850, Nagara's nephew

Emperor Montoku (August 826 – 7 October 858) was the 55th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 文徳天皇 (55)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Montoku's reign lasted from 850 to 858. Traditional narrative Before ...

took the throne, and Nagara was promoted to and then , and in 851 to . In the same year, though, Nagara was overtaken once more as his brother Fujiwara no Yoshimi, more than ten years his junior, was promoted to ''

chūnagon was a counselor of the second rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. The role was eliminated from the Imperial hierarchy in 701, but it was re-established in 705. This advisory position remained a part of the I ...

''. In 854, when Yoshimi was promoted to ''

dainagon was a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century.Nussbaum, "Dainag ...

'', Nagara was promoted to fill his old position of ''chūnagon''. In 856 he was promoted to , but died shortly thereafter at the age of 55.

Legacy

After Nagara's death, his daughter Takaiko became a court lady of

Emperor Seiwa was the 56th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 清和天皇 (56)/ref> according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. Seiwa's reign spanned the years from 858 through 876.He was also the pre ...

. In 877, after her son Prince Sadaakira took the throne as

, Nagara was posthumously promoted to and ''

'', and again in 879 to ''

daijō-daijin The was the head of the ''Daijō-kan'' (Great Council of State) during and after the Nara period and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. Equivalent to the Chinese (Grand Preceptor). History Emperor Tenji's favorite son, Prince Ōtomo, wa ...

''. Nagara was overtaken in life by his brother Yoshifusa and Yoshimi, but he had more children, and his descendants thrived. His third 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 ...

was adopted by Yoshifusa, and his line branched into various powerful clans, including 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 ...

. Before the Middle Ages, there may have been a tendency to view Mototsune's biological father Nagara rather than his adoptive father Yoshifusa as his parent, making Nagara out as the ancestor of the regent family. This may have impacted the

Ōkagami ''Ōkagami'' () is a Japanese historical tale written in around 1119 by an unknown author. It covers the period 850 to 1025, the golden days of the Fujiwara family's rule. It is said to be a successor (世継物語, ''yotsugi monogatari'') with the ...

, leading it to depict Nagara as the head of the Hokke instead of Yoshifusa.

Personality

Nagara had a noble disposition, both tender-hearted and magnanimous. Despite being overtaken by his brothers, he continued to love them deeply. He was treated his subordinates with tolerance, and was loved by people of all ranks. When Emperor Ninmyō died, Fuyutsugu is said to have mourned him like a parent, even abstaining from food as he prayed for the happiness of the Emperor's spirit. When he served

in his youth, the Emperor treated him as an equal, but Nagara did not abandon formal dress or display an overly familiar attitude.

Genealogy

*Father:

*Mother: , daughter of *Wife: **Eldest son: **Second son: *Wife: , daughter of **Third son: , adopted by

**Fourth son: **Fifth son: **Sixth son: **Daughter: , court lady of

, mother of

*Unknown wife (possibly ) **Daughter: , wife of Fujiwara no Ujimune, adoptive mother of

Emperor Uda was the 59th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 宇多天皇 (59)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Uda's reign spanned the years from 887 through 897. Traditional narrative Name and legacy Befo ...

, **Daughter: , wife of Taira no Takamune,

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 Shi ...

. (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 Harvard University Press (HUP) is a publishing house established on January 13, 1913, as a division of Harvard University, and focused on academic publishing. It is a member of the Association of American University Presses. After the retirem ...

.
OCLC 58053128
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Fujiwara no, Nagara 802 births Place of birth unknown 856 deaths Place of death unknown Fujiwara clan People of Heian-period Japan