Fujiwara no Michikane

Fujiwara no Michikane ( Japanese. 藤原 道 兼 ; * 955 (? 961); † 995 ) was an influential member of the Kuge at the time of Tennō Ichijō (r. 986-1011).

Life path

Fujiwara no Michikane was the second son of Fujiwara no Kaneie and Tokihime . Two regents ( Michitaka and Michinaga ) and two imperial wives ( Chūshi and Senshi ) were among his siblings. He became a monk in the Konzan-in , a quite common process for later-born sons of noble birth.

After leaving his monastery, he became a member of the Gon-Dainagon State Council in 984 . The high position of his brother Michitaka should have been helpful. Presumably he was the person who brought the Kazan- Tennō to renounce the throne and become a monk in Gankei-ji . Ten years later, in 984, he was promoted to the position of Udaijin ("Chancellor on the Right"). He followed his brother into the position of regent (for emperors of legal age; kampaku ). He died just a week after taking office, although it can be assumed that his ambitious nephew Korechika ( 藤原 伊 周 ) - brother of Emperor Consort Teishi ( 定子 ) - was not uninvolved in his passing. This does not seem to have escaped the other courtiers either. Michinaga was appointed next to the office of regent. These three successive rulers are also known as san michi ("3 Michi") because of the same introductory kanji of their first name 道 ( michi ) .

Michikane was posthumously awarded the title of Dajō Daijin ("Grand Chancellor").

source

• Berend Wispelwey (Ed.): Japanese Biographical Archive . KG Saur, Munich 2007, ISBN 3-598-34014-1 , Fiche 45

Literature and individual references

1. ↑ Buddhist Pilgrim: Buddhist Exile Old and New Images of Retired Emperor Kazan in the Saigoku Kannon Temple Guide; History of Religions Vol 34 (May 1995), pp. 304-28.