Abutsu-ni

• • Period: Kamakura Period
  • Occupation: Waka Poet, Author, Lady-in-Waiting, Nun.
  • Family: Fujiwara no Tameie (husband) Reizei Tamesuke (son)
  • Birth: –
  • Death: 1283AD

Abutsu-ni

Abutsu-ni (阿仏尼) was a waka poet who died in 1283.

She is best known as the author of the Izayoi Nikki and during her life served as Lady-in-Waiting to Empress Anka Mon’in.

Her additional works were Yoru no tsuru as well as generally being the accepted author of Utatane no ki¹. Her poems can be found in the Shoku kokinshū, Gyokuyō-shū and Fūga-shū.²

Around c.1250 she became the secondary wife of Fujiwara no Tameie, later becoming a nun once her husband passed away in 1275.¹

During her lifetime there was a dispute in regards to property and so she went to Kamakura to arrange for a transfer of possesion to her son Reizei Tamesuke, though she died before a judgement was given.²

She was also known as Anka Mon’in no Sijō and Anka Mon’in Emon no Suke during her lifetime.¹

Footnotes

1. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.
2. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.

	Check out the Japan Archives, our Japanese History Podcast. Instagram (Japan): @japan_archives
	Check out our Gaming Channel on Youtube. Instagram (Minecraft): @mycenria
	Find the website useful? Please consider donating to help up keep the website running.