Fujiwara no Mototsune

• Period: Heian Period
• Occupation: Udajin, Sessho, Dajo Daijin, Kampaku
• Family: Fujiwara no Nagara (father) Fujiwara no Yoshifusa (adopted father) Fujiwara no Tokihira (son) Fujiwara no Nakahira (son) Fujiwara no Tadahira (son) Fujiwara no Kanehira (brother) Fujiwara no Raishi (sister) Fujiwara no Baishi (sister) Fujiwara no Onshi I (daughter) Fujiwara no Onshi II (daughter) Emperor Yōzei (nephew)
• Birth: 836AD
• Death: 891AD

Fujiwara no Mototsune

Fujiwara no Mototsune (藤原 基経) was a member of the Fujiwara Clan, more specifically the Hokke Branch of this clan, living from 836-891AD.

The son of Fujiwara no Nagara he had many children, these being Fujiwara no Tokihira, Fujiwara no Nakahira, Fujiwara no Tadahira, Fujiwara no Onshi I and Fujiwara no Onshi II,¹² Fujiwara no Kanehira, Fujiwara no Raishi and Fujiwara no Baishi. He would later be adopted by Fujiwara no Yoshifusa.²

Over his lifetime he had many promotions becoming udajin in 872, sessho in 876, dajo daijin in 880 and kampaku in 884¹ (887²). He was the first to recieve the title kampaku.

Mototsune saw to it that Emperor Yozei was deposed with Emperor Kōkō then placed on the throne. He would then depose Kōkō in 888 to place Emperor Uda on the throne.

His two daughters Onshi I and Onshi II married Emperors Uda and Daigo.

One of his literary works was called the montoku jitsuroku, which he worked on with several others. Motosune was also known as Horikawa Daijin.¹

Footnotes

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

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