Fujiwara no Shunzei

• • Period: Heian Period / Kamakura Period
  • Occupation: Waka Poet
  • Family: Fujiwara no Teika (son) Priest Jakuren (son-in-law) Fujiwara no Sanesada (nephew)
  • Birth: 1114AD
  • Death: 1204AD

Fujiwara no Shunzei

Fujiwara no Shunzei (藤原 俊成), also known as Fujiwara no Toshinari was a member of the Fujiwara Clan.

He was the father of Fujiwara no Teika, adoptive father of Priest Jakuren and uncle of Fujiwara no Sanesada. A renowned poet, he lived from 1114AD to 1204AD, entered into religion in 1176 and taught Fujiwara no Ietaka as he grew up.

During his life he held the position of Master of the Empress Dowager’s Palace, was a protege to the Emperor Toba and was a renowned poet. As a poet he is known to have adopted the ‘new style’ of poetry by Minamoto no Toshiyori. He is known to have been friends with the wandering poet-monk Saigyō Hōshi,¹ and was a student of Fujiwara no Mototoshi.³

He acted as the judge of many poetry competitions, and 2000 of his poetic judgements have survived to this day. His literary accomplishments include compiling the Senzaishū and writing the Korai Fūteishō (Treatise on Poetic Styles through the Ages; 1197-1201). In addition to a private collection of poetry we can find 450 of his poems in the Imperial Anthologies.

Following the death of Priest Dōin he chose 18 of his poems to be included in the Senzaishū. Following this Priest Dōin then came to him in a dream to show him how happy this made him. And so Shunzei decided to add another 2 of his poems.

Several aethetic concepts have become closely associated with him, such as the concept of sabi (loneliness), yōen (ethereal beauty) and yūgen (mystery and depth). All of these greatly influenced the development of waka, haiku and noh plays.

One of his poems is included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (No.83) and goes as follows:¹

Footnotes

1. MacMillan, P. (2018) ”One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse”. St. Ives: Penguin Classics.
2. Suzuki, H. et al. (1997) ”Genshoku: Ogura Hyakunin Isshu”. Tokyo: Bun’eidō.
3. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.

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