• Period: Asuka Period
• Occupation: –
• Family: Nakatomi no Kamatari (Father) Fujiwara no Fubito (brother) Fujiwara no Higami no Iratsume (sister)
• Birth: –
• Death: –

Fujiwara no Ioe no Iratsume

Fujiwara no Ioe no Iratsume (藤原 五百重娘) was a member of the Fujiwara Clan and the daughter of Nakatomi no Kamatari.¹

Footnotes

1. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

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• Period: Asuka Period
• Occupation: –
• Family: Nakatomi no Kamatari (Father) Fujiwara no Fubito (brother) Fujiwara no Ioe no Iratsume (Sister)
• Birth: –
• Death: –

Fujiwara no Higami no Iratsume

Fujiwara no Higami no Iratsume (藤原 氷上娘) was a member of the Fujiwara Clan and the daughter of Nakatomi no Kamatari.¹

Footnotes

1. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

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Nakatomi no Omimaro

Nakatomi no Omimaro (中臣 意美麻呂) was a member of the Nakatomi Clan and nephew to Nakatomi no Kamatari. He died in 711AD.

When his uncle founded the Fujiwara Clan, Omimaro kept the Nakatomi name going, later becoming Head of the National Shrines of Ise.¹

Footnotes

1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.

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• Period: Asuka Period, Nara Period
• Occupation: Scholar, udajin
• Family: –
• Birth: 695AD
• Death:775AD

Kibi no Makibi

Kibi no Makibi (吉備 朝臣 真備) was a scholar, born into a powerful family in the Kibi Region, who lived from 695-775AD.

In his lifetime he was well versed in confucian classics, as well as the topics of, astronomy, military science and law.

In 717 he was sent to China alongside Abe no Nakamaro and Priest Genbō. His trip to China is depicted in the Kibi Daijin nittō ekotoba.

He finally returned in 735AD with Gembō and now the two of them found themselves influential in government under Tachibana no Moroe.

Makibi found himself demoted after Fujiwara no Nakamaro rose to power.

In 764 he helped to surpress a revolt that was led by Fujiwara no Nakamaro and was later promoted to udajin in 766. He retired in 771AD after the death of Empress Shōtoku.¹

Footnotes

1. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

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• Period: Asuka Period, Nara Period
• Occupation: Poet
• Family: –
• Birth: 698AD¹ 701AD³
• Death:770AD

Abe no Nakamaro

Abe no Nakamaro (阿倍 仲麻呂) was a member of the Abe Clan living from 698-770AD.¹ He is known to have been born in Abe, Nara Prefecture.²

During his lifetime he was both a poet and government official in China.

In 717 he departed to China with Kibi no Makibi and Priest Genbō as part of an embassy. Here he took a Chinese name a gained official posting there.

Nakamaro also made a literary reputation whilst here meeting the Chinese poets Li Bo and Wang Wei.¹

At 37 years of age he was made Director of Protections and put in control of Three Offices (Arms, Arsenal and Palace Guards).³

In 753 he attempted to return to Japan alongside Fujiwara no Kiyokawa, however he was prevented by shipwreck. As he was stuck in Japan he eventually was made the governor general of Vietnam.

He died 54 years of age in Chang’an.¹

One of his poems can be found in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu (No.7) and goes as follows:

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.
3. MacMillan, P. (2018) ”One Hundred Poets, One Poem Each: A Treasury of Classical Japanese Verse”. St. Ives: Penguin Classics.
4. Suzuki, H. et al. (1997) ”Genshoku: Ogura Hyakunin Isshu”. Tokyo: Bun’eidō.

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• Period: Asuka Period
• Occupation: General, Governor
• Family: –
• Birth: c.575AD
• Death: 664AD

Abe no Hirafu

Abe no Hirafu (阿倍 比羅夫) was a member of the Abe Clan who lived during the mid 7th century.¹ Louis Frederick gives the period of his life from c.575-664.²

For a part of his life he was Governor of Koshi, at this time going by the name of Abe no Omi.²

He was a general and records from the nihongi show that during the reign of Emperor Saimei he was sent three times between 658 and 660 to subdue the Ezo People, with some believing he may have gone as far north as Hokkaido.¹ He is said to have had 180 ships for his attacks on the Ezo.²

In 663, under Emperor Tenji, he led a force to Paekche to help protect them from the invasions of Silla. His naval forces were eventually routed at the Battle of Hakusuhinoe.

He was later positioned in Dazaifu (Kyushu) in anticipation of retalitary invasion from the continent.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.

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Abe no Kurahashimaro

Abe no Kurahashimaro was a member of the Abe Clan known to have been posted as sadaijin in 645. It is probable that he was one of the promoters of the Taika Reforms.¹

Footnotes

1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.

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• Period: Asuka Period / Nara Period
• Occupation: shikibu-kyō
• Family: Fujiwara no Fubito (father) Fujiwara no Momokawa (son) Fujiwara no Hirotsugu (son) Fujiwara no Yoshitsugu (son) Fujiwara no Kiyonari (son) Fujiwara no Kurajimaro (son) Fujiwara no Miyako (sister) Fujiwara no Asukabehime (sister) Fujiwara no Fusasaki (brother) Fujiwara no Muchimaro (brother) Fujiwara no Maro (brother)
• Birth: 694AD
• Death: 737AD

Fujiwara no Umakai

Fujiwara no Umakai (藤原 宇合) was a member of the Fujiwara Clan and founder of the Shikike Branch of the family.

Living from 694-737 he was the son of Fujiwara no Fubito and was Chief of Protocol at court with the title of shikibu-kyō. He died during a smallpox epidemic in 737.¹

He had several sons, these being Fujiwara no Momokawa, Fujiwara no Hirotsugu,¹ Fujiwara no Yoshitsugu and Fujiwara no Kiyonari.²

Footnotes

1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.
2. Brinkley, F. (1915) “A History of the Japanese People from the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era.” New York: The Encyclopaedia Britannica Company.

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• • Period: Asuka Period / Nara Period
  • Occupation: Minister. Statesman
  • Family: Fujiwara no Muchimaro (father) Fujiwara no Nakamaro (brother) Fujiwara no Otomaro (brother) Fujiwara no Kosemaro (brother) Fujiwara no Sadatsugu (brother) Fujiwara no Tsuginawa (son) Chūjō-hime (daughter)
  • Birth: 704AD
  • Death: 765AD

Fujiwara no Toyonari

Fujiwara no Toyonari (藤原 豊成) was a member of the Fujiwara Clan, more specifically the Nanke Branch of this clan.

He was the eldest son of Fujiwara no Muchimaro living from 704-765AD and had a son named Fujiwara no Tsuginawa. During his life he was a statesman as well as minister during the reigns of Empress Genshō and Emperor Shōmu.

He was also known as Naniwa no Daijin.¹

There is a folktale stating he was the father of Chūjō-hime (中将姫) who he had with a ‘Princess Murasaki.’²

Footnotes

1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.
2. Ozaki, Y.T. (2015) “Japanese Fairy Tales” USA: Cavalier Classics.

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• Period: Asuka Period / Nara Period
• Occupation: Udajin, Sadaijin
• Family: Fujiwara no Fubito (father) Fujiwara no Miyako (sister) Fujiwara no Asukabehime (sister) Fujiwara no Fusasaki (brother) Fujiwara no Umakai (brother) Fujiwara no Maro (brother) Fujiwara no Toyonari (son) Fujiwara no Nakamaro (son) Fujiwara no Otomaro (son) Fujiwara no Kosemaro (son) Fujiwara no Sadatsugu (son)
• Birth: 680AD
• Death: 737AD

Fujiwara no Muchimaro

Fujiwara no Muchimaro (藤原 武智麻呂) was a member of the Fujiwara Clan living from 680-737. He was the son of Fujiwara no Fubito and founder of the Nanke Branch of the Fujiwara Clan. His sons were Fujiwara no Toyonari, Fujiwara no Nakamaro,¹ Fujiwara no Otomaro,² Fujiwara no Kosemaro and Fujiwara no Sadatsugu.³

He was appointed Udajin in 734 and later Sadaijin in 737 and would die in a small pox epidemic in 737.¹

Footnotes

1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.
2. Brinkley, F. (1915) “A History of the Japanese People from the Earliest Times to the End of the Meiji Era.” New York: The Encyclopaedia Britannica Company.
3. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

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