• 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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• 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: 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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• Period: Asuka Period / Nara Period
• Occupation:
• Family: Fujiwara no Fubito (father) Fujiwara no Nagate (son) Fujiwara no Matate (son) Fujiwara no Kiyokawa (son) Fujiwara no Torikai (son) Fujiwara no Uona (son) Fujiwara no Miyako (sister) Fujiwara no Asukabehime (sister) Fujiwara no Muchimaro (brother) Fujiwara no Umakai (brother) Fujiwara no Maro (brother)
• Birth: 681AD
• Death: 737AD

Fujiwara no Fusasaki

Fujiwara no Fusasaki (藤原 房前) was the founder of the Hokke Branch of the Fujiwara Clan, living from 681-737. He was the son of Fujiwara no Fubito, having several brothers and sisters. These being, Fujiwara no Miyako, Fujiwara no Asukabehime, Fujiwara no Muchimaro, Fujiwara no Umakai and Fujiwara no Maro.¹

He also had several sons, these being Fujiwara no Nagate, Fujiwara no Kiyokawa¹, Fujiwara no Matate,² Fujiwara no Uona and Fujiwara no Torikai.³

In 737 he died during a Small Pox Epidemic.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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• Period: Nara Period
• Occupation: –
• Family: Fujiwara no Fubito (father) Sakanoue no Iratsume (wife) Fujiwara no Hamanari (son) Fujiwara no Miyako (sister) Fujiwara no Asukabehime (sister) Fujiwara no Fusasaki (brother) Fujiwara no Umakai (brother) Fujiwara no Muchimaro (brother)
• Birth: 695
• Death: 737

Fujiwara no Maro

Fujiwara no Maro (藤原 麻呂) was the son of Fujiwara no Fubito and husband to Sakanoue no Iratsume, living from 695-737AD.¹ His son was Fujiwara no Hamanari.²

During his life he founded the Kyōke branch of the Fujiwara Clan and in 737 during a smallpox epidemic he and his brothers died.¹

Footnotes

1. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.
2. Rabinovich, J. (1991) “Wasp and Waists and Monkey Tails: A Study and Translation of Hamanari’s Uta no Shiki (The Code of Poetry, 772). Also known as Kakyō Hyōshiki (A Formulary for Verse Based on the Canons of Poetry)”. Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol.51, No.2 pp.471-560

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• Period: Nara Period
• Occupation: Prince
• Family: Fujiwara no Fubito (father) Empress Kōken (daughter) Emperor Shōmu (husband) Fujiwara no Miyako (sister) Fujiwara no Fusasaki (brother) Fujiwara no Umakai (brother) Fujiwara no Maro (brother) Fujiwara no Muchimaro (brother)
• Birth: –
• Death:-

Fujiwara no Asukabehime

Fujiwara no Asukabehime (藤原 安宿媛), later known as Empress Kōmyō (光明皇后) was a part of the Fujiwara Clan. Wife to Emperor Shōmu, she was the daughter of Fujiwara no Fubito.

She bore a son for the Emperor, however the child died before reaching one years of age. Later she was bestowed the title of Kōgō (Empress-Consort),’ and given the name Kōmyō. This was the first time someone not of Imperial Blood had been given the honor and occurred in AD729 after all opposition was mowed down.

Shōmu made their daughter Kōken, Princess-Regent, this also being the first time this occurred. When her husband abdicated for her daughter she received the title Kōtaigō, ‘Great Retired Empress-Consort. This honorary titles helped the Fujiwara Clan to gain many high ranking positions at court.

She is also noted to have helped her nephew Fujiwara no Nakamarō by moving him from position to position, leading eventually to him being admitted into the highest councils of state. ¹

Footnotes

1. Tsurumi, P. (1981) “Early Female Emperors” Historical Reflections Vol.8 No.1 pp.41-49.

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• Period: Asuka Period
• Occupation: –
• Family: Fujiwara no Fubito (father) Fujiwara no Asukabehime (sister) Fujiwara no Fusasaki (brother) Fujiwara no Muchimaro (brother) Fujiwara no Umakai (brother) Fujiwara no Maro (brother)
• Birth: –
• Death:-

Fujiwara no Miyako

Fujiwara no Miyako  (藤原宮子) was a member of the Fujiwara Clan and daughter of Fujiwara no Fubito.

During her lifetime should would become wife to Emperor Monmu and give birth to Prince Obito (Emperor Shōmu).¹

Footnotes

1. Tsurumi, P. (1981) “Early Female Emperors” Historical Reflections Vol.8 No.1 pp.41-49.

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• Period: Asuka Period
• Occupation: Dainagon, Udajin
• Family: Nakatomi no Kamatari (father) Fujiwara no Higami no Iratsume (sister) Fujiwara no Ioe no Iratsume (sister) Fujiwara no Miyako (daughter) Fujiwara no Asukabehime (daughter) Fujiwara no Muchimaro (son) Fujiwara no Fusasaki (son) Fujiwara no Umakai (son) Fujiwara no Maro (son)
• Birth: 659AD
• Death: 720AD

Fujiwara no Fubito

Fujiwara no Fubito (藤原 不比等) was a member of the Fujiwara Clan living from 659-720AD²³. He was father of Miyako and Asukabehime as well as being grandfather to Prince Obito.¹

He was also the father of Fujiwara no Muchimaro, Fusasaki, Umakai and Maro.² These four sons would each found a different branch of the Fujiwara Clan. The Nanke, Hokke, Shikike and Kyōke.²³ He was the second son of Nakatomi no Kamatari.³

During his lifetime he gave his support to Empress Genmei’s claim to the throne to secure his grandson’s future claim to the throne as Obito’s mother was his daughter Miyako.¹ He would also see his two daughters married to the Emperors Monmu and Shōmu.²³

He helped draw up the Taiho Code in 701²³ and due to this found himself recieving the rank of dainagon and later udajin, a rank he held through the reigns of Jitō, Genmei and Genshō.²

Later in 718 he began the compilation of the Yōrō Code, but died before its completion.³

After his death he was posthumously given the title of Dajō Daijin and four poems of his can be found in the Kaifūso.²³

Footnotes

1. Tsurumi, P. (1981) “Early Female Emperors” Historical Reflections Vol.8 No.1 pp.41-49.
2. Louis Frederic, translated by Kathe Roth (2002) “Japan Encyclopedia”. London: Harvard University Press.
3. Kodansha. (1993) ”Japan: An Illustrated Encyclopedia”. Tokyo: Kodansha Ltd.

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• Reign: 707-715AD
• Born: 661AD
• Died: 721AD
• Period: Asuka Period
• Family: Emperor Monmu (son) Prince Kusakabe (husband) Empress Jitō (half-sister) Emperor Tenji (father) Empress Genshō (daughter)
• Burial Place: –
• Order of Succession: Predecessor Emperor Monmu * Successor Empress Genshō

Empress Genmei

Empress Genmei (元明 天皇) was the 43rd Emperor of Japan. Known before her ascension to the throne as Princess Abe.¹ She lived from 661-721AD.²

Family

Genmei was the mother of Emperor Monmu and wife to Prince Kusakabe, with her daughter being the later Empress Genshō.

Reign

After the death of her son Monmu, she declares herself Emperor stating it was the will of Empress Jitō and Monmu, and in accord with the ‘immutable law’ of her father. All of this was an attempt to secure the throne for her grandson (Prince Obito), and she garnered support from the Fujiwara Clan, in particular Fujiwara no Fubito, likely due to the fact her grandson’s mother and also his wife were Fubito’s daughters.

She was a fearless ruler throughout her reign, but eventually abdicated in 715, remaining afterwards as an important figure in highest councils of state.¹

Her reign saw much cultural advancement with the creation of the first wadō (coinage), the move of the capital to Nara in 710, and the completion of Kojiki in 712.²

However she did not allow Prince Obito to succeed, seeing her daughter Genshō as a better choice.¹

Death

In the last year of her life she fell ill and so the state ordered that ‘a hundred consecrated men and women shoud be dedicated to reigion as votaries to secure her recovery. However she died within the year.²

Her death in 721 ruined the important balance of power between herself and the Minister of the Left.¹

Poetry

Empress Genmei has two poems in the Man’yōshū, poem number 35 and 76.²

Footnotes

1. Tsurumi, P. (1981) “Early Female Emperors” Historical Reflections Vol.8 No.1 pp.41-49.
2. Miller, R. A.. (1981) “The Lost Poetic Sequence of the Priest Manzei”. Monumenta Nipponica. Vol.36 No.2 pp.133-172

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