Biographies LXXVIII: Fujiwara-no-Atsumitsu, Kiyohara-no-Yorinari, and Fujiwara-no-Kanemitsu

Fujiwara-no-Atsumitsu

¶Fujiwara-no-Atsumitsu was a son of Akihira, Shikibu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial, and a younger half-brother of Atsumoto, Dainaiki, Senior Secretary of the Palace (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku). From his youth he applied himself to learning and passed the taisaku, the examination for official appointment, which was conducted by means of written questions. He served three emperors, Horikawa, Toba, and Sutoku. He held in turn the posts of Shikibu-no-jō and Dainaiki, concurrently served as Monjō-hakase, Professor of Letters, advanced to Daigaku-no-kami, Director of the University, and then was transferred to Shikibu-no-taifu.

¶In the first year of Hōen (1135), portents in heaven and earth followed one upon another, famine and plague spread, the coastal regions were in unrest, and bandits rose one after another. The emperor had the Confucian scholars discuss the situation and submit their opinions. Atsumitsu, citing precedents ancient and modern, presented a memorial, which said:

¶"Portents in heaven and earth are meant to admonish the sovereign. As for omens of good and ill, the office in charge of the heavens reports them. The men of old said: 'That eclipses of the sun and moon occur, that wind and rain come out of season, that strange stars appear, is something no age has been without. Yet if the ruler is wise and his government impartial, then even if such phenomena occur all at once, they do no harm.' In the Yōgen years of the Later Han, when the strange event of a solar eclipse occurred, the high ministers and great officers all submitted written opinions. By edict thirty officials of the Rōkan rank were chosen, men of generous temper, skilled in planning and gifted in governing the provinces, and the officials so chosen were sent out to assist the governors of the regions. In our own realm too, in the sage reign of Kōnin, worthy and talented men were raised up, made Jijū, Chamberlains, and chosen as Rōkan. On the day of their new appointment, each was entrusted with the heavy charge of governing a single city. Since then, for twenty-four reigns and more than three hundred years, the realm has been ordered under a single standard, and no one has walked a different road. In recent years, however, customs have fallen into disorder and grown thin, and the favors of the court are bestowed unevenly. If our virtue does not reach that of the sage government of former reigns, all the more must we assist the imperial transforming influence of this enlightened age.

¶Now, pestilence arises because government runs contrary to the seasonal ordinances, the jirei, the rules by which government is to be conformed to the season. In the thirteenth year of Tenpyō (741), by imperial order, images of the Buddha Śākyamuni were made throughout the realm and the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra was copied, so as to drive away pestilence and pray for a good harvest. In the fourth year of Kōnin (813), the commoners of the capital and its surrounding provinces were forbidden to abandon the sick, and a statute was set down so that the covering and burial of the dead might accord with righteousness. It seems to me that, in Japan and China alike, whenever a calamity or prodigy has occurred, men of worth and goodness have been recommended, the aged have been shown favor, the poor have been relieved, and at times the land-tax grain has been remitted, the cho and yō levies reduced, and labor service lessened. Let us follow these old models and put into practice a policy of generous compassion.

¶Of the eight branches of government of a true king, food is the first. The men of old said: 'He who suffers from cold does not long for a foot-long jade but thinks of a coarse garment; he who is starving does not look to a thousand pieces of gold but finds a single bowl of rice delicious.' Without reserves for several years, how can we escape the anxiety of bad harvests and famine?

¶Now, the signs by which a state declines have their origins.

¶The first is that the ancestral temples and the altars of the soil and grain are not honored. The Toshigoi no Matsuri, the Tsukinami no Matsuri, the Jinkonjiki, the Kannamesai, and the Niiname-e are important observances of the court. Their rites survive, though barely, but the ceremony grows steadily simpler. At the Jinkonjiki the emperor ought to proceed to the Chūwa-in, and at the Kannamesai to the Daigokuden; that is the proper form, and the splendor of its dignity naturally moves the hearts of the gods. In ancient times Confucius, Zhongni, grudged the sacrificial lamb offered at the ceremony of the new moon, and so valued ritual. Through a small matter he taught a great one, and in no way did he depart from the constant standard. Let all things be done according to the old ceremonies. The shrines great and small in the provinces, when damaged, go unrepaired, and many have fallen and left no trace. The provincial governors do not attend the places of sacrifice, the shrine officials do not undertake repairs, and still less could those who are not heirs to the office through successive generations of their families understand the duties owed to the ancestral temples and the altars of the soil and grain, or perform the rites with reverence and sincerity, in purity and care.

¶The second is that Buddhist observances are not trusted. The art of calling down blessings has the teaching of the Buddha as its foundation, and the essential of taking refuge in the Buddha is that purity comes first. Thus the edict of the eleventh month of the third year of Hōki (772) declared: 'Every year in the first month, let the Kichijō Keka rite be performed in the provincial temples, the kokubunji, of all the provinces of the realm, as a regular observance to relieve the calamity of famine.' Yet today, though the ceremony may be in good order within the court, in the corners of the provinces I fear it is neglected. I hear that the provincial temples are in name only and without substance, and that among the kōdokushi, the lecturers and readers, there are no monks of wisdom and virtue. To seek a miraculous response in this way is like seeking lotus blossoms at the tips of tree branches. For the regular fasting assemblies and the extraordinary Buddhist services alike, the emperor's intention is deep, but the offerings remain scanty. This is because the officials are negligent and the finances of the provinces are in want.

¶The third is that the farmers' season is taken from them. Since the middle ages, the building of lofty halls and great mansions has been truly flourishing, and the labor of making artificial hills and ponds never ceases; the people have no time to rest, and the common folk have no leisure to ease their shoulders. In ancient times Duke Ling of Wei followed the remonstrance of Wan Chun and halted his labor service in the depth of winter. How much more, then, will employing the people in the busy farming season surely injure agriculture. Let earth and timber works be suspended, and let the farmers' season not be taken from them.

¶The fourth is that the exaction of taxes is made heavy. That taxes should rise while the fields do not increase has injured the people in every age. In the time of Marquis Wen of Wei, when the taxes doubled year by year, someone congratulated him on it. Marquis Wen said: 'Now the households have not increased, yet the taxes double year by year. This is only that the levies are excessive; it is nothing to be congratulated upon.' Because of this, the state of Wei was well governed. I hear that in recent years there has been no kenden, no field survey to confirm increase and decrease, the wealth and poverty of the farmers have not been examined, and fields are forcibly declared fertile so that taxes may be collected on them. In places where the land is broad and the people rich, this may do; but in places where the land is narrow and the people poor, the hearts of the people are secretly lost. The rich are few and the poor are many; to consider the matter broadly, it must truly be called harsh. Moreover, even where a field survey has been made, if the standards vary greatly, the rise and fall of the province may be known of itself. Let the praise and blame of officials, their hōhen, be determined according to how well their provinces are governed.

¶The fifth is that extravagance is not prohibited. Even a lacquered wine vessel painted in colors was debated for its luxury. Coarse clothing and plain meals have long been handed down as the virtue of thrift. That Emperor Wen of Han gave up the building of the Dew Terrace, and that Duke Huan of Qi set aside garments of purple, are noble acts of good government, fine tales told to later ages. Yet now the people of the realm have already gone beyond the limits in their dwellings and clothing, and in the number of their carriages, horses, and attendants many exceed their station. Prohibitions have been issued again and again, yet they still do not reform. It is said in the common saying: 'If wide-sleeved robes are in fashion in the capital, bolts of cloth are used in great quantities in the provinces; if thick eyebrows are in fashion in the capital, the provinces shave half the forehead.' What the world likes is only to follow the fashion of the moment. How much more so with ornaments of gold and silver, whose carvings are no longer uniform, and with garments of crimson and purple, on which useless expense piles up. Let the earlier edicts be sought out, and the splendor of the time be stopped.

¶The sixth is that the schools have fallen into decay. What the realm should prize is only men of worth, and what it should treasure is only grain. In our imperial court the Daigaku-ryō, the University, was placed on the left, south of the palace precinct, to honor the teachers of the sages, and the Kokusōin, the Granary Office, was placed on the right to store rice and grain. Yet now the school buildings are in ruins and overgrown with weeds. The offerings for the sekiten, the ceremony in honor of Confucius, are difficult to prepare, and the young men who aspire to learning have no place to settle. When Taizong of Tang had just come to the throne and famine broke out in the capital, he earnestly sought men of ability and strove to select the talented; he reformed the old abuses of government and often brought about good harvests. I pray that we may follow the legacy of the sage reigns and speedily bestow the new instruction of this enlightened age.

¶The seventh is that the public treasury is empty. The granaries of the offices have long been bare. The taxes of the provinces have already dwindled in what is delivered. Still more, the revenues of the households assigned to the officials, the fugo, exist in name only without substance, and the ministers who hold rank do not receive their monthly stipends. Even those who devote themselves to public duty find it hard to preserve themselves in this distress. It is what is called: 'If clothing and food fail in the household, then even a father and mother cannot govern their wives and children; and if cold and hunger press upon the body, then even a hermit as lofty as Chaofu or Xu You cannot keep his integrity.' Moreover, the provisions called taigō, the grain sent to the capital by the provinces, are scarcely issued. The lesser officials are in such want that they lack even clothing and food. Of these seven matters, there is not one that may be abandoned.

¶Furthermore, the common people of the provinces, in order to escape their levies and labor service, call themselves jinin, servants of the shrines, or become wicked monks, and range freely through the domains, resisting the business of the provinces. In addition, the great merchants living idly in the capital lend goods near the capital and then greedily take threefold interest in distant provinces; or in spring they lend a small amount and in the autumn harvest exact a great profit. If the time of repayment is delayed, it almost empties the savings of a whole lifetime. The distressed people cannot bear it, and flee with their entire households, and some sell their wives and children to become slaves of such men. That the realm has fallen into such exhaustion is precisely because of this.

¶It seems to me that in the Engi years, as Miyoshi-no-Kiyoyuki Ason, Shikibu-no-taifu, said in his memorial of opinion, 'the expenses of the realm do not amount to a tenth of what they once were,' and even then it was lamented. Compared with that, the present age is no longer even a tenth of the Engi era, and the decay of the state is plain. The Koryō, the Household Code, says: 'In any place where, owing to flood, drought, or locusts, the crops have failed, let food be issued, even if only a little, so that the people may be relieved.' The Buyaku-ryō, the Code on Taxes and Labor Services, says: 'If fields suffer crop failure through flood, drought, insects, or frost, let the provincial governor inspect the actual conditions, record them in detail, report them to the court, and remit the taxes and labor services.' Let us follow these provisions of the codes and speedily put into effect benevolent government, so that the people may be set at ease.

¶Now, bandits by sea and land arise entirely from wicked hearts born of hunger and cold. This is what is called: 'A thirsty horse guards the water, and a starving dog guards the meat.' Even if punishments are used, they alone are hard put to set order right. If households become prosperous and clothing and food are sufficient, the frontiers will be at peace and the bandits will vanish of themselves. Let us follow the kyaku, the supplementary edict, of the nineteenth day of the fourth month of the fifth year of Enryaku (786), select good officials, and remove the wicked and the robbers. Yet the state has fixed punishments, and no one may escape and go unpunished. Even if only one side of the net catches them, in the end it will bring tranquility to the realm. Now the way of governing the world lies in using leniency and severity together. In the sixth year of Jōhei in former times (936), when Fujiwara-no-Sumitomo, chief of the bandits of the southern seas, gathered his followers and made camp, Ki-no-Yoshihito Ason was appointed Governor of Iyo and given the task of pursuit and arrest. The bandits heard of his generous and benevolent character, and more than two thousand five hundred repented their errors and submitted, and more than thirty at the rank of leader surrendered of their own accord. He gave them clothing, food, and fields, and had them devote themselves to farming. In just this way, if good officials each go to their posts, seek out the bands, and, when any come over, share out fields and goods among them and make them guides, the province will grow rich and punishments will be clear; this too is one policy.

¶Now Dazaifu is the place where envoys of foreign countries come and go, and Chinjufu is the frontier that borders the distant barbarians. If authority is not displayed to outlying lands, I fear that rumor may reach foreign countries. Even in an age when the realm is free of trouble, how can we neglect preparation against the unforeseen? To not forget danger while at peace is an evident warning from of old."

¶Atsumitsu was widely learned in both the inner canon, the Buddhist writings, and the outer canon, the Confucian and other writings, and there was nothing he did not understand. He compiled the Honchō Teiki and the Zoku Honchō Shūku. The prose, inscriptions, and eulogies of that time were always drafted by Atsumitsu (Note: following the Zoku Honchō Monzui. The compilation of the Honchō Teiki and the Zoku Honchō Shūku follows the catalogue of books of the Ninna-ji). In the first year of Ten'yō (1144) he died (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku and the Ichidai Yōki). His sons Arimitsu, Nagamitsu, and Narimitsu all served the court by virtue of their learning (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

Kiyohara-no-Yorinari

¶Kiyohara-no-Yorinari was first named Akinaga and later changed his name to Yorinari. He was a descendant of Kayano, Sadaijin, Minister of the Left, and a son of Sukutaka, Daigeki, Senior Secretary of the Council of State (Note: following the Kiyohara Keizu). Appointed Daigeki and Myōgyō-hakase, Professor of the Classics, he was permitted by special imperial command to study law, myōbō, as well, and served as jidoku, lecturer in attendance, to Emperor Takakura.

¶In the second year of Jōan (1172), a letter that the state of Song sent to the Retired Emperor (the Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa) bore the words "Bestowed upon the King of the Land of Japan." In court deliberation it was said, "This is discourteous. It should be sent back," but the discussion at the time did not reach agreement. Yorinari said: "In the reigns of Emperors Suzaku and Ichijō, there were cases in which the address on a document sent to us was disrespectful, and it was returned and not accepted. In the Jōryaku years, the document sent likewise said 'Bestowed upon Japan,' and it was accepted, and afterwards there were arguments blaming that. How much more in the present case, for what has been sent comes from the Cishi, the governor, of Mingzhou, and not from the Emperor of Song. In former times each side called the other 'Emperor' and used the courtesies of states on equal terms. If matters are as they are now, there can be no greater shame." Those who heard this agreed that he was right.

¶In the Angen years he concurrently served as Etchū-no-gon-no-kami, Provisional Governor of Etchū. In the Jishō and Yōwa years, armed disturbances arose in the provinces, and the imperial armies could not achieve results as they wished. Taira-no-Munemori, Naidaijin, Minister of the Interior, was at a loss, and sent a messenger to ask Yorinari: "Judging from the present situation, it is difficult to pacify matters by force of arms alone. Unless we pray to the gods and the Buddha, we cannot rescue the situation. Should we hold an extraordinary festival of the Great Shrine of Ise, or should we follow the precedent of King Aśoka and build eighty-four thousand precious stupas? Show us the proper course." Yorinari answered: "As for the extraordinary festival, one should ask someone suited to it, and the building of the stupas depends on the court's own consideration. What is urgent now is to reform the evils of government at once and to judge lawsuits impartially. If this is not done, the peril and ruin of the state are at hand. Still, this is not for me to decide; it is a matter for the high ministers and councilors to discuss." (Note: following the Gyokuyō)

¶In the fifth year of Bunji (1189) he died, at the age of sixty-eight (Note: following the Kiyohara Keizu). Kujō-no-Kanezane, Kampaku, Regent, praised Yorinari, saying: "Yorinari was widely learned in the studies of both Japan and China, and had no equal in his age. He is a great vessel of the state and the ridgepole of the way of learning. Whenever we consulted him on court ceremonial and precedent, Yorinari cited ancient and modern examples as proof, distinguishing and examining them with precision, and his opinions were for the most part followed and used." Yorinari once read the Raiki, the Book of Rites, and separated its chapter "Chūyō" (the Doctrine of the Mean), presenting it on its own to the world. He explained it on the basis of the original classic and did not adopt the older commentaries. Yorinari was a contemporary of Zhu Xi (Shuki, Master Zhu) of Song; although Zhu Xi's commentaries had not yet reached Japan, his views happened to agree silently with them, and people thought this remarkable (Note: following the Yasutomi-ki, entry for the third year of Kyōtoku).

¶His descendants built a shrine and made offerings to Yorinari. Emperor Go-Saga bestowed upon it the name Kurumazaki Daimyōjin, the Great Deity of the Broken Carriage. It is told that someone once passed before the shrine riding in a carriage, and the carriage suddenly broke, hence the name (Note: following the Funabashi family manuscript and the Kiyohara Keizu). His sons Sukemitsu and Chikanari were both appointed Shō-geki, Junior Secretary. In the Juei years, when Minamoto-no-Yoshinaka rebelled and attacked the Hōjūji-dono, Chikanari was struck by a stray arrow and died (Note: the section from Sukemitsu onward follows the Kiyohara Keizu; for Chikanari's death, the Gyokuyō, the Genpei Seisuiki, and the Heike Monogatari).

Fujiwara-no-Kanemitsu

¶Fujiwara-no-Kanemitsu was a sixth-generation descendant of Arikuni, Sangi, Counsellor. His grandfather Sanemitsu and his father Sukenaga both served as Chūnagon, Middle Counsellor, and the family name was called Hino (Note: following the Sonpi Bunmyaku).

¶Kanemitsu passed the taisaku in the Eiryaku years and in due course held one important post after another. In the Bunji years he advanced to Gon-Chūnagon, Provisional Middle Counsellor, Senior Third Rank, and concurrently served as Uhyōe-no-kami, Chief of the Right Gate Guards. In the second year of Kenkyū (1191) he became Kebiishi-no-bettō, Superintendent of the Imperial Police (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). He revived business that had fallen into disuse and put the duties of the office in order, and so had a reputation for ability.

¶Once a man lost a kettle and went to his neighbor's house and found it there. The neighbor would not accept this and brought a suit to the office. Kanemitsu therefore summoned him and questioned him. The man pleaded: "I am lame in the legs and always move forward with my hands on the ground. Without using my hands I cannot advance an inch; how could I carry off a kettle and run?" The people thought he was right. Yet the man who had lost the kettle still pressed his suit. Kanemitsu gave judgment awarding the kettle to the defendant, saying: "Your argument is reasonable. I can see that it is the plaintiff who speaks falsely." The thief was delighted, put the kettle on his head, and walked off. Then Kanemitsu called him back and pressed him, and the thief finally confessed his guilt (Note: following the Kokon Chomonjū).

¶In the sixth year of Kenkyū (1195) he was raised to Junior Second Rank. The next year he died, at the age of fifty-two (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). He once wrote the Shigenki (Note: following the catalogue of books of the Ninna-ji). His son Sukezane reached Senior Second Rank, served as Gon-Chūnagon, and concurrently held the post of Dazai-no-gon-no-sotsu, Provisional Governor-General of Dazaifu (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). His diary is called the Togyokuki (Note: following the catalogue of books of the Ninna-ji).