Biographies CXLI: Men of Letters, Part II

Isonokami-no-Yakatsugu

¶Isonokami-no-Yakatsugu was a grandson of Maro, Sadaijin, Minister of the Left, and a son of Otomaro, Chūnagon, Middle Counsellor. By nature he was bright and quick of mind, and he had a fine bearing. He loved learning and was widely versed in the classics and the histories. He excelled in prose composition and was skilled in the cursive and clerical scripts. In the reign of Empress Shōtoku he rose through successive offices to Sangi, Counsellor, was granted Junior Third Rank, and concurrently served as Shikibu-kyō, Minister of Ceremonial. At the accession of Emperor Kōnin he took part in the plans for placing him on the throne. In the early years of Hōki he left the capital as Dazai-no-sotsu, Governor-General of Dazaifu. Before long he was transferred to Shikibu-kyō and appointed Chūnagon. In the sixth year of Hōki (775) he asked to change his surname to Mononobe-no-Ason. Soon afterwards he concurrently served as Kōtaishi-fu, Tutor to the Crown Prince, and Nakatsukasa-kyō, Minister of Central Affairs. In the tenth year of Hōki (779), by imperial edict, he was restored to his original surname. In the following year (780) he was transferred to Dainagon, Major Counsellor. In the first year of Ten'ō (781) he was advanced to Senior Third Rank. Soon afterwards he died, at the age of fifty-three. In accordance with his last wishes the funeral was a modest one. By edict he was posthumously granted Senior Second Rank. Among those who excelled in prose composition after the Tenpyō Hōji era, Yakatsugu and Ōmi-no-Mifune were spoken of together in the world. By nature he loved mountains and waters, and wherever he went he took up his brush and composed poems and prose. Several tens of his poems and rhapsodies are handed down in the world. He once gave up his own residence and founded the temple Ashukuji. Within the temple he built a hall, stored Confucian books there, and named it Unitei, the Pavilion of Rue. He composed a record of it himself and ruled that anyone who wished to read the books should be permitted to do so. That hall still stands today. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi. Moreover, the Kōsōden Yōmonshō says that Yakatsugu took the name Layman Unitei, and his Buddhist name was Bongyō. He gave up his residence to make it a temple, built the Unitei hall to the south-east of the temple, raised an artificial hill, dug a pond, and planted bamboo and flowers. To its south-west he built a Zen gate, and to its north-east a hōjō, a ten-foot abbot's chamber. He once composed a Hymn to the Tripiṭaka and sent it to Tang China by way of the embassy. The monk Feixi of the inner chapel of the Tang court is said to have admired it and said, "In the land of Vaiśālī there was the son of an elder; in the land of Japan there is a Vimalakīrti.")

Ōmi-no-Mifune

¶Ōmi-no-Mifune (Note: the character for "Mi" is also written with another character) was a grandson of Prince Kadono and the son of Prince Ikebe. Mifune was at first a member of the royal clan, but in the third year of Tenpyō Shōhō (751) he was granted the surname Ōmi-no-Mahito, and soon afterwards became a Naishō, Palace Page. (Note: the Kōsōden Yōmonshō says that Layman Ōmi was Mifune. He left the household as a child and took the name Genkai. In the Tenpyō Shōhō years he was ordered by edict to return to lay life and was granted a surname. He wished to go to Tang China to study but could not, because of illness. He is said to have always practiced pure conduct.) At the age of eight he was reprimanded by Fujiwara-no-Nakamaro and confined in the Eji-fu, the Guards' Office. Later he left the capital as Assistant Governor of Owari and was granted Senior Sixth Rank Upper. In the Tenpyō Hōji years he became Inspector of the San'indō. Soon he was advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Lower and served successively as Governor of Mikawa and Junior Vice-Minister of Monbu. In the eighth year of Tenpyō Hōji (764) he was transferred to Governor of Mimasaka, and as Commissioner for the Construction of Reservoirs he repaired the reservoirs of Ōmi. When Nakamaro rebelled and sought to hold out in Ōmi, he first sent messengers to levy soldiers and horses throughout the province. Mifune was then at Seta, and, planning together with the provincial Judge Saeki-no-Mino, he seized the messengers and their confederates. For this service he was granted Senior Fifth Rank Upper and the Third Class of Merit, became Assistant Governor of Ōmi, and was transferred to Nakatsukasa-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Central Affairs, concurrently serving as Jijū, Chamberlain. In the second year of Tenpyō Jingo (766) he was granted twenty chō of rice land as a field of merit, with permission to hand it on to his heir. Soon afterwards he was appointed Inspector of the Tōsandō. In the first years of Jingo Keiun he was given the additional post of Hyōbu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Military Affairs. Returning to the capital, he reported the results of cases he had adjudicated, but because this did not suit the court's wishes he was demoted to Dazai-no-shōni, Junior Vice-Governor of Dazaifu. In the Hōki years he gradually advanced again to Gyōbu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Justice, and served successively as Daihanji, Senior Judge, and Daigaku-no-kami, Director of the University; he was also made Monjō Hakase, Professor of Letters, and was advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Lower. In the early years of Enryaku he concurrently served as Governor of Inaba and became Gyōbu-kyō, Minister of Justice. In the fourth year of Enryaku (785) he died, at the age of sixty-four. Mifune was intelligent, widely read in many books, and excelled in prose composition, and his reputation stood high in his day. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.) He once received an imperial command to fix the posthumous names of the emperors from Emperor Jinmu onward. (Note: following the private notes cited in the Shaku Nihongi.) His descendants Hamanari and Takanushi, together with nine others of the same clan, were granted the surname Ōmi-no-Ason in the Jōgan era. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku.)

Sugawara-no-Furuhito

¶Sugawara-no-Furuhito was a son of Uniwa, Governor of Awa. (Note: following the Sugawara Keizu.) His original surname was Haji-no-Sukune, and he was granted Senior Sixth Rank Upper. At the end of the Hōki era he was advanced to Outer Junior Fifth Rank Lower. In the first year of Ten'ō (781) he became Assistant Governor of Tōtōmi and was advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Lower. Together with fifteen kinsmen of the same clan, including Michinaga, he submitted a petition. "The ancestors of the Haji clan came from Ame-no-Hohi-no-Mikoto. Nomi-no-Sukune, his grandson in the fourteenth generation, is our distant ancestor. Long ago, in the reign of Emperor Suinin, ancient customs still lingered, and funeral rites lacked restraint. At every death, the burying of living attendants along with the dead was commonly practiced. Once, when the Empress died, the coffin was set down in the courtyard. The emperor turned to his ministers and asked, 'How should the funeral rites of the inner palace be conducted?' All answered, 'We should follow in every respect the precedent of Prince Yamatohiko.' But Nomi-no-Sukune alone came forward and said, 'It seems to me that the rite of burying living attendants runs greatly against benevolent government, and is truly no way to benefit the country and profit the people. If you will give me the opportunity to devise something, I shall deal with this matter.' Thereupon he led more than three hundred men of the Hajibe, the clay-workers' guild, fashioned images of various things out of clay, and presented them. The emperor was greatly pleased and named them haniwa. What are called tatemono, 'standing things,' are these. This was entirely owing to the benevolent virtue of the sages of old and to the affection left to us by our ancestors. Their blessing has been handed down to later ages, and the people rely upon it. Yet if we look at the ancestral calling, auspicious and inauspicious duties are about equally shared. If it were a matter of presiding over inauspicious affairs on days of mourning and taking part in auspicious affairs on days of festival, such service would accord with reason. But now it is not so, and we are concerned solely with inauspicious affairs. When we consider the original purpose of the ancestral calling, the intention was not this. We beg that, taking the name of the place where we dwell, our surname Haji be changed to Sugawara." This was granted. At that time his elder brother Yasuhito, who was at his post in the provinces, did not change his surname, but in the early years of Enryaku petitioned to be granted the surname Akishino-no-Ason. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi. That Yasuhito was Furuhito's elder brother follows the Keizu.) Furuhito was outstanding in the world for his conduct as a Confucian scholar, and he did not readily accommodate himself to common custom. After his death there was no surplus wealth in his house, and his children were in want. (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki.) In the Enryaku years, in recognition of his service as imperial tutor, clothing and food were granted to four of his sons so that they might apply themselves to their studies. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.) The granting of study allowances began with this. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin. The year of Furuhito's death is not recorded in any of the books; only the Keizu states that he died in the tenth year of Kōnin and was seventy years old. But since an edict of the fourth year of Enryaku in the Shoku Nihongi refers to "the late Furuhito, Assistant Governor of Tōtōmi," the Keizu is taken to be mistaken and is not adopted.) His son Kiyokimi and his great-grandson Michizane have separate biographies. His great-great-grandson was Atsushige.

Sugawara-no-Atsushige

¶Sugawara-no-Atsushige was a son of Michizane. (Note: following the Keizu.) His talent and literary gift largely carried on his father's manner. Ōe-no-Masafusa once said, "Of the Confucian houses, only Miyako-no-Zaichū, Atsushige, and three or four others did not let the reputation of their families fall." Atsushige was recommended as Shūsai, Distinguished Talent, passed the examination of policy questions, and became Monjō Hakase, Professor of Letters. He served successively as Hyōbu-no-jō, Secretary of Military Affairs, Daigaku-no-kami, Director of the University, and Ukyō Daiben, Senior Controller of the Right, and was appointed Shikibu Gon-no-taifu, Acting Senior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial, and granted Senior Fifth Rank Lower. (Note: following the Keizu.) When the Retired Emperor Uda once admired the mid-autumn moon at the Teishi-in, he summoned men of letters to compose poems, and Atsushige wrote the preface. (Note: following the Honchō Monzui.) On seeing Atsushige's poem the Retired Emperor sighed, "It is a pity that I could not show this to the late Minister of the Right (Sugawara-no-Michizane)." When Pei Qiu, the tribute envoy of Bohai, came to Japan, Atsushige received him, and exchanged poems with Pei Qiu in reply. In the Jōgan era Pei Qiu's father, Pei Ting, had come as an envoy and exchanged poems with Michizane. Now Atsushige's poem referred to those days of his late father Michizane, and Pei Qiu wept with emotion as he read it. Atsushige and Pei Qiu had thus met as fathers and sons over two generations, and the world regarded this as a marvelous coincidence. (Note: following the Gōdanshō.) Atsushige's son Arimi, of Junior Fourth Rank Upper (Note: following the Keizu), became Kageyu-chōkan, Director of the Bureau of Auditors. Arimi's son was Sukemasa. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.)

Sugawara-no-Sukemasa

¶Sugawara-no-Sukemasa. In the fourth year of Tenryaku (950) Sukemasa was recommended as Shūsai and appointed Monjō Tokugyōshō, Student of Distinguished Attainment in Letters. Soon he passed the examination of policy questions and was appointed Ushōben, Junior Controller of the Right. He concurrently held the posts of Daigaku-no-kami, Director of the University, Tōgū Gakushi, Scholar to the Crown Prince, and Monjō Hakase, Professor of Letters. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.) Through his literary talent he spread his fame in his day and became imperial tutor to Emperor En'yū. (Note: following the Kokon Chomonjū.) In the Tengen years he was appointed Dazai-no-daini, Senior Vice-Governor of Dazaifu. In the second year of Chōtoku (996) he was appointed Sangi, Counsellor. Soon he concurrently became Shikibu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial, and was advanced to Senior Third Rank. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.) When Imperial Prince Atsuyasu began his reading of books, Sukemasa attended him. In the poem he composed at the Prince's request he wrote: "Aged past eighty winters of frost, I have never yet seen a divine intelligence like my Prince's. The foolish words of an old survivor, my lord, take note of them: of a single classic, even in haste, you must never lose hold." (Note: following the Honchō Reisō.) In the sixth year of Kankō (1009) he died, at the age of eighty-five. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.) Once, when he was in Tsukushi, he came to the temple Anrakuji and regretted that it had no pagoda, and so he founded a Tahōtō, a Many-Jewels Pagoda. He enshrined in it the five Buddhas of the Womb Realm, stored in it a thousand copies of the Lotus Sutra, and named it the Eastern Pagoda. He invited monks to reside there and himself compiled three volumes of regulations for the management of the temple, which he deposited in the libraries of various temples. Later generations built a shrine and venerated him beside the shrine that honors Michizane. (Note: following the Kokon Chomonjū.) He was called the Kitano Saishō, the Counsellor of Kitano. In the third year of Juei (1184) he was posthumously granted Senior Second Rank. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin and the Kokon Chomonjū.) Furuhito's descendant in the sixth generation was Fumitoki. (Note: following the Keizu.)

Sugawara-no-Fumitoki

¶Sugawara-no-Fumitoki. Fumitoki was a son of Takami, Ukyō Daiben, Senior Controller of the Right, who was the elder brother of Atsushige. (Note: following the Keizu.) His literary talent was broad and deep, and his fame resounded in his day. Minamoto-no-Hideakira, Minamoto-no-Tamenori, Ōe-no-Masahira, and others all asked Fumitoki to polish their own poems and rhapsodies. (Note: following the Gōdanshō.) In the fifth year of Tenkei (942) he passed the examination of policy questions. He served successively as Naiki, Secretary of the Palace, and Shikibu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial, was advanced to Senior Fourth Rank Lower, was given the additional post of Monjō Hakase, Professor of Letters, and concurrently served as Acting Governor of Owari. In the reign of Emperor Murakami he submitted a sealed memorial urging the prohibition of extravagance, the ending of the sale of offices, and the winning over of distant peoples. His words were most earnest. (Note: following the Honchō Monzui.) Once, at a gathering at the residence of the imperial grandson Minamoto-no-Yasumitsu, he composed a poem that said, "This flower is no seed of the human world; once more it is nurtured on the Terrace of Peace, a patch of rosy cloud." A poem by Ōe-no-Asatsuna said, "This flower is no seed of the human world; at the tip of a jeweled branch, a second blossom." Asatsuna laughed and said, "Later ages will surely speak of you and me together as a pair." (Note: following the Gōdanshō.) In the Ōwa years, when the emperor made an excursion to the Reizei-in, he summoned men of letters and gave them the theme "Blossom light floating on the water." Fumitoki wrote the preface. (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku.) In that preface it was written: "Who says the water has no heart? Its rich and radiant face, meeting the waves, changes color. Who says flowers do not speak? Lightly drifting, their reflections move their lips." The world praised it highly. (Note: following the Honchō Monzui and the Wakan Rōeishū.) One day, at a court banquet, the ministers were made to compose on the theme "Palace orioles singing in the dawn light." The emperor's own poem ran, "In the thick dew they speak slowly beneath the garden blossoms; the moon sets, and they sing aloud in the shade of the imperial willows." The emperor himself thought that it could hardly be surpassed by any other talent. But Fumitoki presented a poem that said, "In the west pavilion, the moon sets on a tune among the blossoms; in the central hall, the lamps burn low, and a voice sounds amid the bamboo." The emperor judged it a masterpiece, and summoned Fumitoki to ask which poem was better. Fumitoki answered, "The sage's work is beyond my reach." When the emperor pressed the question again and again, Fumitoki said quietly, "The sage's poem is indeed one rank below mine." The emperor laughed and agreed. (Note: following the Gōdanshō and the Konjaku Monogatari.) In his later years his official career stagnated. In the early years of Tengen he repeatedly petitioned to be granted Junior Third Rank. (Note: following the Honchō Monzui.) In the fourth year of Tengen (981) he was at last granted it. Soon afterwards he died, at the age of eighty-four. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.) He was called Kan-sanmi, Sugawara of Third Rank. (Note: following the Honchō Monzui.) His sons were Masahiro and Sukeaki. (Note: following the Keizu.) Both had literary talent, but Sukeaki was the more renowned, and his literary gift was not inferior to that of his father and forebears. (Note: following the Gōdanshō.) He was appointed Dainaiki, Senior Secretary of the Palace. (Note: following the Keizu.) Once, when the Retired Emperor Suzaku (Note: the Jikkinshō says Retired Emperor Uda, which is an error and is corrected here) summoned men of letters to compose poems and had Sukeaki write the preface, he kept it in the Retired Emperor's residence and did not let it go out, out of consideration that Sukeaki's father Fumitoki might otherwise make corrections. When the piece came into the world, everyone admired its excellence. (Note: following the Honchō Monzui and the Jikkinshō.) Furuhito's descendant in the thirteenth generation was Tamenaga. (Note: following the Keizu.)

Sugawara-no-Tamenaga

¶Sugawara-no-Tamenaga. Tamenaga was a son of Nagamori, Daigaku-no-kami, Director of the University. Between the Genryaku and Shōji eras he was recommended as Shūsai and sat the examination, became Ōtoneri-no-suke, Assistant Director of the Palace Attendants, and Uemon-no-shōjō, Lieutenant of the Right Gate Guards, was appointed Kebiishi, Imperial Police Commissioner, served successively as Shikibu-no-shōyū, Junior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial, and Dainaiki, Senior Secretary of the Palace, was transferred to Monjō Hakase, Professor of Letters, and became imperial tutor, was appointed Shikibu Gon-no-taifu, Acting Senior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial, was granted Junior Third Rank, and became Ōkura-kyō, Minister of the Treasury. In the Katei era he was appointed Sangi, Counsellor, concurrently held the post of Kageyu-chōkan, Director of the Bureau of Auditors, and rose to Senior Second Rank. In the fourth year of Kangen (1246) he died, at the age of eighty-nine. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.) He was skilled in calligraphy, excelled at waka, and was thoroughly versed in the precedents of the court. (Note: following the Shōtetsu Monogatari.) The court nobles and gentlemen regarded him as a pillar of the state. (Note: following the Heikōki, cited in the Kugyō Bunin.) In the Kenpō era he attended the Retired Emperor and lectured to him on the Jōgan Seiyō. (Note: following the Meigetsuki.) At the request of Hōjō Masako he also translated it into kana. (Note: following the Jōei Shikimoku Shō.) Among his writings is the Gaihōshō. (Note: following the Ninnaji Shoseki Mokuroku.) His sons Nagasada, Kin'yoshi, Naganari, and Takanaga all had literary talent. (Note: following the Keizu.)

Sugano-no-Mamichi

¶Sugano-no-Mamichi's original surname was Tsu-no-Muraji, and his ancestors came from Prince Shinson of Paekche. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.) His father was named Yamamori. In the Hōki years Mamichi served successively as Shōnaiki, Junior Secretary of the Palace, and Junior Secretary of Ōmi. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.) In the fourth year of Enryaku (785), as Sahyōe-no-suke, Assistant Commander of the Left Gate Guards, he concurrently served as Tōgū Gakushi, Scholar to the Crown Prince. In the ninth year of Enryaku (790) he became Zusho-no-kami, Director of the Bureau of Books, and concurrently served as Governor of Iyo. In that year, together with Kudara-no-Nisada, Sachūben, Controller of the Left, Kudara-no-Genshin, Jibu-no-shōyū, Junior Assistant Minister of Civil Affairs, and Kudara-no-Chūshin, Chūe Shōshō, Lesser Captain of the Middle Guards, he submitted a memorial that said: "Our family line, Mamichi and the others, comes originally from King Kisu of the land of Paekche. King Kisu was the sixteenth king since the founding of Paekche. Now the great ancestor of Paekche, the Great King Tomo, was descended upon by the spirit of the Sun god, obtained Fuyu and founded his state, received a register from the Heavenly Emperor, ruled over the various Han peoples, and styled himself king. In later times, in the reign of King Kinshōko, he looked from afar with admiration to the sagely civilizing influence of our country, and for the first time sent envoys to this court. This was in the years when Empress Jingū was regent. Afterwards, in the reign of Emperor Ōjin, who ruled the realm from the Karushima-no-Toyoakira Palace, he ordered Arata-wake, the distant ancestor of the Kamitsukeno clan, to go to Paekche and seek men of learning. The king of Paekche, King Kisu, respectfully received the envoy, made a selection from among his kinsmen, and sent his grandson Prince Shinson (Note: this book also gives him another name, Prince Chishū) to follow the envoy and come to this court. The emperor was pleased, showed him special favor, and made him tutor to the Crown Prince. Books were thus first transmitted, and the Confucian tradition greatly flourished. The rise of literary teaching truly lies here. In the reign of Emperor Nintoku, who ruled the realm from the Naniwa-no-Takatsu Palace, Prince Shinson's eldest son, Prince Taaro, became an attendant of the emperor. Prince Taaro's son was Lord Gaiyō, and Lord Gaiyō's son was Lord Gojō. Lord Gojō had three sons: the eldest was named Maisa, the second Shinni, and the youngest Maro. From them the family divided and for the first time became three surnames. Each took its clan name from its function, and Fujii, Fune, and Tsu-no-Muraji are these. In the reign of Emperor Bidatsu, who ruled the realm from the Osada Palace, the state of Koryŏ sent an envoy bearing a memorial written on raven feathers, but none of the ministers or scribes could read it. Shinni alone came forward, took the memorial, read it skillfully, copied it, and reported the contents of the memorial in detail. The emperor approved his earnest scholarship and praised him deeply. We humbly reflect that the imperial court, modeling itself on Heaven, spreads its instruction, studies antiquity and hands down its customs, that its bounty extends widely in all directions, and that its wise governance reaches to all things. For that reason it has been able to restore what had fallen into disuse and to continue what had been cut off; the myriad people look up and receive its benefit; names are rectified and the principles of things are discerned; and the people of the four seas submit and each find their proper place. Among all living things there is none that does not leap for joy. Since the ancestors of Mamichi and the others began to serve the sagely court, their years have already grown long and remote. Our families have handed down generation after generation the work of refined letters, and our kin have held posts in the Daigaku-ryō, the University. Mamichi and the others have been fortunate to be born in a flourishing age and to receive the bounty of Heaven's grace. We humbly beg that the surname Muraji be changed and that we be granted the surname Ason." Thereupon, by edict, they were granted their present surname, taken from the place where they lived. In the following year (791) he concurrently held the post of Jibu-no-shōyū, Junior Assistant Minister of Civil Affairs. That autumn, because a hundred sparrows were presented from within his jurisdiction, he was advanced to Senior Fifth Rank Lower. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.) He served successively as Jibu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Civil Affairs, and Minbu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Popular Affairs. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.) At the building of the new capital he divided the building plots together with Fujiwara-no-Kadonomaro, Ushōben, Junior Controller of the Right. (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku.) He was transferred to Sahyōe-no-kami, Commander of the Left Gate Guards, and became Zōgū-no-suke, Assistant Director of Palace Construction. In the sixteenth year of Enryaku (797) he concurrently served as Governor of Ise. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.) He had once received an imperial command to compile the Shoku Nihongi, and at about this time it was completed, and he was specially advanced to Senior Fourth Rank Lower. (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi and the Nihon Kiryaku.) He became Sadaiben, Senior Controller of the Left, again concurrently served as Governor of Iyo, and was given the additional post of Kageyu-chōkan, Director of the Bureau of Auditors. Soon he was transferred to Saeji-no-kami, Commander of the Left Guards, and concurrently served as Governor of Sagami and Governor of Tajima. In the twenty-fourth year of Enryaku (805) he was appointed Sangi and Daiben, Counsellor and Senior Controller, remaining Scholar as before. In the following year (806) he concurrently served as Dazai-no-daini, Senior Vice-Governor of Dazaifu. In the second year of Daidō (807) he became Inspector of the San'indō, concurrently held the posts of Gyōbu-kyō, Minister of Justice, and Minbu-kyō, Minister of Popular Affairs, was transferred to Udaiben, Senior Controller of the Right, and concurrently served as Ōkura-kyō, Minister of the Treasury. He was advanced to Junior Third Rank, was transferred to Inspector of the Tōkaidō, and concurrently served as Sadaiben, Senior Controller of the Left. He served successively as Kunai-kyō, Minister of the Imperial Household, and Ōkura-kyō. At the beginning of Kōnin he concurrently served as Governor of Ōmi, became Sangi once more, and was transferred to Governor of Hitachi. Soon he retired from office. When he died he was seventy-four years old. (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin.) Mamichi had once founded, for Emperor Kanmu, a dōjō, a place of Buddhist practice, in Yasaka district, Atago county, Yamashiro province. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.)

¶In the Jōwa years his son Nagamine submitted a statement: "The dōjō my father built is a single plot, and although its boundary abuts that of the Yasakadera, by its situation it is still fitting that it be a separate hall. For that reason monks and laypeople call it the Eastern Hall of Yasaka. We humbly beg that its four boundaries be fixed, that it be made a separate hall, and that one monk be placed there to protect it permanently." This was granted. In the reign of Emperor Ninmyō Nagamine became Tonomo-no-kami, Director of the Palace Household, and Saiin-chōkan, Director of the Office of the Vestal Priestess of Kamo, concurrently served as Governor of Buzen, and was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper. (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi.)

Kaya-no-Toyotoshi

¶Kaya-no-Toyotoshi was a man of the Right Capital. He was thoroughly versed in the classics and the histories and passed the examination by composing responses to the policy questions with a first-class result. He kept his integrity and upheld righteousness and did not bend. He would not readily associate with anyone who was not close to his heart. Dainagon Isonokami-no-Yakatsugu treated him with great warmth and lodged him in the study of his own residence. Within a few years he had comprehensively mastered many books. Men of discernment all said that the breadth of his learning surpassed that of the monk Dōyū and Prince Mifune. In the Enryaku years he was appointed Tōgū Gakushi, Scholar to the Crown Prince. When Emperor Heizei ascended the throne, he was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower and received the post of Shikibu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial. At that time slanders by women were frequent, and worthy men of excellence were being driven out. Toyotoshi alone kept to his habitual resolve, closed his mouth and held himself in check. When the emperor abdicated and moved to Heijō, Toyotoshi kept to his post and did not follow him. For that reason he was spared being caught up in the disorder, but he took the occasion to resign his office and withdraw. Emperor Saga, regretting the loss of his talent, appointed him Governor of Harima. After three years in office, he resigned because of illness, returned to the capital, and lived at his villa in Uji. In the sixth year of Kōnin (815) he died, at the age of sixty-five. He was posthumously granted Senior Fourth Rank Lower. People of the time said, "He was richly endowed with the virtue Heaven gave him, but was not blessed with the ranks that men bestow." Once, when Toyotoshi lay ill at Uji, he heard from an old man the story of how Emperor Nintoku and Uji-no-Wakiiratsuko yielded the throne to one another, and was deeply moved by the loftiness of their principle. He asked a powerful minister to petition that he might be buried beside them. When he died, an edict granted this. Toyotoshi once visited his friend Ono-no-Nagami and, taking up his brush, composed a poem containing the line "With white eyes I face the Three Ministers." The powerful and the noble are said to have hated him for it. So firm was his integrity. (Note: following the Nihon Kōki.)

Yoshimichi-no-Masada

¶Yoshimichi-no-Masada was a man of the Right Capital. His father was Iyobe-no-Iemori, Governor of Iga. Masada entered the University at fifteen, and within a few years the Confucian scholars recommended his talent and conduct, and he was appointed Monjō Tokugyōshō, Student of Distinguished Attainment in Letters. In the Daidō years he passed the examination, was registered as a graduate, and was appointed Junior Secretary of Yamashiro. In the Kōnin years he concurrently served as Daigaku Jokyō, Assistant Professor at the University, was granted Outer Junior Fifth Rank Lower, and became a Hakase, Professor. Soon, for his merit in the Classics, he was advanced one rank and concurrently served as Dai-jō of Echizen, Senior Secretary, and Acting Assistant Governor of Sagami. In the early years of Tenchō he was transferred to Daigaku-no-suke, Assistant Director of the University, served successively as Onmyō-no-kami, Director of the Bureau of Yin and Yang, and was advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Upper. He submitted a memorial asking to be granted the surname Yoshimichi-no-Sukune, was advanced to Senior Fifth Rank Lower, and was transferred to Governor of Awa. Because he was taking part in the compilation of the Ryō no Gige, he did not go to his post. In the Jōwa years he advanced several times to Junior Fourth Rank Lower and, as a senior Confucian scholar of the Myōgyōdō, the way of the Classics, was granted nine tan of waste land in Shimagami district, Settsu province, and soon became Tōgū Gakushi, Scholar to the Crown Prince. Masada specialized in the three commentaries to the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Three Rites, and was good at debate, but he did not study the Han pronunciation. In teaching he used the corrupted pronunciations current in the world; he was anxious for advancement and could not retire and keep a modest place. After a long time he was given this post (Scholar to the Crown Prince). When the Crown Prince was deposed, he was demoted to Acting Governor of Bingo. The emperor took pity on his old age and recalled him before long. The Confucian scholars submitted a statement, saying, "Of those living today who can read the Gongyang Commentary, there is only Masada. If it is not handed down now, this learning will die out." The emperor thereupon ordered Masada to lecture on it at the University. Afterwards he died in his own house, at the age of seventy-eight. (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki.)

Fujiwara-no-Sekio

¶Fujiwara-no-Sekio was a son of Manatsu, Sangi, Counsellor. In his youth he was skilled in prose composition. In the early years of Tenchō he sat the examination for the Monjōshō, Student of Letters, and passed. By nature he loved a quiet life, and he always stayed at his old home in Higashiyama, absorbed in the enjoyment of its woods and springs. People of the time called him the Higashiyama Shinshi, the Higashiyama Graduate. In the early years of Jōwa the Retired Emperor Junna, thinking highly of his character, specially summoned him by edict. Sekio had no choice but to enter service. The emperor treated him with generous courtesy. He served at the emperor's side and soon was appointed Kageyu-hangan, Judge of the Bureau of Auditors. The duties were burdensome and not what he desired. After a few months he was transferred to Hanji, Judge, and was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower. In the early years of Ninju he was repeatedly transferred and became Jibu-no-shōyū, Junior Assistant Minister of Civil Affairs, concurrently serving as Ryōin-chōkan, Director of the Bureaus and Residences. He asked to resign because of illness, but this was not permitted. In the third year of Ninju (853) he died, at the age of forty-nine. Sekio loved to play the koto, and received secret scores from the Retired Emperor Junna, and by degrees attained their innermost secrets. He was also skilled in the cursive script, and by edict wrote inscriptions on the walls of the two temple-residences of the Nanchi-in and the Unrin-in. (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku.)

Ono-no-Takamura

¶Ono-no-Takamura was a son of Minemori, Sangi, Counsellor. In the Kōnin years, when Minemori became Governor of Mutsu, Takamura followed his father to his post and grew accustomed to riding at full gallop. Later, even after returning to the capital, he would not again apply himself to study. Emperor Saga heard of this and sighed, saying, "Being the son of such a man, is he still to remain a soldier of bow and horse?" On hearing this Takamura was ashamed and filled with remorse, and for the first time set his mind on learning. In the thirteenth year of Kōnin (822) he sat the examination for the Monjōshō, Student of Letters, and passed. In the Tenchō years he served successively as Inspector, Danjō-no-shōjō, Junior Secretary of the Board of Censors, Dainaiki, Senior Secretary of the Palace, and Shikibu-no-shōjō, Junior Secretary of Ceremonial, was advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Lower, and was appointed Dazai-no-shōni, Junior Vice-Governor of Dazaifu. Soon he went into mourning for his father, and his grief exceeded what propriety required. In the following year he was summoned and became Tōgū Gakushi, Scholar to the Crown Prince, and received the post of Danjō-no-shōhitsu, Junior Assistant of the Board of Censors. (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku.) Together with Kiyohara-no-Natsuno and others he compiled the Ryō no Gige by imperial command. (Note: following the Ryō no Gige.) In the early years of Jōwa he was appointed Assistant Governor of Mimasaka (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin), became Vice-Envoy to Tang China and concurrently Acting Governor of Bizen, was appointed Gyōbu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Justice, and advanced several times to Senior Fifth Rank Lower. For the voyage to Tang he was lent the rank of Senior Fourth Rank Upper. In the third year of Jōwa (836) the envoys had an audience with the emperor in the Shishinden and were granted colored silks and cloth, and the emperor, appearing in the Shishinden, also gave Takamura a set of imperial bedding, a quilt of red silk, and gold dust. Takamura asked that the deity of Ono be granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower. They set out, but met a violent storm, the ship was damaged, and unable to proceed they turned back. In the fourth year of Jōwa (837) he again set out for Tang. At the start, when the order of the ships of the embassy was fixed, the ship carrying Fujiwara-no-Tsunetsugu, the Ambassador, was made the first ship; it was called Taihei-ra and was the sturdiest. Takamura was to sail in the second ship. But because the first ship was damaged, Tsunetsugu sought to take over Takamura's ship and petitioned for the order of the ships to be exchanged. This was granted. Takamura said in anger: "The deliberations of the court are unsettled; they have changed two and three times. On the day we received our commissions the allotments were already fixed. Now, because the ship has rotted and been damaged, he seeks to dispute precedence with me. This runs against reason as judged by common feeling. With such a matter, how can I save face in leading my subordinates? My family is poor, my parents are old, and I myself am sickly. I shall simply fulfill the filial duty of a common man, drawing water and gathering firewood." In the end he claimed severe illness and never boarded the ship again. He composed the "Song of the Western Road" ridiculing the mission to Tang, but it contained much that ought to have been avoided. Retired Emperor Saga saw it and was greatly angered, and ordered his crime to be judged. The emperor issued an edict, saying: "Ono-no-Takamura, having been commissioned by imperial order to go on a mission to a foreign country, claimed illness and did not go. According to the provisions of the code he should be punished with strangulation. But now, as a special act, the death penalty is reduced by one degree and he is sentenced to distant exile." Takamura was thereby reduced to a commoner and exiled to Oki. On the way he composed the "Chanting of the Exile's Journey" in seventy rhymes, and the people of the time talked of it. After a few years he was recalled. The emperor loved his literary talent, and within a little more than a year issued an edict restoring his former office and rank. Soon he became Gyōbu-no-taifu, was appointed Governor of Mutsu, entered the capital and became Tōgū Gakushi, Scholar to the Crown Prince, and concurrently Shikibu-no-shōyū, Junior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial. He was advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Lower and became Kurōdo-no-tō, Head Chamberlain. (Note: that he was Kurōdo-no-tō follows the Kugyō Bunin.) In the fourteenth year of Jōwa (847) he was appointed Sangi, Counsellor, and concurrently Danjō-no-daihitsu, Senior Assistant of the Board of Censors. In the early years of Kashō he was transferred to Sadaiben, Senior Controller of the Left, concurrently served as Governor of Shinano, became Chief of the Commission for the Redistribution of Rice Land in Yamashiro, and concurrently served as Kageyu-chōkan, Director of the Bureau of Auditors. After a little more than a year he was advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Upper. Because of illness he returned home. At the accession of Emperor Montoku he was given Senior Fourth Rank Lower in addition and received the post of Governor of Ōmi. (Note: compare the Nihon Kōki and the Montoku Jitsuroku.) In the following year his illness recovered and he again became Sadaiben. Soon his illness returned and he could no longer attend court. The emperor deeply pitied him, repeatedly sent envoys to inquire after him, gave him coin and grain, and granted him Junior Third Rank while he remained at home. When his illness became grave, he instructed his children, "As soon as my breath stops, place me in the coffin at once and tell no one." He was fifty-one years old. He was called in the world the Yashōkō, Minister Ono.

¶Takamura served his mother with great filial devotion, and his house was originally of plain poverty, but he gave all his stipend to his relatives. In prose composition he was first of his time, and his cursive and clerical scripts had the flavor of the styles of the two Wangs, Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, and were taken as models by later ages. Once, when he was at Dazaifu, a man of Tang named Shen Daogu, then lodging at the Kōrokan, the guesthouse for foreign envoys, heard that Takamura had talent, and often exchanged poems and rhapsodies with him, always praising his abundant gifts. (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku. The account of the Yashōkō follows the Gōdanshō.) In the Kōnin years, when the emperor made a visit to the Kayōkan, he composed a couplet which said, "Shutting the pavilion, I hear only the morning and evening drums; climbing the tower, I gaze far at the boats that come and go," and showed it to Takamura. Takamura said, "Your Majesty's work is most splendid, but if only 'far' were changed to 'empty' it would be better still." The emperor was astonished and said, "This is a line of Bai Juyi, and the original text reads 'empty.' I was testing you, and I did not expect to find your view and Bai Juyi's agree." At that time Bai Juyi's collected poems had been transmitted into the palace but were kept in the secret library, and people had not yet seen them. For this reason Takamura was greatly praised by the emperor. Such was his refined understanding of poetry. The poems Takamura habitually composed often resembled in tone the lines of Bai Juyi, and the world valued him for it. But in character he was unrestrained, fond of speaking frankly, and was not accepted by the world of his time. Those who envied his talent called him "Yakyō," the Wild Madman of the Fields, because the sounds of "Takamura" and "kyō," madness, are linked. For this reason Takamura has a line: "To be a wild man of the fields is the nature Heaven gave me; from antiquity the world has called such men mad officials." (Note: following the Gōdanshō. It is told in the world that the Ashikaga Gakkō in Shimotsuke is where Takamura once read books, and that Uesugi Norizane founded it as a school. Beside the Sage's Shrine there is a room in which a wooden statue of Takamura is enshrined, and it is said to survive to this day.) His sons were Yasuhira, Kuzuo (Note: following the Ono Keizu. This book makes Kuzuo Takamura's younger brother, but for now a different account is followed), and Toshinari. (Note: following the Keizu and the Kokin Wakashū Mokuroku.)

¶Yasuhira, of Senior Fifth Rank Lower, served as Governor of Mutsu and Governor of Awa. Kuzuo, of Senior Fourth Rank Lower, became Dazai-no-daini, Senior Vice-Governor of Dazaifu (Note: following the Keizu), was versed in affairs of government, and was praised in the world as a good official. (Note: following the Kanke Bunsō, written by Fujiwara-no-Yasunori.) Toshinari, of Junior Fifth Rank Upper, became Gyōbu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Justice. Kuzuo's sons were Yoshifuru and Michikaze. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku.) Yoshifuru has a separate biography.

Ono-no-Michikaze

¶Ono-no-Michikaze. Michikaze was skilled in calligraphy; his brushwork was strong and rich in spirit, and he had no equal past or present. He served under the three emperors Daigo, Suzaku, and Murakami and rose to Senior Fourth Rank Lower and Kuraryō Gon-no-kami, Acting Director of the Bureau of the Imperial Storehouses. (Note: following the Keizu and the Fusō Ryakki.) Emperor Daigo loved his writing exceedingly, and when the Daigoji was built he had Michikaze write the plaque, preparing two versions, one in standard script and one in cursive script. At first the standard-script plaque was to be hung on the south gate, but in the end the cursive plaque was hung. Michikaze was greatly pleased and said, "Ah, what a wise sovereign!" This was because it was in the cursive script that he had achieved the work most satisfying to himself. (Note: following the Kokon Chomonjū.) He was made to write one scroll each of model books in semi-cursive and cursive scripts, and the monk Kanken was made to take them with him to Tang. This was in order to spread his fame in foreign lands. (Note: following the Fusō Ryakki.) Besides these, there were many inscriptions on the walls of palace buildings and plaques of palace gates that Michikaze wrote. (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku.) In his later years he suffered a stroke and his hand trembled, yet the force of his brush produced an ever more distinctive flavor. (Note: following the Kokon Chomonjū.) Once he wrote a memorial for Tachibana-no-Naomoto, and Emperor Murakami always kept it beside his seat. On one occasion when a fire broke out in the palace, the emperor turned to those about him and asked, "Is Naomoto's memorial safe?" and asked about nothing else. (Note: following the Jikkinshō, the Kokon Chomonjū, and the Mofukushū.) In the third year of Kōhō (966) he died, at the age of seventy-one. (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku.) Of his writing, even a single line or a single character was eagerly sought by people, and anyone who could not obtain it was ashamed. So highly was he esteemed by the world. (Note: following the Imakagami.) In later ages Michikaze, Fujiwara-no-Sukemasa, and Fujiwara-no-Yukinari were together called the Three Brushes (Sanseki). (Note: following the Sompi Bunmyaku and the Sekiso Ōrai.)

¶Toshinari's son Yoshiki (Note: following the Kokin Wakashū Mokuroku) was also skilled in calligraphy (Note: following the Kanke Kōshū) and had literary talent (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku), and became Dainaiki, Senior Secretary of the Palace, of Junior Fifth Rank Upper. (Note: following the Keizu and the Kokin Wakashū Mokuroku.) When Emperor Daigo read the Qunshu Zhiyao (Gunsho Chiyō), Yoshiki served as the reader who repeated the text after him. (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku.) In the second year of Engi (902) he died. (Note: following the Kanke Kōshū and the Kokin Wakashū Mokuroku.)

Harusumi-no-Yoshitada

¶Harusumi-no-Yoshitada, whose courtesy name was Tatsu, had the original surname Inabe-no-Miyatsuko. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku.) He was a descendant of Ikagashikoo-no-Mikoto. (Note: following the Shōjiroku.) He was a man of Inabe district, Ise province. After he rose in office he transferred his registration to the Left Capital. His grandfather Takaramaro was Shōryō, Junior District Governor, of Inabe district. His father Toyoo was Suō-no-daimoku, Senior Clerk of Suō. From his childhood Yoshitada was intelligent, and his build too was out of the ordinary. Takaramaro was astonished and delighted, raised him with devotion, and spared no wealth on him. At around twenty he entered the University and never let a book out of his hands. He committed to memory much of what he saw, was widely learned and versed in many matters, excelled in prose composition, and was more intelligent than other men. Among the scholars of the time, none could match him. In the early years of Tenchō he passed the examination and was appointed Shunshi, Talented Student. In the fourth year of Tenchō (827) he became Junior Clerk of Hitachi and used his stipend to pay for his studies. In the fifth year (828) he was granted the surname Harusumi-no-Sukune, and later this was changed to Ason. The title of Shunshi was discontinued and he was appointed Monjō Tokugyōshō, Student of Distinguished Attainment in Letters. In the seventh year of Tenchō (830) he sat the examination of policy questions, and his words and meaning won very high regard. The Ministry of Ceremonial graded it Hei, third class. In that year a spring vacancy occurred in the post of Naiki, Secretary of the Palace, and since the emperor habitually valued talent, he kept the post empty and waited for Yoshitada. That summer he was promoted, passed, was appointed Shōnaiki, Junior Secretary of the Palace, and soon was transferred to Dainaiki, Senior Secretary, and was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower. In the tenth year of Tenchō (833) he became Tōgū Gakushi, Scholar to the Crown Prince. At the accession of Emperor Ninmyō he concurrently served as Acting Assistant Governor of Settsu. In the Jōwa years he concurrently served as Assistant Governor of Tajima and was advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Upper. When Retired Emperor Saga died and the Crown Prince was deposed, Yoshitada was demoted, while keeping the post of Scholar, to Acting Governor of Suō. In the tenth year of Jōwa (843) he was transferred to Monjō Hakase, Professor of Letters, and handed over to the University the lectures on the Hou Hanshu. His interpretation was fluent and free of hindrance. The students who put questions to him were all able to resolve their doubts. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku.) Soon he concurrently served as Assistant Governor of Bitchū. In the fourteenth year of Jōwa (847) the emperor held a banquet on the completion of his lectures on the Zhuangzi. Previously the emperor had received lectures on the Zhuangzi from Yoshitada. On that day he invited Yoshitada to the Seiryōden and gave him wine. The emperor observed the courtesy due to a teacher, divided the chapters of the Zhuangzi, and had his attendants on left and right compose poems. Strings and winds were played, and the feast was enjoyed to the full. Yoshitada was granted two sets of imperial robes. In that month he also lectured on the Han Shu in the Seiryōden. (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki.) In the early years of Kashō he was granted Senior Fifth Rank Lower and concurrently served as Governor of Bitchū. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku and the Shoku Nihon Kōki.) In the first year of Saikō (854) he became Gyōbu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Justice. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku and the Montoku Jitsuroku.) Receiving an edict, together with Sugawara-no-Koreyoshi, Ōe-no-Otondo, and others, he judged the poems on the Double Ninth that men of letters had presented. In the following year (855) he received an edict to compile the national history (the Shoku Nihon Kōki). In the third year of Saikō (856) he lectured on the Jin Shu, and the emperor himself attended the lectures. (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku.) In the first year of Ten'an (857) he became Governor of Iyo and concurrently Ukyō-no-daibu, Master of the Right Capital. In the second year of Ten'an (858) he was advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Upper. In the early years of Jōgan he was appointed Sangi, Counsellor, and became Shikibu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial. He was advanced to Senior Fourth Rank Lower, concurrently served as Acting Governor of Harima, and was transferred to Governor of Ōmi. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku and the Kugyō Bunin.) In the eleventh year of Jōgan (869) the national history was completed and presented. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku.) In the twelfth year of Jōgan (870) he became Governor of Sanuki. When his illness became grave, an edict granted him Junior Third Rank while he was still alive. At that time Dajō-daijin Fujiwara-no-Yoshifusa, who was in the guards' lodging, took off his own court robe and had it put on Yoshitada's body. The people of the time regarded this as an honor. When he died he was seventy-four years old. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku and the Kugyō Bunin.) Yoshitada was by nature modest and upright, and never displayed his own strengths to others. When he was Professor of Letters, the other professors each styled themselves a school of their own, belittled one another, and spoke of who was superior and who was inferior. Their disciples likewise formed factions, and there were always disputes. Yoshitada kept himself modestly in the background, dismissed his own pupils, and in the end was never the object of slander. He valued the way of Yin and Yang and was bound by taboos and avoidances in many matters. Whenever a spirit appeared, he would shut his gate, keep a period of abstinence, and admit no one. There were months in which he shut his gate ten times, and he did not even repair the fences or the roof of his house. He seldom spoke the word "death," and condolence visits to him ceased altogether. After he rose to high office his abstinences became somewhat simpler. He did not invite guests to his house, but received only his sons and nephews. Even in old age his intelligence did not fail, and his prose became still more beautiful. In the Jōgan years he reviewed his earlier judgment on a policy question and raised it to Otsu, second class. His two sons, Tomomi and Nasui, both rose to Fifth Rank, but none of them carried on the family calling. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku.)

Toyoshina-no-Yasuhito

¶Toyoshina-no-Yasuhito was a man of Ōagata district, Kawachi province. His original surname was Kawamata-no-Kimi, and he was a descendant of Hikoimasu-no-Mikoto. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku and the Shōjiroku.) In the time of Mikage the surname was changed to the present one. From his youth Yasuhito was intelligent and of good capacity, and was early known for his love of learning. He read widely in the histories and traditions, and was most thoroughly versed in the Han Shu. In the fifth year of Jōwa (838) he was appointed Shōnaiki, Junior Secretary of the Palace, and was transferred to Dainaiki, Senior Secretary. In the first year of Kashō (848) he was granted Outer Junior Fifth Rank Lower. In the following year (849) he was transferred to Tōgū Gakushi, Scholar to the Crown Prince. At the accession of Emperor Montoku he was granted Outer Junior Fifth Rank Upper. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku.) In the first year of Ninju (851) he became Acting Governor of Tango and advanced several times until he reached the rank of Junior Chamberlain. When Harusumi-no-Yoshitada was made to lecture on the Wen Xuan, Yasuhito served as Tosshi, the chief questioner who conducted the proceedings. (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku.) In the second year of Ninju (852) he submitted a memorial saying: "Yasuhito's registration is in Kawachi province, and I have not yet removed the character 'Kimi' from my surname. I humbly ask to transfer my registration to the capital and to be granted the surname Mahito." An edict thereupon granted him the surname Mahito, and he transferred his registration to the Left Capital. In the first year of Saikō (854) he became Acting Governor of Owari. In the third year of Saikō (856) he was transferred to Zusho-no-kami, Director of the Bureau of Books. In the Ten'an years he became Kamori-no-kami, Director of the Bureau of Housekeeping, and was transferred to Daigaku-no-kami, Director of the University, and soon became Tōgū Gakushi and concurrently Acting Assistant Governor of Mino. At the accession of Emperor Seiwa he was granted Senior Fifth Rank Upper. In the third year of Jōgan (861) he was appointed Gyōbu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Justice. In that year he died, at the age of sixty-five. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku. That he became Acting Governor of Owari follows the Montoku Jitsuroku.)

Ki-no-Yasuo

¶Ki-no-Yasuo's original surname was Karita, and his ancestors were men of Sanuki. In Yasuo's generation the surname was changed to the present one and his registration was transferred to the Left Capital. His father Tanetsugu served Emperor Ninmyō and rose to Daigaku Jokyō, Assistant Professor at the University, of Junior Fifth Rank Lower. The emperor honored classical learning and often summoned Confucian scholars to debate with him. He regularly summoned Mifune-no-Nushi, Daigaku Hakase, Professor at the University, and Tanetsugu to discuss the meaning of the classics. Mifune-no-Nushi argued from the Rites, and Tanetsugu argued by citing the commentaries. They fought hard against each other in debate, but in the end no superiority could be settled. At that time there was a chief of a clan of hereditary functionaries named Ato-no-Netsugu, and the two were both skilled at sumo wrestling and had no equal in the realm. The emperor jested about the pair by calling Mifune-no-Nushi "Chō," the Chief, and Tanetsugu "Netsugu." Yasuo was praised as a child for his learning and conduct, and was by nature generous and mild; he was first appointed Tokugyōshō, Student of Attainment. In the Ten'an years he became Daigaku Jikikō, Lecturer of the University. In the Jōgan years he advanced several times to Junior Fifth Rank Lower and was transferred to Jokyō, Assistant Professor. He devoted himself to the study of the classics and had little to do with literary ornament. At that time the compilation of the kyaku and shiki, the supplementary regulations and procedures, was under way, and men of discernment were chosen by edict; Yasuo was chosen among them. He became Kageyu-no-suke, Assistant Director of the Bureau of Auditors, and concurrently Acting Assistant Governor of Shimotsuke. He was advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Upper and transferred to Kazue-no-kami, Director of the Bureau of Accounts. In the early years of Gangyō he left the capital as Governor of Musashi. In government he valued simplicity and kindness, and officials and people were at ease under him. At the end of his term he returned to the capital, was appointed Director of the Mint, and concurrently served as Governor of Suō. His reputation did not reach what it had been in Musashi. In the second year of Ninna (886) he died, at the age of sixty-five. (Note: following the Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku.)