Fujiwara no Fuhito
Encyclopedia
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during the Asuka
Asuka period
The , was a period in the history of Japan lasting from 538 to 710 , although its beginning could be said to overlap with the preceding Kofun period...
and Nara period
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...
s. Second son of Fujiwara no Kamatari
Fujiwara no Kamatari
Fujiwara no Kamatari was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Asuka period.Kamatari was the founder of the Fujiwara clan in Japan. His birth clan was the Nakatomi. He was the son of Nakatomi no Mikeko, and his birth name was Nakatomi no Kamatari...
(or, according to one theory, of Emperor Tenji
Emperor Tenji
, also known as Emperor Tenchi, was the 38th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Tenji's reign spanned the years from 661 through 671.-Traditional narrative:...
), he had sons by two women, and those sons were the founders of the four principal lineages of the Fujiwara clan: the South, North, Ceremonial, and Capital lineages. Also, he had four daughters by two other women. three by Kamohime, one by Tachibana no Michiyo. One daughter by Kamohime became Emperor Mommu's
Emperor Mommu
was the 42nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Mommu's reign spanned the years from 697 through 707.-Traditional narrative:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Karu-shinnō....
wife Miyako, who in turn gave birth to Emperor Shōmu
Emperor Shomu
was the 45th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Shōmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 723.-Traditional narrative:...
. The daughter by Michiyo became the empress of his grandson Shōmu, Empress Kōmyō
Empress Komyo
was the Nara period consort of Japanese Emperor Shōmu .A member of the Fujiwara clan, her father was Fujiwara no Fuhito and her mother was Agata Inukai no Michiyo . During her life she was also known as Asukabehime 安宿媛, Kōmyōshi 光明子, and Tōsanjō 藤三娘...
.
During the reign of Emperor Mommu
Emperor Mommu
was the 42nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Mommu's reign spanned the years from 697 through 707.-Traditional narrative:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Karu-shinnō....
, the government ordered that only the descendants of Fuhito could bear the Fujiwara surname and was able to be appointed in the Office of Dajokan, the center of administratives.
Fuhito was 13 years old when the Jinshin incident occurred. His father Kamatari had been a strong supporter of Emperor Tenji, but Kamatari had already died and Fuhito was too young to be appointed a governmental officer, so he wasn't involved in this political conflict. In 688 he appeared first as a courtier.
In 697 Prince Karu, the son of Prince Kusakabe and therefore grandson of Emperor Temmu
Emperor Temmu
was the 40th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Temmu's reign lasted from 672 until his death in 686.-Traditional narrative:...
and Empress Jitō
Empress Jito
was the 41st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Jitō's reign spanned the years from 686 through 697.In the history of Japan, Jitō was the third of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The two female monarchs before Jitō were Suiko and Kōgyoku/Saimei...
, was appointed to the crown prince. Fuhito supported this appointment strongly and got the favor of Empress Jitō. Since then his promotion in the court began. In 701 Prince Obito, later the emperor Shōmu was born by Miyako. He succeeded to make Obito the crown prince and made his other daughter a wife of Obito. Until then only a royal lady could be promoted to the empress, but he succeeded his daughter the empress of Obito, the emperor Shōmu. It was the first empress who didn't derive from the imperial household.
He moved Yamashina-dera, the Buddhist temple which was the main temple his clan supported, to Nara
Nara, Nara
is the capital city of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture...
and renamed it Kōfuku-ji
Kofuku-ji
is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school and is one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.-History:...
. After his death, Kasuga shrine
Kasuga Shrine
is a Shinto shrine in the city of Nara, in Nara Prefecture, Japan. Established in 768 AD and rebuilt several times over the centuries, it is the shrine of the Fujiwara family...
, the main temple of the Fujiwara clan was settled near to Kofuku-ji in 768.
He played a role in the establishment of the state law, ritsuryo
Ritsuryo
is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei"...
, in Japan. He participated in the edition called Taihō Ritsuryō
Taiho Code
The was an administrative reorganization enacted in 701 in Japan, at the end of the Asuka period. It was historically one of the . It was compiled at the direction of Prince Osakabe, Fujiwara no Fuhito and Awata no Mahito...
. He also joined its revision, the Yōrō ritsuryō
Yoro Code
The was one iteration of several codes or governing rules compiled in early Nara period in Classical Japan. Major work on the Yōrō Code was completed in 718....
but before its finish, he died in the summer of 720. When he died, he was appointed Udaijin
Udaijin
Udaijin , most commonly translated as the "Minister of the Right", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the Udaijin in the context of a central...
, one of ministers.
After his death the court honored him with two titles 文忠公(Bunchu Kō) and 淡海公(Tankai Kō) and with the office of Daijodaijin, the highest office of the court.
He had the sons, Fujiwara no Muchimaro
Fujiwara no Muchimaro
was a Japanese politician of the Asuka and Nara periods. The eldest son of Fujiwara no Fuhito, he founded Nanke , one of the principal kuge families led by the Fujiwara's. His mother was Soga no Shōsi, daughter of Soga no Murajiko...
, Fujiwara no Fusasaki
Fujiwara no Fusasaki
Fujiwara no Fusasaki was a member of the Fujiwara clan and the founder of the Hokke branch of the Fujiwara.-Career:Fusasaki was a Sangi in the Daijō-kan....
(681 – 737), Fujiwara no Umakai
Fujiwara no Umakai
was a Japanese statesman, courtier, general and politician during the Nara period.-Career:He was a diplomat during the reign of Empress Genshō; and he was minister during the reign of Emperor Shōmu...
and Fujiwara no Maro
Fujiwara no Maro
was a Japanese statesman, courtier, and politician during the Nara period.-Career:Maro was a minister during the reign of Emperor Shōmu....
. His son Fusasaki would become the ancestor of the regent line of the Fujiwara clan.
Wives and Children
- Soga no Shōshi(Masako), daughter of Soga no Murajiko
- MuchimaroFujiwara no Muchimarowas a Japanese politician of the Asuka and Nara periods. The eldest son of Fujiwara no Fuhito, he founded Nanke , one of the principal kuge families led by the Fujiwara's. His mother was Soga no Shōsi, daughter of Soga no Murajiko...
(680-737) - FusasakiFujiwara no FusasakiFujiwara no Fusasaki was a member of the Fujiwara clan and the founder of the Hokke branch of the Fujiwara.-Career:Fusasaki was a Sangi in the Daijō-kan....
(681-737) - UmakaiFujiwara no Umakaiwas a Japanese statesman, courtier, general and politician during the Nara period.-Career:He was a diplomat during the reign of Empress Genshō; and he was minister during the reign of Emperor Shōmu...
(694-737)
- Muchimaro
- Kamo no Hime, daughter of Kamo no Emishi
- Miyako (?-754), married to Emperor MommuEmperor Mommuwas the 42nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Mommu's reign spanned the years from 697 through 707.-Traditional narrative:Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was Karu-shinnō....
- Nagako, married to Prince NagayaNagayaNagaya was a politician of the Nara period and an imperial prince of Japan, a son of Prince Takechi ....
- Miyako (?-754), married to Emperor Mommu
- Fujiwara no Ioe-no-iratsume, half sister of Fuhito (dowager of Emperor TemmuEmperor Temmuwas the 40th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Temmu's reign lasted from 672 until his death in 686.-Traditional narrative:...
)- MaroFujiwara no Marowas a Japanese statesman, courtier, and politician during the Nara period.-Career:Maro was a minister during the reign of Emperor Shōmu....
(695-737)
- Maro
- Agatainukai-no-Tachimana no Michiyo (?-733)
- Asukabe-hime (Empress KōmyōEmpress Komyowas the Nara period consort of Japanese Emperor Shōmu .A member of the Fujiwara clan, her father was Fujiwara no Fuhito and her mother was Agata Inukai no Michiyo . During her life she was also known as Asukabehime 安宿媛, Kōmyōshi 光明子, and Tōsanjō 藤三娘...
) (701-760), Empress of Emperor ShōmuEmperor Shomuwas the 45th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Shōmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 723.-Traditional narrative:... - Tabino(Tahino), married to Tachibana no MoroeTachibana no Moroewas a Japanese Imperial prince and official and Empress Kōken.He was the father of Tachibana no Naramaro.* 738 : Moroe was created Udaijin in the Imperial court....
- Asukabe-hime (Empress Kōmyō