Fujiwara no Nakazane

Fujiwara no Nakazane was born in 1057.[1] His father was Yoshinari (能成),[2] the Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade[3] governor of Echizen Province,[2] and his mother was a daughter of Minamoto no Norinari (源則成の女).[2] His paternal grandfather was Fujiwara no Noritada,[4] the Controller of the Left (左大弁 sadaiben) and Tutor (侍読 jidoku) to the emperor.[4]

In his late 20s, he served as Emperor Shirakawa's rokui-kurōdo,[4] and was granted court rank (joshaku) in Ōtoku 2 (1085 in the Julian calendar) at the age of 29, by Japanese reckoning.[4] At the height of his career, he held the positions of governor of Echizen,[4] Palace Assistant (中宮亮 chūgū-no-suke)[2] and the Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade.[2] He left service in the palace to serve under Yōmeimon-in,[4] becoming governor of Ki Province[4] and governor of Mikawa Province.[4]

According to the Chūyūki,[4] he died on the 26th day of the third month of Eikyū 6 (18 April 1118).[2] He was 62 years old, by Japanese reckoning.[4]

Nakazane began his poetic career when, at 26, he took part in the Dewa-no-kami Tsunenaka-ke uta-awase (出羽守経仲家歌合, "Uta-awase contest at the home of Tsunenaka, the governor of Dewa Province").[4] He served under Retired Emperor Horikawa,[3] and took part in the latter's poetic circles,[2] participating in both the Horikawa-in Hyakushu (堀河院百首)[3] and Eikyū Hyakushu (永久百首)[3] and frequently showing up in poetic gatherings such as utakai and uta-awase.[3]

At the Horikawa-in Hyakushu he was second only to Minamoto no Toshiyori in his use of unusual language,[3] and is considered to be second to Toshiyori among the "new-style" poets of the period.[3] His poetry was included in imperial collections from the Kin'yō Wakashū on,[3]

Nakazane wrote Kigoshō (綺語抄),[5] a work of poetic theory,[6] and the Kokin Wakashū Mokuroku (古今和歌集目録).[3]

• Hashimoto, Fumio (1966). Inseiki no Kadan-shi Kenkyū 院政期の歌壇史研究 (in Japanese). Musashino Shoin.