Nijo Akizane (二条昭実)
Akizane NIJO (December 12, 1556 - August 23, 1619) was a kugyo (the top court officials) during the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the early-Edo period. He was appointed Kanpaku (Chief Adviser to the Emperor) twice and was awarded the status of Jugo (honorary rank next to the three Empresses: Great Empress Dowager, Empress Dowager, and Empress). He was the head of the Nijo family, Sekkan-ke (the families which produced regents) of the Fujiwara clan. His one character name was To or Ji. He married two of Nobunaga ODA's daughters (Nobunaga's adopted daughter and his own daughter) and had connections with many political rulers, including Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI and Ieyasu TOKUGAWA.
Marriage with Nobunaga's Adopted Daughter
Akizane NIJO was born in 1556. His father was Haruyoshi NIJO and his mother Princess Ishi, Imperial Prince Fushiminomiya Sadaatsu's daughter. In December 1568, he was allowed to attend official meetings held in the inner palace at the age of 13 and celebrated his coming of age.
Allowed to take one of the kanji characters from the imina (personal name) of Yoshiaki ASHIKAGA, Seii taishogun (literally, the "great general who subdues the barbarians") at the time, he was named 'Akizane.'
He was awarded the rank of Shogoinoge (Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) and was appointed as Jiju (Chamberlain). In 1570, he was promoted to the rank of Jusanmi (Junior Second Rank) and was appointed Gon Dainagon (a provisional chief councilor of state). In 1574, he rose to the rank of Shonii (Senior Second Rank). In April of the following year, he married Sago no kata (the Akamatsu clan), Nobunaga ODA's adopted daughter. In 1577, he was appointed as Sakone no daisho (Major Captain of the Left Division of Inner Palace Guards) and Naidaijin (Minister of the Interior).
He handed the post of Kanpaku over to Hideyoshi. In January 1585 (December, 1584 in old calendar), he was appointed Sadaijin (Minister of the Left) and Toshi choja (head of the Fujiwara clan), and in 1585, he was appointed kanpaku (chief adviser) to Emperor Ogimachi, but he resigned as Sadaijin since Hideyoshi HASHIBA (later Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI) became Naidaijin. In July of the same year, he handed the position of kanpaku over to Hideyoshi. In 1599, after Hideyoshi died, he married San no maru dono (Nobunaga ODA's sixth daughter), who was Hideyoshi's concubine in his late years.
Relationship with the Tokugawa Shogunate
In 1605, he awarded by the emperor, the rank of Jusangu. He also had a close relationship with the Tokugawa shogunate and was granted to use a portion of the real name of Ieyasu TOKUGAWA's first name to the name of his adopted son from Yukiie KUJO, "Yasumichi NIJO," in 1613. From then onward, it became customary to name the head of the Nijo family by taking one of the kanji characters from the shogun's name. In 1615, Akizane was reappointed kanpaku to Emperor Gomizunoo and head of the Fujiwara clan (it is very rare for a court officer to be reappointed to these positions after an interval of 30 years) and also participated in the establishment of Kinchu narabini kuge shohatto (a set of regulations that applied to the emperor and the Kyoto nobles), signing the official document along with the former Shogun Ieyasu TOKUGAWA and the current Shogun Hidetada TOKUGAWA.
(However, his appointment as kanpaku and head of the Fujiwara clan was postponed until after his signing of the official document.)
(For this reason, he is often believed to have been the 'former Kanpaku.')
He was well versed in traditional court rituals and remained active as the leader of court nobles and as a contact with samurai rulers until his death.
He died from cerebral vascular disease in 1619. Died at the age of 64. He resigned as Kanpaku on the day of his death. He was awarded the posthumous Buddhist title, Gochu-in, and was buried in Nison-in Temple in Saga (Kyoto City). Yasumichi, his heir, succeeded him as the head of the Nijo family.
Official Record
1568: Shogoinoge and Jiju.
1569: Jushiinojo (Junior Fourth Tank, Upper Grade), Sakone no shosho (junior vice commander of the left inner palace guard division) and then as Sakone no chujo (senior vice commander of the left inner palace guard division).
1570: Jusanmi.
1571: Gon Chunagon (a provisional vice-councilor of state).
1572: Shosanmi and Gon Dainagon.
1573: Junii (Junior Second Rank).
1574: Shonii.
1577: Sakone no daisho (chief commander of the left inner palace guard division) and Naidaijin.
1579: Udaijin (Minister of the Right).
1584: Sadaijin and Toshi choja.
1585: Kanpaku, resigning in the same year, and was awarded the rank of Juichii (Junior First Rank).
1605: Jugo.
1615: Reappointed kanpaku.
1619: Resigned kanpaku and died.