Rokujo Arifusa (六条有房)
Arifusa ROKUJO (1251–July 27, 1319) was Kugyo (a Court noble) and a poet during the late Kamakura Period. His father was Michiari ROKUJO, Ukone no daisho (Major Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards), (the son of Michiteru KOGA) who was the founder of the Rokujo family and his mother was the daughter of FUJIWARA no Kiyosada. Aritada ROKUJO (the father of Tadaki CHIKUSA) was his child. Arifusa rose to Juichii rank, Naidaijin minister.
Arifusa was from the distinguished Murakami-Genji family but his father Michiari died of illness in Arifusa's early childhood. With Michiari being only Shoshiinoge (Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade), Ukone no daisho at his death, there was a little hope for Arifusa's career advancement. Consequently, Arifusa was 48 years of age at his appointment as Junior Third Rank, non-Councilor joining the ranks of nobles. When the retired Emperor Gouda of Daikakuji-to (imperial lineage starting with Emperor Kameyama) started the cloister government, gaining the appointment as a In no Kinshin (the retired Emperor's courtier), Arifusa began to advance rapidly whereby after gaining the double assignments of Sadaiben (major controller of the left) and Sangi (councilor) in 1301, was promoted to Gon Chunagon (provisional vice-councilor of state) in 1303 which was followed by an additional post of the indenso (a job title to relay messages of court people to the retired emperor) climbing to the post of Gon Dainagon (provisional chief councilor of state) in 1308. Arifusa, in the meantime, studied waka (Japanese poetry) under Tameyo NIJO. In "Masukagami" (The Clear Mirror), there is a description saying, "This Chujo (Middle Captain) excelled in scholarship and was appointed to important posts particularly in his later years..." suggesting that Arifusa was a darling of the poetry circle of the time. Arifusa and Tameyo played an active role in the Daikakuji-to poetry circle and, under the influence of Tameyo, Arifusa wrote Nomorinokagami (in 1295 albeit there is heresy concerning the year), making scathing attack on the poems of Tamekane KYOGOKU who belonged to the Jimyoin-to (imperial lineage from Emperor Gofukakusa to Emperor Gokomatsu) group. Afterwards, with the administration transferred to Jitoin-to, Arifusa once again became obscure but was conferred Joichii (Junior First Rank) on February 20, 1318.
In 1319, when the cloister government by the retired Emperor Gouda resumed with Emperor Godaigo's accession to the throne, Arifusa was sick and confined to bed. On July 24 of the same year, however, at the request of the retired Emperor Gouda, Uchitsune ICHIJO was suddenly dismissed from the post of Naidaijin (Minister of the Interior) and Arifusa, who had fallen into critical condition, was named as the successor. Three days later on July 26, 1319, the retired Emperor Gouda rushed to visit Arifusa. On that day, Arifusa resigned as Naidaijin entering the priesthood and died the following day.