Fujiwara no Akisue (藤原顕季)
FUJIWARA no Akisue (1055 - September 6, 1123) was a noble in the late Heian period. He was a son of FUJIWARA no Takatsune, Mino no kami (the governor of Mino Province).
Shosanmi (Senior Third Rank), Shuri no daibu (Master of the Office of Palace Repairs)
He called himself Rokujo shuri no daibu (Master of building and construction of the Palace from Rokujo Fujiwara family). He was a patriarch of Rokujo Toke (Rokujo Fujiwara family) which was one of the schools in the art of Japanese poetry.
As his mother was a nanny of the Emperor Shirakawa, he enjoyed a deep confidence of the emperor and succeeded as the trusted imperial vassal in the government service.
Official Career
Appointed first as Sanuki no kami (governor of Sanuki Province), he successively held provincial governor posts as zuryo for long years.
In 1069, Sahyoe no jo (secretary of the Left Division of Headquarters of the Middle Palace Guard)
In 1072, Kurodo (Chamberlain)
In 1073, Sakone no shogen (Lieutenant of the Left Division of Inner Palace Guards), Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade)
In 1074, Sahyoe no gon no suke (Provisional Assistant Captain of the Left Division of Middle Palace Guards)
In 1075, Sanuki no kami
In 1076, Jugoinojo (Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade), then, Shogoinoge (Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade), Sanuki no kami
In 1078, Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade), Tanba no kami (governor of Tanba Province)
In 1080, Jushiinojo (Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade), Tanba no kami
In 1083, Shoshiinoge (Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade), Tanba no kami
In 1084, Owari no kami (governor of Owari Province)
In 1090, Iyo no kami (governor of Iyo Province)
In 1094, Harima no kami (governor of Harima Province), Shuri no daibu
In 1101, Mimasaka no kami (governor of Mimasaka Province), Shuri no daibu
In 1102, Shoshiinojo (Senior Fourth Rank Upper Grade), Inshi (official of the In no cho, or Retired Emperor's Office)
In 1103, Togu no suke (Assistant Master in the Crown Prince's Quarters), Shuri no daibu, Mimasaka no kami, In no betto (chief administrator of the Retired Emperor's Office)
In 1104, Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank), Shuri no daibu
In 1108, Shosanmi (Senior Third Rank), Shuri no daibu
In 1109, Dazai daini (senior assistant governor-general of government headquarters in Kyushu), Shuri no daibu
In 1116, Shuri no daibu
In1122, resigned Shuri no daibu
As a Poet
He gained a reputation through his participation in "Joryaku ninen dairi no utaawase" (Poem contest in the Palace of the second year of Joryaku era)" in 1078, "Horikawa hyakushu (One hundred poems in the reign of the Emperor Horikawa)" in 1093, "Ikuhomon-in neawase (Poem contest held by Ikuhomon-in, the second consort of the Emperor Horikawa)", "Horikawa-in enshoawase (Love poem contest held by the Emperor Horikawa)" and "Tobadono hokumen utaawase (Hokumen poem contest in the Toba Palace)."
He was a great poet that represented the era and often served as a judge in uta awase (poem contest) including contests held by FUJIWARA no Tadamichi. Holding private poem contests, he worked vigorously as a poet.
"Hitomaro engu (a poetic ceremony to enshrine the poetic sage KAKINOMOTO no Hitomaro)"
In 1118, he held a poetic ceremony to enshrine the poetic sage KAKINOMOTO no Hitomoaro, devoting the Hitomaro's figure, that was the first-ever event for "Hitomaro engu".
His private poem collection: "Rokujo Shuri no Daibu shu"
His poems are found in "Kinyo wakashu (Kinyo Collection of Japanese poems)", "Shika wakashu (shika collection of Japanese poems)", "Senzai wakashu (Senzai collection of Japanese poems)", "Shin kokin wakashu (New collection of ancients and modern poems)", "Shin chokusen wakashu (New imperial waka poem anthologies)" and "Shin zoku kokin wakashu (Continuation of new collection of ancients and modern poems) ".
Representative Poems
Leaving from a deep forest, in unfamiliar village, a little cuckoo is calling in restlessly (Kinyo wakashu)
At the foot of the mountain, wind in the grass, deer are calling, they may be waiting for fall (Kinyo wakashu)
My love is like a letter written on the feather, nobody knows my love until transferring it to something (Kinyo wakashu)
I heard my sweetheart voice in the shadows, that night my sleeve got wet with tears as like wet with dew (Kinyo wakashu)
Pink flowers of which I planted seeds are in full bloom, how many times I've checked them with morning dew (Shika wakashu)
Darkness in May, lights in the mountain peaks look like stars behind the clouds (Senzai wakashu)
In the evening, my heart gets lost a place to go, there is no path for love (Senzai wakashu)
Every curtain of spring rain mist, making leaf buds come into, making flower buds burst (Shin chokusen wakashu)