Fujiwara no Akitaka (藤原顕隆)
FUJIWARA no Akitaka (1072 - 1129) was a noble who lived in the late Heian period. He was the second son of FUJIWARA no Yoshikado/FUJIWARA no Tamefusa, who was from the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan. He was the founder of the Hamuro family. His mother was a daughter of MINAMOTO no Yorikuni. FUJIWARA no Akiyori and FUJIWARA no Akinaga were his son and his daughter married FUJIWARA no Saneyoshi, Tokudaiji no Sadaijin (minister of the left), and gave birth to FUJIWARA no Kinyoshi.
He assumed the position of Sashoben (Minor Controller of the Left) in 1099, Bokashi (administration of the Kamo-gawa River) in 1101, Harima no Suke (Assistant Governor of Harima Province) in 1102, Togubo (Crown Prince's Quarters) in 1103, Uchuben (Middle Controller of the Right) in 1106, Sachuben (Middle Controller of the Left) in 1109, Kura no Kami (Director in the Bureau of Palace Storehouses) in 1115, Kokushi (provincial governor) of Omi Province also in 1110, again Omi no Kami (Governor of Omi Province) in 1114, Udaiben (Major Controller of the Right) and concurrently Kurodo no To (Head Chamberlain) in 1115, and Echizen no Kuni Gon no Kami (Provisional Governor of Echizen Province) in 1117. He held various positions successively as Chugu no Suke (Assistant Master of the Consort's Household) in 1118, Suo no Kuni Gon no Kami (Provisional Governor of Suo Province) in 1121 and Sangi (Royal Advisors) in 1123 and also Gon Chunagon (a provisional vice-councilor of state) in the same year.
Same as his father, he served the Cloistered Emperor Shirakawa as his trusted vassal and wielded power. He was often involved in important decision making that exceeded jurisdiction of his official post as seen in the case in which, when FUJIWARA no Tadazane resigned from Kanpaku (chief adviser to the Emperor) in 1120, he rejected the proposal to appoint Tadazane's uncle, FUJIWARA no Ietada as the successor.
According to "Imakagami" (The Mirror of the Present), as such cases often occurred in the night, people gave him the nickname, 'Kanpaku of the night.'
In "Chuyuki" (diary of FUJIWARA no Munetada), it was mentioned that 'politics are determined by his words' and he could be considered a politician representative of the insei (cloister government) period.
He left his diary "Akitakakyo Ki," which is held by The Kyoto University Museum (Kajujike-bon (collection of the Kajuji family)) and the National Museum of Japanese History (Tanaka-bon (collection of Yutaka TANAKA)).
In the later period, his descendent called themselves the Hamuro family and prospered as a toshoke (families recognized as kugyo (noble).