Fujiwara no Asakari (藤原朝狩)
FUJIWARA no Asakari (year of birth unknown - October 21, 764) was a kugyo (high court noble) in the Nara period. The 4th son of FUJIWARA no Nakamaro. His mother was Princess 陽候 (a daughter of Imperial Prince Niitabe). EMI no Asakari.
In 757, he became Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) Mutsu Province.
In 758, Empress Koken handed over her throne to Prince Oi (Emperor Junnin), who had been recommended by Asakari's father, Nakamaro. Nakamaro was appointed to Taiho (Minister of the Right) and given the name of EMI no Oshikatsu. In 759, Asakari was promoted to Shogoinoge (Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade). At about this point, he was appointed to Mutsu Chinju Shogun (Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of Mutsu Province).
In 760, Nakamaro became Taishi (Grand Minister) and also Asakari, who was the Mutsu Chinju Shogun, was praised for his performance in Mutsu Province (He had constructed Okachinoki Castle without a blow by converting the Araemishi people to the Imperial system) and was given the position of Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade). In 760, he became 仁部卿 (Minister of Popular Affairs) and Tokaido Setsudoshi (Military Governor of the Tokai-do Road).
In 762, Nakamaro became Shoichii (Senior First Rank) and, therefore, achieved the highest position of the government, and in the same year, Asakari with his older brothers, FUJIWARA no Masaki and FUJIWARA no Kusumaro, were appointed to Sangi (Councilor), then an unusual situation in which the four family members took positions of Kugyo happened.
However, when Nakamaro, through Emperor Junnin, expostulated with the Retired Empress Koken about her being partial to Dokyo, the standoff arose between the group of the Retired Empress Koken-Dokyo and the group of Emperor Junnin-Nakamaro.
In October 764, although Nakamaro planed a rebellion, it was found out by tipping off. The Retired Emperor Koken side took the first move, forcing Nakamaro family to escape from Heijo-kyo Capital. Asakari also followed the escapement. They tried to move into the place of Nakamaro's power base, the Kokuga (the area where local government offices were placed) of Omi Province, where he had been serving as Kokushi (Provincial Governor) for a long time, to regain power, but the Imperial army was proactive to interrupt them. The Nakamaro family moved toward Echizen Province, where his 8th son, FUJIWARA no Sakachi served as Kokushi, but the Imperial army rushed to Echizen Kokuga and killed Sakachi, who still hadn't known about the incident, and deployed forces on the barrier of the border. Nakamaro family backed away to Takashima County, Omi Province, and was based in the old castle of Sanbi and fought against the Imperial army, but Nakamaro family, including Asakari, was killed to the last man.
(FUJIWARA no Nakamaro's War)