Fujiwara no Kanefusa (藤原兼房 (太政大臣))
FUJIWARA no Kanefusa (1153 - april 6, 1217) was a court noble, who lived from the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period. He served as Daijodaijin (the grand minister of state).
He called himself 'Zenrinji.'
His wife was a daughter of FUJIWARA no Takasue. One of his son was Kaneyoshi KUJO, who served as Dainagon (the chief councilor of state).
He was born in 1153 as the fourth son of FUJIWARA no Tadamichi. His mother was Kaga, a daughter of FUJIWARA no Nakamitsu, Grand Empress Dowager Daijin. Kanezane KUJO, who served as Sessho kanpaku (regent), is his mother's elder brother while Jien, who became Tendai zasu (the chief priest of Enryaku-ji Temple), is her younger brother.
Kanefusa, who loved waka poems (31-syllable Japanese poems) and respected KAKINOMOTO no hitomaro (a poet and a noble of the late Asuka period), but did not have much political skill, was able to keep himself intact and apart from political turmoil during the years of wars between the Minamoto clan and the Taira clan. He was finally promoted to Dainagon (the chief counselor of state) in 1185 when the Taira clan perished, and five years later, he held the office of Naidaijin (the interior minister). In 1191, he was appointed as Daijodaijin (the grand minister of state), following his brother, Kanezane, and served the post for five years. In 1199, he resigned from politics and became a Buddhist monk as early as at the age of 47.