Fujiwara no Sanenari (藤原実成)

FUJIWARA no Sanenari (975 - January 12, 1045) was a court noble in the Heian period. He was the eldest son of Daijo-daijin (Grand minister of state) FUJIWARA no Kinsue of the Kanin lineage of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan. His mother was Imperial Prince Ariakira's daughter. He held the rank of Shonii (Senior Second Rank), and the titles of Chunagon (vice-councilor of state) and Dazai gon no sochi (Provisional Governor-General of the Dazai-fu offices). Among his children were FUJIWARA no Kinnari and (arguably) Yoshiko, wife of FUJIWARA no Yoshinobu.

He was appointed as a Sangi (Royal Advisor) in 1008, promoted to Gon Chunagon (provisional vice-councilor os state) in 1015, appointed Uemon no Kami (Captain of the Right Division of Outer Palace Guards) in 1017, promoted to Chunagon in 1023, and, from 1033, concurrently held the post of Dazai gon no sochi. In 1036, he came into conflict with Anraku-ji Temple and was dismissed from the post of Dazai gon no sochi.

He was insightlful in reading people's physiognomy, and when he learned that FUJIWARA no Akinobu, FUJIWARA no Michinaga's third son, wished to marry his daughter, he declined the proposal on the ground that Akinobu had the physiognomy of entering the priesthood (his daughter married Yoshinobu, Akinobu's younger brother). Since Akinobu entered the priesthood as he had predicted, he was praised for his accuracy in judging people in "Okagami" (The Great Mirror).

[Original Japanese]