Fujiwara no Tadabumi (藤原忠文)

FUJIWARA no Tadabumi (873 - July 16, 947) was a councilor in the Heian period who served as Minbukyo (Minister of Popular Affairs). His father was FUJIWARA no Edayoshi (845 - 917), who was a councilor from the Ceremonial House of the Fujiwara clan, with his grandfather being FUJIWARA no Harutsu and his great-grandfather FUJIWARA no Otsugu who served as Sadaijin (Minister of the Left). His mother was the daughter of Okitsugu OKINAGA. He was also known as Uji no Minbukyo.

After serving as Sama no kami (head of the Imperial Stables of the Left) and Shuri daibu (in charge of palace repairs and construction), he became a councilor in 939. The following year, 940, he was designated Seito-taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the eastern barbarians") to quell the war in Kanto (eastern Japan) staged by TAIRA no Masakado, but before he arrived, Masakado was killed. In 941, he was appointed Seisei-taishogun (literally, "great general who subdues the western barbarians") to suppress an uprising in the Seto Inland Sea led by FUJIWARA no Sumitomo, and this time, he was successful. He became a councilor and Minbukyo and was given Shoshiinoge (Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade) before he died in 947. He was posthumously promoted to Shosanmi (Senior Third Rank) and Chunagon (vice-councilor of state).

He was good at horse riding and falconry. According to a story, Tadabumi, who had not been rewarded for subduing the TAIRA no Masakado's War due to opposition from FUJIWARA no Saneyori, cursed Saneyori's descendants after he died. As a result, people called Tadabumi 'Akuryo-Minbukyo (Minbukyo, the evil sprit)' and built the Matafuri-jinja Shrine in Uji to soothe his spirit.

[Original Japanese]