Fujiwara no Takanori (藤原孝範)

FUJIWARA no Takanori (1158 - September 1233) was a government official (lower or middle ranked) during the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period. An adopted child of FUJIWARA no Naganori, who was Monjo hakase (professor of literature) of the FUJIWARA no Sadatsugu line of the Southern House of the Fujiwara clan. His biological father was FUJIWARA no Toshinaga, who was Saigu-ryo (the Bureau of the High Priestess of Ise) of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan. Shoshiinoge (Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade), Daigaku-ryo (Bureau of Education under the ritsuryo system).

In March 1187, when Takanori, who was monjosho (student of literary studies at the Imperial University), participated in composition at Gosho-dokoro (an office for maintaining books in the Imperial Court), he was praised by Kanezane KUJO as 'an honorable man.'
Thereafter, he successively held the positions of Josaimonin (Imperial Princess Muneko) hogandai (an administrative official of the Retired-Emperor's Office), Dainaiki (Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Central Affairs), Monjo hakase, Daigaku no kami (Director of the Bureau of Education), Echizen no kami (Governor of Echizen Province), and so on. While being at the position of Monjo hakase, he was involved in kanjin (a report requested from specialists concerning precedents for court rituals or other issues) for names of the following eras: Jogen, Kenryaku, Kenpo, and Jokyu. Held a tanka party at Seiryo-ji Temple in 1222. Entered the priesthood in December 1232, with a homyo (a name given to a person who enters the Buddhist priesthood) of Jakujin. Died in September 1233, the following year, at the age of 76.

Known as a man of literature having excellent talent for Chinese poetry. He drafted many ganmon (prayers), including Seiryo-ji kuyo ganmon (prayer of memorial service for Seiryo-ji Temple) of Gotakakurain, and in 1229, he drafted Johyobun (memorial to the Emperor) of Kanpaku (chief adviser to the Emperor) Kanezane KUJO.

Left literal works, including "Chushisho" (Book about duties of naiki (secretary of the Ministry of Central Affairs)), "Meibunsho" (FUJIWARA no Takanori's Collections of ancient events and maxims), and "Shukusho" (literally, FUJIWARA no Takanori's Collections of excellent poems). His prose and poetry were also left in "Wakan Kensakushu" (Poem collection compiled in Kamakura period), "Kyureishu" (collection of Chinese poems), "Honcho Bunshu" (the collection of the Japanese literary works) and the like.

[Original Japanese]