Isayama no Fumitugu (勇山文継)

ISAYAMA no Fumitugu (773 - December 10, 828) was a government official and a poet making Chinese poems who lived in the early Heian period. He came from Kawachi Province.

Believing descriptions in "Shinsen Shojiroku" (Newly Compiled Register of Clan Names and Titles of Nobility), he was a descendant of Izumoshikoomi no mikoto who was a great-grandson of Nigihayahi no Mikoto. However, according to an article for November 25, 810 in Nihonkoki (Later Chronicle of Japan), he was awarded, together with the ISAYAMA no Ietsugu and others who belonged to the same clan, a kabane (hereditary title) called Muraji. Additionally because no description of his former kabane is found, it is considered that he had possessed no kabane before and it is supposed that he in fact came from hakucho (ordinary people or people in social statuses near to ordinary people).

Nothing is known about the first half of his life. However, based on his later carrier, it is said that he came from monjosho (a student of literary studies) at Daigaku-ryo (Bureau of Education at that rime) where even youngsters of hakucho were allowed to enter. When he was awarded the kabane of ISAYAMA no Muraji, he was placed at the rank of Juhachiinoge (Junior Eighth Rank, Lower Grade). Shortly after that, he became Kiden hakase (a professor of history) at the rank of Jurokuinoge (Junior Sixth Rank, Lower Grade). On March 1, 811, he was awarded Ge-jugoinoge (Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) given to persons outside Kyoto), and on March 15 of the same year, assumed Daigaku no suke (assistant director of the Bureau of Education) and Sagaminokuni no jo (provincial governor of Sagami) in addition to Kiden hakase. In 816, his honganchi (the place where his family register was placed) was moved to Ukyo of Heiankyo. On July 17, 816, Fumitugu was awarded Jugoinoge based on his achievement of giving a lecture to Emperor Saga about "Shiki" (Chinese historical records). In the era of Emperor Junna, he was awarded the kabane of Anno-uji Sukune and became Togu gakushi (teacher of classics for the Crown Prince) at Jushiinoge (Junior Forth Rank, Lower Grade). In addition, he became a compiler of each of the three collections of Chokusen kanshishu (a collection of Chinese poems compiled by an Imperial command), and his Chinese poem was included in each of "Bunka shureishu" (the second Imperial Chinese poem collection) and "Keikoku-shu" (an anthology of Chinese poems compiled by Imperial command).

On December 10, 828, he died while assuming Togu gakushi.

[Original Japanese]