Ishikawa no Mamori (石川真守)
ISHIKAWA no Mamori (730? - October 3, 798) was a Court noble who lived from the middle of the Nara period to the beginning of the Heian period. He was the seventh direct descendant of SOGA no Umako. He was the son of Chunagon (vice-councilor of state) ISHIKAWA no Natari. He was at the rank of Shoshiinojo (Senior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade) and served as a Sangi (councilor).
Summary
His first investiture was in 766 and was granted the rank of Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade). After he experienced various positions such as a Nakatsukasa no Shoyu (Junior Assistant Minister of Central Affairs), the Governor of Ecchu Province, a Shonagon (lesser councilor of state), and the Dazai no Daini (senior assistant governor general of the Dazai-fu [local government office in the Kyushu region]), he was finally appointed to be a Sangi at the age of 57 in 787 and later a Court noble. Since SOGA no Akae lost his influence due to the Jinshin War, the Soga clan (also known as the Ishikawa clan) had been in a weaker position than the Fujiwara clan and members of Imperial family. Even a direct descendant of the clan could not become a Court noble (usually as a Chunagon or a Sangi) before reaching 50 years old. Mamori also could not retrieve the clan's influence because the Southern House of the Fujiwara clan, who had a close relationship to his great-grandfather ISHIKAWA no Iwatari and his grandfather ISHIKAWA no Toshitari, also lost their power due to the Rebellion of Fujiwara no Nakamaro.
Subsequently, his highest political position was Sangi with the rank of Shoshiinojo (Senior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade), which was granted in 795 (His rank was the lowest among the successive descendants of the clan after Iwatari.)
After that, he was also appointed to be the Gyobukyo (Minister of Justice) in 797, but he died in 798.
He was the last Court noble from the Ishikawa clan (the clan also included the family originated from his great-uncle ISHIKAWA no Toyonari, whose highest position was Chunagon, but this family's influence was not so strong after Toyonari's death). The clan eventually disappeared from the political stage at the same time that the Isonokami clan (also known as the Mononobe clan), who had a heated controversy on Buddhism, disappeared.