Shigenoi Kinkazu (滋野井公麗)
Kinkazu SHIGENOI (December 19, 1733 - October 23, 1781) was a noble who lived in the middle of Edo Period. He was a child of Sanemasa SHIGENOI. Fuyuyasu SHIGENOI was his child. He was called Goshotei.
His father died when he was three years old and he was brought up by this grandfather, Kinsumi SHIGENOI, who was famous as a specialist in Yusoku-kojitsu (court rules, ceremony, decorum and records of the past). In 1739, he came of age and was awarded the rank of Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) and post of Jiju (a chamberlain), in 1758 was promoted to Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) and Sangi (councilor), and in 1761 to Kebiishi no betto (Superintendent of the Imperial Police) and at the same time to Uhyoe no kami (Captain of the Right Division of Middle Palace Guards), and, in 1763, he became Shosanmi (Senior Third Rank) and Gon Chunagon (Provisional Middle Counselor). In 1768, he was promoted to Shonii (Senior Second Rank) and Gon Dainagon (provisional major counselor) as well as Dazai gon no sochi (Provisional Governor-General of the Dazai-fu offices), but he resigned from Gon Dainagon that same year and from Dazai gon no sochi in 1776.
Succeeding his grandfather's academic knowledge, he was accepted as a great living specialist for Yusoku-kojitsu (knowledge of court rules, ceremony, decorum and records of the past) and he was also good at waka and painting. When he was twenty-two years old, he published "狩衣至要鈔" and, then, published many books including "禁秘御抄階梯," "公事根源鈔階梯," "諒闇装束之事," "一上要覧," "摂関要覧," "彗星出現年々" and "滋草拾露" (personal complete works). He had many disciples, and fostered Yoshiki (Sogo) OTSUKA, among others.
On the other hand, it is told that he was a man of great self-respect. He insisted that the Shigenoi family, which was considered a branch family, was the true main lineage, and therefore its social standing should be raised from the House of Urin to the House of Seiga. He started an argument due to his stubbornness, and he was rebuked by Uchisaki KONOE, who was Kanpaku (chancellor).
In September 1781, he died of poisoning by mushrooms, which he thought were matsutake, when he visited Shorenin-no-miya. His grave is at Tennei-ji Temple in Kita Ward, Kyoto City. Hearing of Kinkazu's death, Norimitsu YANAGIHARA, a court noble and historian who was contemporary with Kinkazu, made the following entry in his diary: "Although not well-versed in Chinese literature, he wrote essays and diaries, and was generally quite knowledgeable."