Tokiwa Mitsunaga (常盤光長)

Mitsunaga TOKIWA (year of birth and death unknown) was a painter (Tosa school) during the late Heian period. His other names were FUJIWARA no Mitsunaga and TOSA no Mitsunaga. Although his origin is unknown, one theory is that he was the Yoshikado line of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan, and the son of Nakatsukasa no taifu (Senior Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Central Affairs) FUJIWARA no Tsunetaka, or Buzen no kami (Governor of Buzen Province) FUJIWARA no Kunitaka. Jushii (Junior Fourth Rank), Gyobu no taifu (Senior Assistant Minister of Justice).

In 1173, he and FUJIWARA no Takanobu together painted pictures on shoji (paper sliding doors) of Saishokoin Gosho (the imperial palace of Saishokoin). It is said that he also painted "Nenju Gyoji Emaki" (Picture Scrolls of Annual Functions) ordered by Emperor Goshirakawa. He is also considered the person who painted "Ban Dainagon ekotoba" (picture scrolls about the Conspiracy of Otenmon gate), but this is not certain.

[Original Japanese]