Kazanin Moronobu (花山院師信)
Moronobu KAZANIN (1275 - November 28, 1321) was a court noble who lived in the late Kamakura period. His father was Naidaijin (the Minister of the Interior) Morotsugu KAZANIN, and his mother was a daughter of Suemitsu MORI and was Ie no Nyobo (a lady-in-waiting). Morokata KAZANIN who performed splendidly at the Emperor Godaigo's side in the Genko Incident was his son.
Moronobu had been successfully promoted from Kurodo no to (Head Chamberlain) of the Emperor Gouda, then Sangi (councillor) at the age of 17, then Gon Chunagon (provisional vice-councilor of state) in 1299, and then Gon Dainagon (provisional chief councilor of state) in 1303. He served as denso (messenger to Emperor) in two periods of insei (rule by a retired Emperor) by the Retired Emperor Gouda. Even Emperor Hanazono of Jimyoin-to (imperial lineage from Emperor Gofukakusa to Emperor Gokomatsu), who was at the opposite side of Moronobu, trusted Moronobu much and rated him "aid with remarkable talents of Japanese and Chinese". Among court nobles of Daikakuji-to (imperial lineage starting with Emperor Kameyama) who were ousted from important posts in the court of Emperor Hanazono one after another, Moronobu alone promoted as an exception to Dainagon (chief councilor of state) in 1316.
Dainagon (chief councilor of state)
Two years later, though, Moronobu died of illness.
Both Daikakuji-to and Jimyoin-to regretted the death of Moronobu as exemplified by the Retired Emperor Hanazono who recorded in his diary the day of Moronobu's death 'We suffered a great loss.'