Taira no Narimasa (平生昌)

TAIRA no Narimasa (years of birth and death unknown) was a court noble in the mid-Heian Period. He was the second son of TAIRA no Takaki in Mimasaku Province of the Takamuneo line, Heishi (Taira clan), who was raised to Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank). His mother was the daughter of Gunji (district manager) of Aoga County, Bicchu Province. His elder brother-uterine is TAIRA no Korenaka and his sons are TAIRA no Masayasu and TAIRA no Mochiyasu"平以康".

He worked his way up as an official from Daigakuryo (training institute of Personal Authority in Heian Period to foster officials) and served in Tajima Province, at the Imperial Palace as household official to Chugu (FUJIWARA no Teishi/Sadako), as Daishin (judicial official at the administrative office in Kyoto), and in Bicchu Province, and in Harima Province. In 996 when, FUJIWARA no Korechika was transferred to Dazai Gon no Sochi (deputy administrator of Dazaifu) after his downfall (Chotoku Incident), he secretly returned from Harima Province to enter Kyoto, however Narimasa informed FUJIWARA no Michinaga about Korechika.

On September 26, 999, when Chugu (the Empress) of Emperor Ichijo, FUJIWARA no Teishi/ Sadako withdrew from the Imperial Palace, as she was pregnant with Imperial Prince Atsuyasu, she chose Narimasa's residence to give birth. (She chose his residence because the residence of the Nijo, where she was born, was burned down in summer of 995, and there was a connection with him through his brother Tadanaka). Sei Shonagon, who was serving Teishi/Sadako at that time, wrote about this event in the "Makurano Soshi" (The Pillow Book) 5th Story titled "When the Empress went down to the residence of Daishin Narimasa..." The next year Teishi/ Sadako died after giving birth to Imperial Princess Bishi at the same Narimasa's residence.

In 1009 he was permitted to enter the Imperial Palace of Imperial Crown Prince Okisada/ Iyasada (later Emperor Sanjo). His date of death is not known, however, it seems that he had already died as of January, 1017 (the article of December 10, 1016 in"Nihon Ryakki" (Summarized chronicle of Japan)).

[Original Japanese]