Takakura no Fukushin (高倉福信)
TAKAKURA no Fukushin (709 - November 3, 789) was a court noble who lived during the Nara period. His father was SENA no Fukumitsu and his grandfather was SENA no Fukutoku, a member of the Goguryeo (kingdom of Korea) royal family. His uncle was SENA no Yukifumi, whose poem appears in the Manyoshu (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves). His court rank was Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank), and he was appointed as Minister of Zogusho (Ministry of Making and Mending Palaces), Director of Danjodai (Board of Censors), and Musashi no kuni no kami (Governor of Musashi Province).
Career
According to the "Shoku Nihongi" (Chronicle of Japan Continued), he was born in Koma County, Musashi Province and originally called himself Sena no Ko Fukushin. He went up to the capital, seeking support from his uncle, SENA no Yukifumi (according to the "Shoku Nihongi"[Chronicle of Japan Continued]). It is said that he excelled at Sumo so well that a bout he had fought with his colleague at Isonokami no Chimata (the junction in Isonokami) became the talk of the town, leading to being invited to the Naijudokoro (Royal Pages Office) by Emperor Shomu, who was impressed by his outstanding performance.
After serving as a Ueji no daishi (Senior Assistant Lieutenant of the Right Guards), he was promoted from the rank of Jurokui (Junior Sixth Rank) to Gejugoinoge (Jugoinoge [Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade] given to persons outside Kyoto) in 738, and then was awarded the rank of Jugoi (Junior Fifth Rank) in the following year, and appointed to Shogoi (Senior Fifth Rank) and Togu no suke (Assistant Master of the Crown Prince's Quarters) in 743. In 747, together with other seven members of his family, he was given a surname of Sena no Konikishi and called himself SENA no Konikishi Fukushin. He was awarded the rank of Shogoinojo (Senior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade) in the following year. In 749, he assumed the post of Chue no shosho (Minor Captain of the Imperial Guard) of Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade) and Shibichudai shohitsu (Assistant Director of the office handling the principal empress Komyo's affairs), and further promoted to the rank of Shoshiinoge (Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade). This is believed to have been attributable to the enthronement of Empress Koken, whom he had been serving for many years.
In 750, he was given a surname of Koma Ason and changed his name to KOMA no Fukushin. On the death of the retired Emperor Shomu in 756, he was appointed Yamatsukuri no Tsukasa (Official in charge of building the mausoleum) and was transferred from the post of Yamashiro no kami (Governor of Yamashiro Province) to Musashi no kami (Governor of Musashi Province) in the same year. During his service as Musashi no kami (Governor of Musashi Province), he promptly finished construction of Kokubun-ji Temple, which had been behind schedule, and, in 756, built Niikura district in the Province. It is said that KOMA no Jakko (and his family), who had been serving as a local magistrate of Koma County since the county's formation in 715, was Fukushin's family member and Fukushin himself had a powerful influence over the province.
In 757, he was given the rank of Shoshii (Senior Fourth Rank) and then appointed Shinbu no taifu/Nakatsukasa no taifu (Senior Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Central Affairs) in 760. Under Dokyo's government in 765, he was awarded the rank of Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) and raised to the nobility. In 767, he took up the post of Zogukyo (Minister of Making and Mending Palaces) and Hoogushiki daibu (Master of the domestic governing institution for Dokyo). He served as a Goshozokushi (an official handling important rituals) when Emperor Shotoku died in 770 and was appointed Musashi no kami again. In the following year, the administrative affiliation of Musashi Province with Tosando was transferred to Tokaido, and Fukushin is said to have been involved in this event as the governor of the province. In 773, Fukushin's legitimate son, TAKAKURA no Ishimaro, was awarded the rank of Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) for the achievements Fukushin made as the Zogukyo (Minister of Making and Mending Palaces). In 776, he was appointed to the position of Zogukyo (Minister of Making and Mending Palaces) and Omi no kami (Governor of Omi Province). In 779, he was given a surname of Takakura Ason and changed his name to TAKAKURA no Fukushin. In 781, he was transferred to the post of Danjoin (President of the Board of Censors) and was appointed Yamatsukuri no Tsukasa (Official in charge of building the mausoleum) on the death of the retired Emperor Konin. He was appointed to the post of Musashi no kami (Governor of Musashi Province) again for the third time in 783 but resigned two years after that. He died four years later in 789. He was 81 years old.
He was extraordinary in that, coming from a powerful local family descended from toraijin (people from overseas, especially from China and Korea, who settled in early Japan and introduced Continental culture to the Japanese), he served Emperor Koken (Shotoku) as well as assuming several important posts under each government of TACHIBANA no Moroe, FUJIWARA no Nakamaro, and Dokyo and remained in power throughout the time Emperor Kammu assumed the throne. His son, Ishimaro, assumed several posts, including Musashi no suke (Assistant Governor of Musashi Province) and Mimasaka no suke (Assistant Governor of Mimasaka Province).