The Fujiwara Family

I’ve always read about the Heian Era being a time when aristocratic families ruled Japan, chief among them the Fujiwara. As the members of this family were prominent not only in politics but also in culture and the arts, I went searching for their legacy in Japan.

The first person I ran across was the statesman Fujiwara no Michinaga, who was not only Regent but also grandfather to three Emperors. On the grounds of the current Imperial Palace in Kyoto I found a sign marking the spot where Michinaga composed a famous poem in 1017 during a moon viewing party. The poem called Mochizuki no Uta compares his stature to that of the moon:

This world, I think,
Is indeed my world.
Like the full moon I shine,
Uncovered by any cloud."

The Fujiwara practice of marrying Emperors to the female members of their family ensured Michinaga’s descendents continued supremacy in the government until the rise of the Samurai class overshadowed the old aristocracy.

Going West to Uji, I entered the world of the Genji Monogatari, a novel whose protagonist (perhaps modeled on Michinaga) and author Murasaki Shikibu were themselves Fujiwara. Uji is also home to Byodo-in, the temple built by Michinaga’s son Fujiwara no Yorimichi, a replica of which can be seen in Oahu.

This postcard by the way shows Byodo-in framed in wisteria blossoms referring to the Fujiwara name which means “field of wisteria”, as explained to me by a helpful volunteer in the Nara Tourist office.

Nara is where the beautiful Fujiwara family shrine of Kasuga Taisha is located in a forest where deer roam freely. The pathways have hundreds of stone lanterns that are lighted several evenings in the year which must be enchanting.

In modern times the descendent of this illustrious family that most people are familiar with is the actor Fujiwara Kamitari. Though sharing the name of the founder of the clan Fujiwara no Kamitari, this actor ironically appeared regularly in roles as the truculent peasant in movies like Seven Samurai and The Hidden Fortress.