Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu
Life. In the court of Emperor Kanmu, Fuyutsugu held posts as chief judge and then as a captain in the imperial guard. Upon Emperor Heizei's ascension in 806, Fuyutsugu was promoted to and . The next year, he was promoted to . Even while so supporting Crown Prince Kamino, he also held a position as chamberlain, and as in the "daijō-kan". In 809, Emperor Saga assumed the throne, and Fuyutsugu was promoted at a stroke to and in the Imperial Guard. As a close aide of the emperor since his days as crown prince, Fuyutsugu had Saga 's deep trust, and when the was created as a new secretarial organ for the emperor in response to the Kusuko Incident, Fuyutsugu was made its first head, along with Kose no Notari. In 811 he was promoted to "sangi", thus joining the "kugyō". He continued to be promoted quickly under Emperor Saga, including to in 814 and "chūnagon" in 816. In 819, he was appointed "dainagon", making him the head of the cabinet. With this Fuyutsugu finally surpassed Fujiwara no Otsugu of the Shikike, one year his senior, who had found great success under Emperor Kanmu and made "sangi  ten years before Fuyutsugu did. In 821, Fuyutsugu was promoted to udaijin". In the court of Saga's successor Emperor Junna, Kanmu's son, Otsugu was promoted to "udaijin" in 825, pushing Fuyutsugu to "sadaijin". Fuyutsugu died on August 30, 826, at the age of 52, with the ranks of , "sadaijin", and general of the imperial guard. Immediately after his death, he was granted the posthumous rank of . When his grandson Emperor Montoku ascended to the throne in 850, he granted Fuyutsugu the additional posthumous rank of "daijō-daijin". Personality. According to the Nihon Kōki, Fuyutsugu was talented and magnanimous , gentle and calm. Able in both literary and military arts, he had a flexible viewpoint, and his generous attitude with others brought him favor. He also made charitable donations to the poor from his wages. Aside from his political activities, Fuyutsugu strove to unite the Fujiwara clan with himself as its head. He built as a dormitory for young Fujiwara students, constructed the South Octagonal Hall at Kōfuku-ji, and made a large donation to the free pharmacy built by Empress Kōmyō. Fuyutsugu contributed to the editing of several works, including the Nihon Kōki. His "kanshi" poems are included in  the Ryōunshū, Bunka Shūreishū, and Keikokushū, and the Gosen Wakashū contains four of his waka.