Fujiwara no Sukemasa
Life. In 961, Sukemasa was conferred the and appointed as a chamberlain. He passed through two minor military positions until, in 967, his adoptive father Fujiwara no Saneyori was appointed as regent to the newly ascended Emperor Reizei. Sukemasa was promoted that year to , and again in 968 to . In 969, Emperor En'yū ascended to the throne, and Sukemasa rose gradually as a in the "Daijō-kan". In 978 he was promoted to "sangi", joining the ranks of the "kugyō", and in 984 gained the . In the following courts of Emperor Kazan and Emperor Ichijō, Sukemasa was  repeatedly passed over for promotion in favor of Kazan's relative Fujiwara no Yoshichika and then Ichijō's relatives Fujiwara no Michitaka, Fujiwara no Michikane, and Fujiwara no Michinaga. In 991, he resigned his post as "sangi" and moved to Kyushu as vice-minister of the Dazaifu. In 992, he was promoted to the . Sukemasa died on August 19, 998, at the age of 55. Personality and anecdotes. Sukemasa was recognized for his excellent calligraphy early on and was particularly esteemed as the leading practitioner of cursive script. His work adorned the folding screens used at the feasts following the  coronations of Emperors En'yū, Kazan, and Ichijō. He is counted among the Sanseki group of great calligraphers, along with Ono no Michikaze and Fujiwara no Yukinari, and his flowing and lively handwriting is known in Japanese as . Several examples of original notes he wrote remain, including the National Treasures of Japan and . However, Sukemasa loved sake, and disgraced himself on numerous occasions. He was extremely neglectful of his duties and lacking in common sense, and the "Ōkagami" calls him a "slovenly man" (如泥人). That said, some of his documents as a "sangi" remain, and he did seem to have some  views on ancient practices and customs, in which his family was well versed. The "Ōkagami" contains two anecdotes about Sukemasa. In one, as Sukemasa returns to Kyōto from his assignment to Kyushu, he receives an oracle from Ōyamazumi Shrine in a dream and then writes down the shrine's motto on its gate. In the other, the regent Fujiwara no Michitaka commands Sukemasa to write a poem on a sliding screen for his new palace, but Sukemasa arrives late and ruins Michitaka's mood.