Fujiwara no Korechika

, the second son of Michitaka, was a "kugyo" (Japanese noble) of the Heian period. His mother was Takashina no Takako, called Kō-no-Naishi (高内侍). His sister Teishi (Sadako) married Emperor Ichijō, and he hoped to be the regent ("Sessho") of the Emperor Ichijō after his father's death. A power struggle between Korechika and his uncle, Fujiwara no Michinaga, resulted and continued until Empress Teishi's unexpected death. As Michinaga's daughter, Shoshi, remained as Ichijō's only empress, Teishi's death solidified Michinaga's power at court.

In Chōtoku 2 (長徳２年) (996), Korechika was relegated to Dazai-no-gon-no-Sochi (大宰権帥), because he and his brother discharged an arrow to Emperor Kazan, and because he was suspected to have held "Taigen no Hō" (大元帥法), which is the ceremony of Buddhist Tantrism that only emperors could do. In the next year he was assoiled, and became Jun-Daijin (associate minister) (准大臣) later.

Korechika is sometimes referred to as "Gidō-sanshi" (儀同三司) or "Sochi no Naidaijin" (帥内大臣).

Career

* Shōryaku 2 (991): Sangi (参議)
* Shōryaku 3 (992): Gon-no-Chūnagon (権中納言)
* Shōryaku 3 (992): Gon-no-Dainagon (権大納言)
* Shōryaku 5, on the 28th day of the 8th month (994): Naidaijin (内大臣)
* Chōtoku 2, on the 24th day of the 4th month (996): relegated to Dazai-no-gon-no-Sochi (大宰権帥),
* Chōtoku 3 , on the 5th day of the 4th month (997): assoiled and back to Heian-kyō
* Kankō 5, on the 16th day of the 1st month (1008): Jun-Daijin (准大臣)
* Kankō 7, in the 28th day of the 1st month (February 14, 1010): Korechika died at the age of 37.

Marriages and children

He was married to a daughter of Gon-no-Dainagon Minamoto no Shigemitsu (源重光の娘).

They had three children.
* Michimasa (道雅) ("Ara-sammi", 荒三位) (992-1054) - Sakyo-no-Daibu (左京大夫)
* daughter, married to Fujiwara no Yorimune (son of Fujiwara no Michinaga)
* Chikako (周子), Lady-in-waiting for Empress "Shōshi", consort of Emperor Ichijō, and married to Fujiwara no Yoshiyori

References

* Owada, T. et al. (2003). "Nihonshi Shoka Keizu Jimmei Jiten". Kōdansha. (Japanese)
* Kasai, M. (1991). "Kugyō Bunin Nenpyō". Yamakawa Shuppan-sha. (Japanese)
* Hioki, S. (1990). "Nihon Keifu Sōran". Kōdansha. (Japanese)