Fujiwara no Takamitsu (藤原高光)
FUJIWARA no Takamitsu (c. 939 － 994) was a Japanese poet of the mid-Heian period. He was the eighth son of FUJIWARA no Morosuke, and his mother was the Imperial Princess Gashi, the daughter of the Emperor Daigo. He is one of the Sanjurokkasen (36 Immortal Poets). He was ranked as Jugoinojo (Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade), Konoefu (the Headquarters of the Inner Palace Guards). He called himself Tonomine shosho nyudo.
Although he rose to Ushosho (Minor Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards), he became a Buddhist priest at the Yokawa precinct of Enryaku-ji Temple on Mt. Hiei in 961, although he was still young. The next year, he moved to Tonomine. His Buddhist name was Nyokaku. People were shocked when the son of Morosuke, who was the leader of the Fujiwara clan at that time, became a priest.
22 of his poems were selected for chokusen wakashu (anthologies of poems collected by Imperial command) starting when "Shui Wakashu" (Collection of Gleanings of Japanese Poems) was compiled and onwards. He left a personal collection "Takamitsu shu." There is also "Tonomine shosho monogatari" (author unknown), which describes his life from his becoming a Buddhist priest up to his building himself a hermitage in Tonomine.
According to the "Imakagami" (The Mirror of the Present), there is an anecdote that Takamitsu once had had a pocket paper folded in the shape of a shaku (a wooden mace) instead of the real mace, which he was to hold in his hand when wearing sokutai (traditional ceremonial court dress).
Record of offices and ranks held
In 955
December: Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade)
In 956
April: Jiju (a chamberlain) of Ministry of Central Affairs
In 958
January (New Year in the old lunar calendar): Being admitted to the court
August: Emonfu (Headquarters of the Outer Palace Guards)
In 960
February (New Year in the old lunar calendar): Ukone no shosho (Minor Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards)
In 961
January (New Year in the old lunar calendar): Being admitted to the court