Fujiwara no Hamanari (藤原浜成)
FUJIWARA no Hamanari (724 - March 12, 790) was nobility and a poet in the Nara period. He was a grandson of FUJIWARA no Fuhito. He was a son of FUJIWARA no Maro, Sangi (Royal Advisors). He was Sangi with Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank).
Although he was a leading figure of the Western House of the Fujiwara clan as a legitimate son of FUJIWARA no Maro, the founder of the Western House, it is undeniable that in getting promoted, he always fell behind the second generation of the other three families (the Southern House, the Northern House and the Ceremonial House of the Fujiwara clan) who were older than him by a generation in age.
He received Jugoi (Junior Fifth Rank). After holding the posts at Minbusho (Ministry of Popular Affairs) and Gyobusho (Ministry of Justice), he was appointed to Jushii Sangi (Royal Advisors with Junior Fourth Rank) and raised to Kugyo (court noble). According to "Mizu Kagami (The Water Mirror)", when Imperial Prince Osabe, the Crown Prince of Emperor Konin was deposed and a new crown prince was to be selected, Fujiwara no Momokawa recommended Imperial Prince Yamanobe, the first Prince of Emperor Koin, but Hamanari recommended Yamanobe's paternal half-brother, Imperial Prince Hieda whose mother (Princess Owari) was from a local ruling family because he was concerned about the fact that Imperial Prince Yamanobe's mother (TAKANO no Niigasa) was from an immigrant family (Yamatouji).
After that, he was smoothly promoted to Shoshii (Senior Fourth Rank), Shoshiinojo (Senior Fourth Rank Upper Grade) and Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) in the era of Emperor Konin.
He was appointed to Dazai no sochi (Governor-General of the Dazai-fu offices) and left the capital in April, immediately after the enthronement of Emperor Kanmu. In June, however, he was demoted to Dazai ingaino sochi (provisional Governor-General of the Dazai-fu offices) because he was judged to have had no political accomplishments during his career. His servants were reduced from 10 to 3 and horoku (salary) was also reduced by one third. He was ordered to stop doing his duty and therefore, SAEKI no Imaemishi, Dazai no daini (Senior Assistant Governor General of the Dazai-fu) took Hamanari's duty. It is highly possible that this was a warning to the opposing parties given by the enthroned Emperor Kanmu as well as retaliation for the opposition of his investiture as the Crown Prince. When HIKAMI no Kawatsugu, a husband of Hamanori's daughter, Hoichi (法壱) rose in revolt in leap January, 782 (the Rebellion of HIKAMI no Kawatsugu), Hamanori was dismissed as Sangi (Royal Advisors) and Jiju (Chamberlain) because he was implicated in the rebellion. Subsequently, he died in Dazai-fu (local government office in Kyushu region) without coming back to the national political arena.
Hamanari was also a poet like his father who was a Manyo kajin (poet of Manyoshu), and presented the oldest existing book on poetry in Japan, "Kakyo Hyoshiki (A formulary for verse based on the canons of poetry)" to Emperor Konin.