Fujiwara no Kanemasa (藤原兼雅)
FUJIWARA no Kanemasa (1148-September 5, 1200) was a kugyo (top court official) from the end of the Heian period to the early days of the Kamakura period. His father was Daijo-daijin (Grand minister of state) FUJIWARA no Tadamasa who was a member of the Kazanin family. His mother was the daughter of Chunagon (vice-councilor of state), FUJIWARA no Ienari who was In no Kinshin (the retired Emperor's courtier). He was Juichii (Junior First Rank) and Sadaijin (Minister of the Left). He was the father of Tadatsune KAZANIN and Ietsune ITSUTSUJI.
Succeeding to his father Tadamasa, he went into central officialdom. Moreover, marrying TAIRA no Kiyomori's daughter, he had been promoted smoothly under the Taira-clan government. Therefore, he was once driven from a government post by MINAMOTO no Yoshinaka; however, he returned to his former post, Dainagon (chief councilor of state), in 1187 with confidence in him shown by Emperor Go-Shirakawa. Then he was promoted up to the Sadaijin (Minister of the Left) in 1200.
By having carried out the post to the end during the tempestuous period of the court, he built the foundation of the Kazanin family's future prosperity. He is also known as a man of talent, well versed in the waka (traditional Japanese poem of thirty-one syllables) and imayo (popular style of song during the Heian period).