Fujiwara no Toshihito (藤原利仁)
FUJIWARA no Toshihito (years of birth and death unknown) was a busho (Japanese military commander) lived in the mid-Heian period.
FUJIWARA no Uona line of the Northern House of the Fujiwara clan
His grandfather FUJIWARA no Takafusa held Zuryo (the head of the provincial governors) and won fame for controlling of robbers. His father was Minbukyo (Minister of Popular Affairs), FUJIWARA no Tokinaga (maternal half-brother of Chunagon [middle counsellor], FUJIWARA no Yamakage). His mother was a daughter of HATA no Toyokuni from Echizen Province. He had wives such as a daughter of TOMO no Munetada titled sakan (the fourth rank govenment official under the Ritsuryo legal code) of Tanba Province and a daughter of Prince Sukeyo titled Shihon (the fourth rank of Imperial Princes' rank); besides, became a son-in-law of FUJIWARA no Arihito who was Gozoku (local ruling family) in Tsuruga, Echizen Province.
After experienced some posts including Sakon no shogen (Lieutenant the Left Division of Inner Palace Guards), he became Kozuke no kuni no suke (officer in charge of regional administration in Kozuke) in 911 and was appointed Kazusa no kuni no suke in 912. In addition, he held some posts of kokushi (provincial governor) in Bando region such as Shimosa no kuni no suke (officer in charge of regional administration in Shimousa) and Musashi no kuni no kami (governor of Musashi Province). "Anba Gaiji Engi"(historical records book written in the Muromachi period) tells that he suppressed a gang of several thousand robbers who had plundered of tribute in Mt.Takakura in Shimotsuke Province and could show his strategy to the whole country in 915. He became Chinju-fu shogun (Commander-in-Chief of the Defense of the North) in the same year and his last court rank is said to have been Jushiinoge (Junior Forth Rank, Lower Grade).
Many legendary stories in which he was a typical warrior lived in the Heian period have been handed down. Among all those stories, the story in "Konjaku monogatari shu" (Tales of Times Now and Then collection) that he took a man titled goi (Fifth Rank) from Kyoto to his residence in Tsuruga to let a man eat imogayu (sweet-potato broth) is famous (Ryunosuke AKUTAGAWA wrote a novel "Imogayu" based on this story).
His second son FUJIWARA no Nobumochi became Saiku no kami (Director General of the High Priestess Office) and the ancestor of the Saito clan. In his grandchild's time, Tadayori became Kaga no kuni no suke (officer in charge of regional administration in Kaga) and the ancestor of the Kaga-Saito clan which was the origin of the Hori clan; the Hirooka-Saito clan which was the origin of the Togashi and the Hayashi clan; and the Makino clan. The Yoshida clan and the Maeda clan origined from a lineage of Nobumochi's grandson Tametoki, the Yoshiwara-Saito clan, the Kawai-Saito clan and the Mino-Saito clan originated from a lineage of Naotada, and the Kato clan and the Toyama clan originated from a lineage of Shigemitsu. Also, his daughter married FUJIWARA no Fuminaga, a grandson of FUJIWARA no Hidesato, and became the mother of FUJIWARA no Fumiyuki and Kanemitsu.
Many families claim to be the descendants of Toshihito without deceit. It can be said that he was a symbolic man who made the Fujiwara clan's way into samurai society along with FUJIWARA no Hidesato.