Fujiwara no Yoshimi (藤原良相)
FUJIWARA no Yoshimi (813 - November 13, 867) was a court noble who lived in the first half of the Heian period. He called himself Nishisanjo no otodo (literally, the minister of west Sanjo).
Career
In 834, he became Kurodo (Chamberlain). In the Jowa Incident, as Sashosho (Minor Captain of the Left Division of the Inner Palace Guards), he led the Konoefu (Headquarters of the Inner Palace Guards) and succeeded in pacifying the soldiers. He became a Sangi (councilor) in 848. After serving as Udaiben (Major Controller of the Right), he became Chunagon (Vice-Councilor of State) with the rank of Jusani (Junior Third Rank) in 851. Then, in 857, he became Udaijin (Minister of the Right). In 859, he was awarded Shonii (Senior Second Rank).
He had his daughter, FUJIWARA no Tamiko, enter the court as a consort of Emperor Seiwa, and was also popular among his peers. Therefore, he was always watched cautiously by his brother, FUJIWARA no Yoshifusa, who was the main figure in the government. During the Otenmon Incident in 866, after receiving a complaint from TOMO no Yoshio, he ordered the arrest of Sadaijin (Minister of the Left) MINAMOTO no Makoto (a court noble). But the order was canceled by Yoshifusa, who vouched for Makoto's innocence and thereafter, Yoshimi's influence was lost. He died in 867, the next year. He was posthumously awarded Shoichii (Senior First Rank).
The following story about him is included in "Konjaku Monogatari Shu" (The Tale of Times Now Past). Once, he became ill and died, and came before Enma Daio, or Yama, the King of Hell. However, he was absolved due to ONO no Takamura's mediation and returned from the realm of the dead.
FUJIWARA no Tsuneyuki, his son, rose smoothly in the government, reaching the post of Dainagon (Chief Councilor of State) at a young age, but died young. Thereafter, not many of the family line became court nobles, and the Okagami (literally, The Great Mirror: a historical story book written in the latter half of the Heian period) describes how his descendents remained low status.