Heki no Michikata (日置道形)
HEKI no Michikata (year of birth and death unknown) was a government official who lived during the late Nara period.
His kabane (hereditary title) was 'Miyatsuko.'
His name was alternatively written as '通形' (instead of '道形'). He referred to himself as 'SAKAI no Michikata' later.
Career
In 767, when Michikata served as the Ise no suke (Assistant Governor of Ise Province), he and ABE no Azumahito reported to the Emperor that there was an auspicious cloud above the outer shrine of Ise-jingu Shrine. For this reason, the name of the era was changed to 'Jingo Keiun' (a auspicious cloud protected by deities). For this contribution, he was promoted from Shorokuinojo (Senior Sixth Rank, Upper Grade) to Ge-jugoinoge (Jugoinoge [Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) given to persons outside Kyoto] in August of the same year. Afterwards, he partook in various positions, such as the Daikunosuke (deputy director of the carpenter division), the Chikaranosuke (deputy director of the taxation division), and the Kazuenosuke (deputy director of the accounting division). He later changed his surname to SAKAI no Sukune in 777. In the funeral of Emperor Konin, he worked as a yoyakubu no tsukasa (an officer managing laborers at the construction site of Imperial tombs). He also served as the Bicchu no kami (the governor of Bicchu Province), and Kura no suke (Deputy chief of Kuraryo, Bureau of Palace Storehouses), but is said to have passed away by 790.