Isonokami no Otomaro (石上乙麻呂)
ISONOKAMI no Otomaro (year of birth unknown - October 9, 750) was a Kugyo (the top court officials) and man of literature in the Nara period. He was a son of Sadaijin (minister of the left) ISONOKAMI no Maro. He was Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) Chunagon (vice-councilor of state). His first name was also written as Otomaro (弟麻呂).
He was promoted to Jugoinojo (Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade) in 732. In 739 when he was a Benkan (officials of the Dajokan), he was accused of adultery with KUME no Wakame, the wife of FUJIWARA no Umakai and exiled to Tosa Province. Some people say he may have been falsely charged due to internal struggle in the court political arena. He was later pardoned and after he had filled the posts including local inspector of Saikaido region, Jibusho (the Ministry of Civil Administration), Udaiben (Major Controller of the Right) and Nakatsukasasho (Ministry of Central Affairs), he was promoted to Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) Sangi (councilor) in 748 and to Chunagon in the following year, 749.
He was outstanding in Waka (a traditional Japanese poem of thirty-one syllables) and Kanshi (Chinese-style poem) and his works of Waka and Kanshi were introduced in the "Manyoshu" (the oldest anthology of tanka) and the "Kaifuso" (Fond Recollections of Poetry).