Tanba no Tadamori (丹波忠守)
TANBA no Tadamori (1270? - August 9, 1344) was a doctor, a government official, and a kajin (waka poet) from the latter half of the Kamakura period until the early period of the Northern and Southern Courts. He was the eldest son of 丹波長守. His homyo (a name given to a person who enters the Buddhist priesthood) was Jakua.
He served the Daikakuji-to (the imperial lineage starting with Emperor Kameyama), and acted as Hokumen no bushi (Imperial Palace Guards for the North Side) under Emperor Gouda, who treated Tadamori preferentially, since Tadamori's rank was still a doctor at that time. He successively held positions such as Gon-ji and Hayato no sho, and on June 7, 1305, he was appointed to Jushiinoge (Junior Forth Rank, Lower Grade) (according to the "Sanemikyoki"). When Emperor Godaigo ascended the throne on April 29, 1318, Tadamori was appointed to Yakuinshi. On Seｐtember 16, 1330, he was appointed to Tenyaku no kami (the head of Tenyaku ryo, the Bureau of Medicine) (according to the "Appointment of Tenyaku no kami"). On June 15, 1331 (in old lunar calendar), he was chosen as a Kunaikyo (Minister of the Sovereign's Household) (according to the "Gyokueikisho" Court Rank Section). His selection as a Kunaikyo, was described in Section 103 of "Tsurezure gusa" (Essays in Idleness) by Kinaki SANJO in an insulting manner. However, he was arrested by the Rokuhara Tandai (an administrative and judicial agency in Rokuhara, Kyoto) on suspicion of being involved in Emperor Godaigo's conspiracy to overthrow the Shogunate during the Genko Incident (the article of February 6, 1332 in "Hanazono In Shinki" (The Diary of Hanazonoin)). Soon after, he was forced to become a priest.
He was known as a Nijo school kajin (waka poet) and a disciple of Tameyo NIJO, and was one of the regular members of Imperial Prince Tadafusa's poetry circle, which included Michihira NIJO and Sanenori OGURA. 11 of Tadamori's poems were selected for the "Chokusen wakashu" (anthologies of Japanese poetry compiled by Imperial command), which includes the "Gyokuyo Wakashu" (The Jeweled Leaves Collection). He was often invited to utaawase (poetry contests) in the Dairi (Imperial Palace). He was invited to the Dairi (Imperial Palace) Tanabata Uta-kai (poem competition) held under the Kenmu government and to the Hachigatsu Jugoya Uta-awase in 1321 (poetry contest on the fifteenth night of the eighth month), which were described in the "Masukagami" (The Clear Mirror). He was also known as a researcher of the "Genji Monogatari" (The Tale of Genji), and taught Yoshinari YOTSUTSUJI much about it (according to the "Kakai-sho Commentary" Preface). According to the "Toyashu kikigaki" of Tsuneyori TO, Tadamori was known to be a 覚生 (excellent student) of the "Genji Monogatari," and he and Tona apparently defined `prohibited terms' when reading the "Genji Monogatari." As a doctor and through his relationship with Imperial Prince Tadafusa, Tadamori was able to visit powerful court nobles, such as the Saionji family or the Nijo family, and also had a close relationship with Yoshimoto NIJO (the son of Michihira).
It is mentioned in the "Moromori-ki" (The Diary of Moromori NAKAHARA) that Takamori passed away in Kyoto on August 9, 1344.
According to one theory, Tadamori was not the author of the "Masukagami" (The Clear Mirror). Yoshio ARAKI insisted that Tadamori was the author of the "Masukagami" (The Clear Mirror), given the fact that Tadamori was the most dedicated researcher of the "Genji Monogatari" and was also familiar with poetry. In recent years, Takeo OGAWA, who is the researcher of Yoshimoto NIJO, the man who is strongly believed to be the author of the "Masukagami" advocated a new theory of the "Masukagami" being `edited by Yoshimoto and written by Tadamori,' given the fact that, although Yoshimoto NIJO contributed to the completion of the "Masukagami," Yoshimoto was a politician and eventually served Jimyoin-to (imperial lineage from Emperor Gofukakusa to Emperor Gokomatsu), which makes it difficult for him to write such literary work.