Kyogoku Tamenori (京極為教)
Tamenori KYOGOKU (May 7, 1227 to July 4, 1279) was a poet in the mid Kamakura period. His fathers was the third son of FUJIWARA no Tameie, and his mother was his legal wife and a daughter of Yoritsuna UTSUNOMIYA (Nyudo Rensho), who was a powerful clan in Shimotsuke Province. Among his siblings were Tameuji NIJO, Tamesada (posthumous Buddhist name Gensho), Keiyo and court ladies of the first rank to feudal lords. His wife was a daughter of MIYOSHI. Among his children were Tameko (a court lady of the first rank to provisional major counselor), and Tamekane KYOGOKU. His posthumous Buddhist name was Meisho Meishin. The title was Bishamon-do. His official rank was non-attending Junior Second Rank.
FUJIWARA no Tamenori
He was born in the Mikohidari family, the Fujiwara clan, known as the house of waka since the period of FUJIWARA no Toshinari and FUJIWARA no Teika and became the originator of the Kogoku family (Irie family), not of the head family, the Nijyo family.
Brief Personal History
It is said that the boy who was born in Tameie Mansion (Reizei Mansion) was Tamenori, as recorded in "Meigetsuki" (Chronicle of the Bright Moon) (according to Yoshisada ISHIDA). He celebrated his coming of age on December 29, 1225 ("Meigetsuki" [Chronicle of the Bright Moon]). He became a Sahyoe no suke (Assistant Captain of the Left Division of Middle Palace Guards) during the ceremony for appointing officials on April 10, 1238. On the fifth on the New Year of 1243, he became Junior Fourth Rank Lower Grade (according to "Minkeiki" [the journal by Tsunemitsu HIROHASHI]), Ushosho (Minor Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards) on March 7 of the same year (the next day, he was transferred to Sashosho [Minor Captain of the Left Division of Inner Palace Guards], according to "Heikoki" [Diary of TAIRA no Tsunetaka]).
In this year, when Emperor Gosaga ascended to the throne, he served as the courtier of the retired emperor and carried out political operations and ceremonies of the Imperial Court, and there are some records about court functions and imperial visits in "Tsunetoshi kyo ki" (Diary of Lord Tsunetoshi) and "Yoko ki" (Leaf yellow record),
He became a Chujo (Middle Captain) in 1251.
In the world of tanka poetry at that time, there appeared an anti-Mikohidari group that opposed his father Tameie. Tamenori for the first time took part in the poetry contest in Tadasu no yashiro Shrine in 1243 where Tameie was the judge, and he participated in 1247 as a composer in the poetry contest of the temple. In 1251, two of his poems were for the first time selected into "Shoku Gosen Wakashu" (Later Collection of Japanese Poetry, second series), which was a Chokusen wakashu (anthology of Japanese poetry compiled by Imperial command) of poems selected by Tameie. His poems were also selected into some personal collections of poetry by the anti-Mikohidari group such as "Mandai wakashu", and even "Tsukubashu", which was a collection of renga (linked verse). Moreover, though the time was uncertain, but there was an anecdote recording in Tona's "Seiasho" that, Tameie accompanied Tamenori in serving in the renga-kai (linked verse contest) held in Yoshida Izumi-dono Pavilion of Saion-ji Temple second residence, the sound of a waterfall was bothering that Tamenori used his wit to close the waterfall. Compared with his elder brother Tameuji, his position in the world of tanka poetry was low. According to "Seiasho", it is said that the two brothers were not on good terms because of Japanese poetry, and the rivalry with the originator was succeeded also to the next generation of Tamekane period that established the Kyogoku school of poetry.
In 1254, he became the household superintendent to the Saionji family, served closer to the Saionji family, received as wife the daughter of MIYOSHI, who was another household superintendent to the Saionji family. In November, 1258, he became the Head Chamberlain, but he quit in July of the next year and became Junior Third Rank Captain of the Right Division of Middle Palace Guards. At the New Year of 1262, he became Senior Third Rank and at the New Year of 1269, he became Junior Second Rank. In "Koan hyakushu" (One hundred poems in the Koan era), he participated with Tamekane as composers.