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Fujiwara no Tanetsugu
Fujiwara no Tanetsugu ( 藤原 種継 , 737 – November 4, [1]
Fujiwara no Tanetsugu
785) was a Japanese noble of the late Nara period. He was the
grandson of the sangi Fujiwara no Umakai, the founder of the
藤原種継
Fujiwara Shikike. He reached the court rank of shō san-mi ( 正 Born 737
三位 ) and the position of chūnagon. He was posthumously Died 785 (aged 47–48)
awarded the rank of shō ichi-i ( 正⼀位
) and the position of Family Fujiwara Shikike
daijō-daijin. Father Fujiwara no Kiyonari

Contents
Life
Nagaoka-kyō
Assassination
Individuals punished in connection with the incident[2]
Genealogy
Notes
References

Life
The Shoku Nihongi first mentions Tanetsugu in 766, when he was promoted from ju roku-i no jō
( 従六位上 ) to ju go-i no ge ( 従五位下
). Two years later, in 768, he was appointed as governor of
Mimasaka Province.

Thanks to the Shikike's staunch support of Emperor Kōnin's ascension, the family was successful in
his court. Tanetsugu held various positions as a provincial governor, as well as civil and military
roles, and was steadily promoted through the ranks, reaching ju shi-i no ge ( ) in 781. After 従四位下
the deaths of his uncles Fujiwara no Yoshitsugu and Fujiwara no Momokawa, Tanetsugu came to
represent the Shikike as the oldest grandson of Umakai.

Along with the ascension of Emperor Kanmu in 781, Tanetsugu was promoted to ju shi-i no jō ( 従
四位上 ). With the Emperor's deep trust, Tanetsugu was promoted quickly, joining the kugyō with a
promotion to sangi in 782. In 783, he was promoted to ju san-mi ( ), and in 784 was made 従三位
chūnagon.

Nagaoka-kyō
In 784, Kanmu wanted to move the capital away from Heijō-kyō. Tanetsugu recommended the
location of Nagaoka-kyō as the spot for the new capital. By the Emperor's command, Tanetsugu
inspected the site along with Fujiwara no Oguromaro, Saeki no Imaemishi, Ki no Funamori,
Ōnakatomi no Kōyu, and Sakanoue no Karitamaro. Later that year, Tanetsugu was put in charge of
the construction of the new capital. His appointment may have had the backing of his mother's
family, the Hata clan, whose base of operations in Yamashiro Province was near the new capital
site. Several members of the Hata clan were later promoted into the aristocracy based on their
meritorious service in the construction.
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Assassination
In 785, soon after the move of the capital, Tanetsugu was shot with an arrow while supervising the
construction, and died the next day. Emperor Kanmu was absent at the time, visiting Yamato
Province. Ōtomo no Takeyoshi ( ⼤伴⽵良
) was first arrested for the assassination, and after an
investigation ten more people were executed, including Ōtomo no Tsuguhito ( ⼤伴継⼈
) and Saeki
no Takanari ( 佐伯⾼成
). Ōtomo no Yakamochi, who had died a month before the incident, was
identified as the ringleader and removed from the register of past officials. Several more people
were implicated and exiled.

Later, Prince Sawara was disinherited from his position as crown prince and exiled to Awaji
Province, but died en route. There may have been discord between Sawara and Tanetsugu, but
whether Sawara was actually involved in the assassination is not clear. A number of the officials
involved in the assassination, including Takanari, were employed in the Crown Prince's Quarters.
This incident, along with the fear of Sawara's vengeful ghost, contributed to the decision to move
the capital again to Heian-kyō a short time later.

Tanetsugu's final rank was shō san-mi ( 正三位

), and he held the positions of chūnagon and
director of the Shikibu-shō. He was 49 when he died. Emperor Kanmu posthumously promoted
him to shō ichi-i ( 正⼀位
) and sadaijin, and in 809 he was granted the additional posthumous
position of Daijō-daijin.

Individuals punished in connection with the incident[2]

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Person Position Punishment Pardon

Disinherited and exiled Posthumously elevated to
Prince Sawara Crown Prince to Awaji Province; died the throne as Emperor
in transit Sudō in 800

Haruhara no Ioe 従四位上) and division

ju shi-i no jō (
五百枝王
Banished to Iyo
chief in the imperial guard (右兵衛督)
Rank restored in 806
( ) Province

ju san-mi (従三位) and chūnagon

Ōtomo no Dead at the time, but Rank posthumously
Yakamochi stripped of his rank restored in 806
Ōtomo no
⼤伴 ju go-i no ge ( 従五位下) and sadaiben Rank posthumously
Tsuguhito (
継⼈) (左少弁) Death (Beheading)
restored in 806

Ōtomo no
⼤伴真 従五位下) and director
ju go-i no ge ( Rank posthumously
of the tax bureau (主税頭)
Mamaro ( Death (Beheading)
⿇呂) restored in 806

Ōtomo no
⼤ ju go-i no ge (従五位下) and assistant Banished to Oki
director of the Capital (右京亮)
Naganushi ( Rank restored in 806
伴永主) Province

in the imperial guard (右衛⾨

Ōtomo no
Takeyoshi ( ⼤伴 General
⼤尉) Death (Beheading)
⽵良)
Ōtomo no
Minatomaro ( ⼤ Yamato-taijō ( ⼤和⼤掾) Death (Beheading)
伴湊⿇呂)
Ōtomo no
Kunimichi ( ⼤伴 Banishment to Sado Pardoned and returned to
国道) Province the capital in 803

Saeki no
Takanari ( 佐伯 Assistant inspector in the Crown
春宮少進 Death (Beheading)
⾼成) Prince's Quarters ( )

Ki no Shiromaro
従五位上
ju go-i no jō ( ) and assistant
Restored to rank of shō go-
紀⽩⿇呂 正五位上
Banished to Oki
director of the Crown Prince's
( )
春宮亮
Quarters ( )
Province i no ge ( ) in 806

shō shi-i no ge (正四位下) and

Fujiwara no Restored to rank of ju shi-i
Oyori (藤原雄依) 従四位下
Banished to Oki
director of the Ministry of the Treasury
(⼤蔵卿)
Province no ge ( ) in 806

Tajihi no
Hamahito ( 多治 Chief secretary in the Crown Prince's
春宮主書⾸ Death (Beheading)
⽐浜⼈) Quarters ( )

Hayashi no 外
Outside ( ) ju go-i no ge (従五位下)
Inamaro ( 林稲⿇ and tutor to the Crown Prince (東宮学
Banished to Izu
Rank restored in 806
呂) ⼠)
Province

Hōki no
Bachimaro ( 伯 In the imperial guard ( 近衛) Death (Beheading)
耆桴⿇呂)
Oshika no 中衛) Death (Beheading)
牡
In the imperial guard (
Kitsumimaro (

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⿅⽊積⿇呂)

Genealogy
Father: Fujiwara no Kiyonari
Mother: daughter of Hata no Asamoto ( 秦朝元の娘)
Wife: daughter of Awata no Michimaro (粟⽥道⿇呂)

Eldest son: Fujiwara no Nakanari (藤原仲成, 764–810)

Wife: daughter of Yamamoto no Nakamune (⼭⼝中宗⼥)

Son: Fujiwara no Yamahito (藤原⼭⼈)

Wife: daughter of Karidaka no Samimaro (雁⾼佐美⿇呂)

Second son: Fujiwara no Kazuramaro (藤原縵⿇呂, 768–821)

Wife: daughter of Fujiwara no Tsugutada (藤原継縄)

Son: Fujiwara no Yasutsugu (藤原安継), possibly instead a son of Kiyonari

Wife: daughter of Fujiwara no Tadanushi (藤原縄主)
Other children:

Son: Fujiwara no Fujio ( 藤原藤⽣)

Fourth son: Fujiwara no Yotsugu ( 藤原世嗣, 779–831)
Son: Ide no Yumori ( 井出湯守)
藤原薬⼦, ?–810), court lady of Emperor Heizei
Daughter: Fujiwara no Kusuko (
Daughter: Fujiwara no Azumako (藤原東⼦, ?–816), court lady of Emperor Kanmu

Notes
1. Based on age at death given in the Shoku Nihongi
2. Nihon Kiryaku

References
Kimoto, Yoshinobu (1998). " 藤原種継
" [Fujiwara no Tanetsugu]. [An 藤原式家官⼈の考察
Inspection of the Officials of the Fujiwara Shikike] (in Japanese). Takashina Shoten ( ⾼科書店).
Kimoto, Yoshinobu (2003). " 藤原種継暗殺と早良廃太⼦の政治的背景 " [The Political
Background of the Assassination of Fujiwara no Tanetsugu and the Disinheritance of Prince
Sawara]. 奈良時代の⼈びとと政争 [People and Political Struggles of the Nara Period] (in
Japanese). Ōfū.
Kitayama, Shigeo (1959). "藤原種継事件の前後" [Before and After the Fujiwara no Tanetsugu
Incident]. ⽇本古代政治史の研究 [Research on Ancient Japanese Political History] (in
Japanese). Iwanami Shoten (岩波書店).
Kuroita, Katsumi, ed. (1974). 続⽇本紀後編 [Shoku Nihongi Part 2]. Revised and Expanded
Japanese History Compendium (新訂増補國史⼤系) (in Japanese). Yoshikawa Kōbunkan (吉川

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弘⽂館). ISBN 4642000046.
Kuroita, Katsumi, ed. (1974). ⽇本後紀 [Nihon Kōki]. Revised and Expanded Japanese History
Compendium ( 新訂増補國史⼤系) (in Japanese). Yoshikawa Kōbunkan (吉川弘⽂館).
ISBN 4642000054.
Kuroita, Katsumi, ed. (1984). ⽇本紀略 第⼆ [Nihon Kiryaku Part 2]. Revised and Expanded
Japanese History Compendium (新訂増補國史⼤系) (in Japanese). Yoshikawa Kōbunkan (吉川
弘⽂館). ISBN 4642000623.
Sakaehara, Towao (1986). "藤原種継暗殺事件後の任官⼈事" [Bureaucratic Restructuring after
the Fujiwara no Tanetsugu Assassination Incident]. ⻑岡京古⽂化論叢 [Essays on the Ancient
Culture of Nagaoka-kyō] (in Japanese). Dōhōsha Publishing (同朋社出版).
Sakamoto, Tarō; Hirano, Kunio, eds. (1990). ⽇本古代⽒族⼈名辞典 [Dictionary of Ancient
Japanese Clans and Names] (in Japanese). Yoshikawa Kōbunkan (吉川弘⽂館).
ISBN 4642022430.
Sakaue, Yasutoshi (2001). "律令国家の転換と「⽇本」" [Changes in the Ritsuryō State and
"Japan"]. ⽇本の歴史 [Japanese History] (in Japanese). 6. Kodansha (講談社).
ISBN 4062689057.
Takeuchi, Rizō, ed. (1973). ⽇本古代⼈名辭典 [Dictionary of Historical Japanese Names] (in
Japanese). 6. Yoshikawa Kōbunkan (吉川弘⽂館). ISBN 4642020063.

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