Fujiwara no Takako (藤原尊子)
FUJIWARA no Takako
The first daughter of FUJIWARA no Michikane.
The fifth daughter of FUJIWARA no Michinaga.
FUJIWARA no Takako (the First Daughter of FUJIWARA no Michikane)
FUJIWARA no Takako (also known as FUJIWARA no Sonshi) (984 - January 25, 1023) was the first daughter of FUJIWARA no Michikane. Her mother was FUJIWARA no Shigeko, the daughter of FUJIWARA no Morosuke. She served as Emperor Ichijo's nyogo (a high-ranking lady in the court (a consort of an emperor)) and later became FUJIWARA no Michito's wife. She was called Kurabeya no nyogo or Zenjogan-den no nyogo.
After her father died of illness, in 998, she married Emperor Ichijo. She served as the Mikushigedono no betto (the chief officer at the place handling clothes in the Imperial palace) at Jugoinojo (Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade). In September, 1000, she received a senge (Imperial proclamation) that she was a nyogo. She was promoted to Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade) in February, 1001, Jushiinojo (Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade) in January, 1004, Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) on February 27, 1005, Shosanmi (Senior Third Rank) on March 2 of the same year, and Junii (Junior Second Rank) in January, 1010.
After Emperor Ichijo died in 1011, she married a Sangi (councilor) FUJIWARA no Michito on November 23, 1015. She died on January 25, 1023, at the age of 39.
Note that there were no children between her and Emperor Ichijo or between her and FUJIWARA no Michito.
FUJIWARA no Takako (the Fifth Daughter of FUJIWARA no Michinaga)
FUJIWARA no Takako (1003? - August 13, 1087?) was the fifth daughter of FUJIWARA no Michinaga. Her mother was MINAMOTO no Akiko. She was the legal wife of Daijo-daijin (Grand minister of state) MINAMOTO no Morofusa. Her children were MINAMOTO no Toshifusa, MINAMOTO no Akifusa, Ninkaku, MINAMOTO no Reishi (FUJIWARA no Morozane's legal wife), MINAMOTO no Genshi (FUJIWARA no Michifusa's legal wife), and MINAMOTO no Sumiko. Her first name was Takako (隆子). Note that her first name was mentioned in "Mido Kanpakuki" (FUJIWARA no Michinaga's diary) written by her father Michinaga or in "Shoyuki" (Diary of FUJIWARA no Sanesuke) written by FUJIWARA no Sanesuke, and it is believed that she changed her name when she married since her first name was the same as the name of MINAMOTO no Takahime (Imperial Prince Tomohira's daughter) who was the older sister of her husband and also the legal wife of FUJIWARA no Yorimichi who was her older brother born to a different mother.
She attended to the Chakko no gi (the ceremony of hakamagi (first clothing)) with her younger brother FUJIWARA no Nagaie on May 22, 1007, and was appointed to Jushiinoge on October 29, 1013. On November 10, 1015, she was promoted to Jusanmi. On May 30, 1017, Chakumo no gi (a girls ceremony to put on 'mo' (a sort of skirt) for the first time) was held for her at the same time as the Genpuku ceremony (ceremony of attaining manhood) was held for Nagaie.
On May 13, 1024, she married MINAMOTO no Morofusa, who was at the time the Ukone no Gon no chujo (Provisional Middle Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards) and also was the adopted son of Yorimichi. Although she was a former Imperial family member, there was only Takako among Michinaga's daughters who married a 'Tadabito' (non imperial family or non kugyo (the top court officials)). According to "Okagami" (The Great Mirror) and "Eiga monogatari" (A Tale of Flowering Fortunes), her older brothers born from the same mother, FUJIWARA no Yorimune and FUJIWARA no Yoshinobu, were greatly dissatisfied with her conduct. However, it was true that there were no Imperial family members or Kugyo who were single and also suitable for being a husband of Michinaga's daughter, and also, Morofusa was a 'grandson in law' of Michinaga and Michinaga was fond of him; therefore, to Michinaga, marrying his daughter off to Morofusa meant marrying her off to someone within his own family.
Also, for the Michinaga family who fought against Kugyo of other Fujiwara clans and monopolized the positions of Sessho (regent) and Kanpaku (chief advisor to the Emperor), this marriage meant establishment of a necessary collaborative relationship with Kugyo of the Murakami-Genji (the Minamoto clan) who were not in a position to fight against these Fujiwara clans over the Sessho and Kanpaku positions. In fact, the legal wives of Michifusa (who died young) and Morozane (Kanpaku), who were designated as successors of Yorimichi, were both daughters of Morofusa and Takako, and these two families repeatedly established marital relationships to finally take control of the court government. Morofusa and Takako maintained a good husband-wife relationship for over 50 years, and also, their two sons were appointed to Sadaijin (Minister of the Left) and Udaijin (Minister of the Right) after Morofusa's death; therefore, they had a happier married life than any of Michinaga's daughters who were less fortunate due to their own or their husband's deaths.
In 1077, she became a nun because of her husband's death and her own illness, and it is believed that she died 10 years later; however, her whereabouts in her last years are unknown.