Minabuchi no Toshina (南淵年名)

MINABUCHI no Toshina (808-May 28, 877) was a Kugyo (the top court officials) in the early Heian period. He was granted Shosanmi (Senior Theid Rank) and Dainagon (chief councilor of state). He was allegedly a child of MINABUCHI no Nagakawa who had been granted MINABUCHI no Asomi (Asomi was the second highest of the eight hereditary titles). Or, he was allegedly a child of MINABUCHI no Hirosada, a brother of Nagakawa.

In 832 he became a monjosho (student of literary studies in the Imperial University). In 841 he was granted Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade). After that, he successively served as a Kokushi (provincial governors) in Chikuzen Province, Owari Province, Shinano Province, and Iyo Province, as well as Shikibu no taifu (Senior Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Ceremonial), Minbukyo (Minister of Popular Affairs), Uemon no kami (Captain of the Right Division of Outer Palace Guards), and so forth, then promoted to Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) and Chunagon (chief councilor of state) in 872. He was granted Dainagon in 876 and Shosanmi in 877.

In 866 when he was in charge of sangi (councillar), sadaiben (major controller of the left), and Kageyushi no kami (chief Investigator of the records of outgoing officials), the Otenmon incident occurred, and he, together with FUJIWARA no Yoshitada, interrogated TOMO no Yoshio. Since he was a person of great attainment, he was so confided by Emperor Seiwa and participated in editing "Jogankotaishiki" (the statute book when provincial governors change) and "Nihon Montoku Tenno Jitsuroku" (fifth of the six classical Japanese history texts). In 877, the year in which he was to die, he invited such intellects as OE no Otondo, FUJIWARA no Fuyuo, and SUGAWARA no Koreyoshi, and held shoshikai (a think tank) for the first time ever in Japan.

[Original Japanese]