Reizei Tamesuke (冷泉為相)
Tamesuke REIZEI (1263 -August 22, 1328) was a Kugyo (court noble) and kajin (waka poet) in the mid and late Kamakura period. His father was FUJIWARA no Tameie. His mother was Abutsuni. Tameuji NIJO (the founder of the Nijo school of poetry) and Tamenori KYOGOKU (the founder of the Kyogoku school of poetry) were his half brothers, and Tamemori REIZEI was his younger brother whose mother was same as his. Tamenari REIZEI and Tamehide REIZEI were his sons. He was shonii (Senior Second Rank) chunagon (vice-councilor of state). His original name was Tamesuke. He was the founder of the Reizei family.
After his father Tameie deceased in 1275, he disputed with his elder half-brother Tameuji about the succession of their territory, Hosokawa no sho estate in Harima Provicne and monjo (written material). Therefore, Tamesuke's biological mother Abutsuni went down to Kamakura and appealed to the Kamakura bakufu (Japanese feudal government headed by a shogun). Moreover, Tamesuke repeatedly went down to Kamakura to appeal to the bakufu and gained the case. On the occasions, he instructed poetry circles in Kamakura and contributed to the development of the renga (linked verse) by composing "Fujigaya Shikimoku." Meanwhile he has participated in uta awase (poetry competition) of the Kyogoku School of poetry in Kyoto and "The 100-poem compilation of the Bumpo era." Moreover, one of his daughters married to Imperial Prince Hisaaki, who was the eighth Shogun of Kamakura bakufu, and had a son, Imperial Prince Hisanaga. According to this situation, he moved to Kamakura and assisted the Imperial Prince in his later years, and remained there till his death.
He was selected for Chokusen wakashu (anthology of Japanese poetry compiled by Imperial command) following after "Shin chokusen wakashu"(new anthology of Japanese poetry compiled by Imperial command). He left personal collections of poetry, including two kinds of "Tamesuke Hyakushu" and "Fujigayatsu Wakashu."
There was the Fujigayatsu family, which was a branch family of the Reizei family, and the famiky name was derived from the fact that Tamesuke settled a villa in Fujigayatsu in Kamakura in Kanto. Tamesuke was called Fujigaya Komon by other court nobles in Kyoto; he had very close relationship with the bakufu although he was a court noble. He was buried at Jokomyo-ji Temple in Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture.