Kazanin Tokimasa (花山院常雅)
Tokimasa KAZANIN (March 23, 1700 – March 31, 1771) was a court noble of the middle of the Edo period. He was the head of the Kazanin family which originated from the Seiga family. He served mainly during the period since the 114th Emperor Nakamikado until the 116th Emperor Momozono, and at last became Juichii Udaijin (minister of the right at junior first rank). His father was Gon Dainagon (provisional chief councilor of state) Mochizane KAZANIN. His lawful wife was a daughter of Sukenobu TAKATSUKASA. Among his children, Nagahiro KAZANIN, a daughter who became the wife of Mototatsu HIGASHIZONO, a daughter who became the wife of Sadanari NONOMIYA, a daughter who became the wife of Sanenari HASHIMOTO, and Keihime (or Sumihime) who became the wife of Michihiro MATSUMAE, are known.
He was raised to the peerage in 1603 when his father Mochizane resigned his post as Gon Dainagon and retired from the imperial court. In 1736, he became Naidaijin (minister of the center) and served until 1739. In 1747, he attained the higher rank, Juichii (junior first rank). Soon after becoming Udaijin (minister of the right) in 1749, he resigned and retired permanently from the imperial court. He was an expert at Chinese and Japanese classics and respected a famous scholar of Confucianism, Togai ITO immensely. When Togai was dead, Tokimasa wrote the inscription for Togai's gravestone and gave it to Togai's students.