Background
Fujiwara no Yoshifusa was born in Japan in 804. He was a son of Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu.
藤原 良房
court official politician statesman
Fujiwara no Yoshifusa was born in Japan in 804. He was a son of Fujiwara no Fuyutsugu.
He became a court official at an early age.
In 866, as a result of the coup d’etat known as the Oten Gate disturbance, Yoshifusa’s opponents at court were removed from power, and in the same year he was formally named sessho, regent, for the boy ruler, Emperor Seiwa. Though the title of regent had been in use before, as when Prince Shotoku acted as regent for Empress Suiko, Fujiwara no Yoshifusa was the first commoner to hold it.
He arranged for his younger sister, Fujiwara no Junshi, to marry Emperor Nimmyo, and in the coup d’etat known as the Jowa disturbance in 842, he managed to have the son born of this union, Prince Michiyasu, declared heir apparent. In time the prince ascended the throne to become Emperor Montoku. Yoshifusa then arranged for his own daughter to marry Emperor Montoku, and from this union was born the future Emperor Seiwa. With Emperor Montoku’s death in 858, this boy came to the throne, though he was only eight at the time, while his grandfather handled the actual business of government.