Akazome Emon

 ( Ladies-in-waiting Of The Heian Period ) 

extra=late 950s or early 960s – 1041 or later was a Japanese people waka poet and early historian who lived in the mid-Heian period. She is a member both of the Chūko Sanjūrokkasen and the Thirty-Six Immortal Women Poets.

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Biography Akazome Emon's year of birth is unknown, but she was likely born between Tentoku (957) and Kōhō 1 (964). She was officially the daughter of ,

Joshua S. Mostow (1996). 9780824817053, University of Hawaii Press. . ISBN 9780824817053

but the late-Heian period karonsho (book of poetic criticism) records that her biological father was her mother's first husband, Taira no Kanemori.

A poetic exchange between Emon and Fujiwara no Michitaka, dating to around Ten'en 2 (974) to Jōgen 2 (977), when she was likely in her late teens, is the earliest dateable event in her life. At roughly this time, she went to serve in the household of Minamoto no Masanobu,

and for a long time thereafter she served his daughter Rinshi (ja), the wife of Fujiwara no Michinaga.

(1995). 9781438403441, State University of New York Press. . ISBN 9781438403441

It was also around this time (Ten'en–Jōgen) that she married , a Confucian scholar and poet of both waka and kanshi.

George W. Egerton (1994). 9780714634715, Psychology Press. . ISBN 9780714634715

Takeshi Watanabe (2021). 9781684176090, BRILL. . ISBN 9781684176090

They had a son, , a daughter, Gō Jijū (江侍従), and one more daughter. The couple were considered to be oshidori fūfu.

According to her personal waka collection, the Akazome Emon Shū (赤染衛門集), when Masahira was twice sent to serve in Owari Province, she accompanied him both times.

The collection also indicates that she worked to ensure her son's professional success at court and presented poems as offerings to Sumiyoshi Shrine when he fell ill.

(1985). 9780887060595, SUNY Press. . ISBN 9780887060595

Hiroaki Sato (2014). 9781317466963, Routledge. . ISBN 9781317466963

The Fukuro-zōshi portrays her as gently supporting her husband when he was overwhelmed by his official duties. These works present Emon as a good wife and wise mother (良妻賢母 ryōsai kenbo). She also devoted much effort to her service as Rinshi's lady-in-waiting.

In Chōwa 1 (1012), her husband died, and a few years later Emon became a bhikkuni.

Kōdansha (1983). 9780870116209, Kodansha. . ISBN 9780870116209

(1999). 9780231114417, Columbia University Press. . ISBN 9780231114417

She apparently lived a long and tranquil life from this point, living to see the birth of her great-grandson Ōe no Masafusa in Chōkyū 2 (1041).

Haruo Shirane (1987). 9780804717199, Stanford University Press. . ISBN 9780804717199

Akazome Emon served Minamoto no Rinshi and Fujiwara no Shōshi, who were, respectively, the wife and daughter of Fujiwara no Michinaga, and she was present at the Imperial court at the same time as Izumi Shikibu.

George W. Egerton (1994). 9780714634715, Psychology Press. . ISBN 9780714634715

Terry Kawashima (2020). 9781684173563, BRILL. . ISBN 9781684173563

She was a contemporary of Murasaki Shikibu, who praised her writing, and Sei Shōnagon.

(1982). 9780811208208, New Directions Publishing. . ISBN 9780811208208

The year of her death is uncertain, but she probably lived until at least 1041.

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Poetry and other writings

Emon remained active in waka composition until late in life, contributing poems to uta-awase competitions on the sixteenth day of the fifth month of Chōgen 8 (1035), the Kanpaku-Sadaijin-ke Uta-awase (関白左大臣家歌合), and 1041, the Kokiden no Nyōgo Uta-awase (弘徽殿女御歌合).

Setsuko Ito (1991). 9783883399485, Brockmeyer. . ISBN 9783883399485

(2015). 9789004288294, BRILL. . ISBN 9789004288294

She also contributed a screen poem (屏風歌 byōbu-uta) to celebrate Rinshi's seventieth year, in 1033.

She left a personal collection, the Akazome Emon Shū, and she is also believed to have been the writer of the first part of Eiga Monogatari.

Edward R. Drott (2016). 9780824866860, University of Hawaii Press. . ISBN 9780824866860

John S. Brownlee (2006). 9780889208742, Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. . ISBN 9780889208742

Her poetry was incorporated into court anthologies from the Shūi Wakashū on. She ranks fourth in the number of her poems that were included in the Goshūi Wakashū,

Leo Shingchi Yip (2016). 9781498520607, Lexington Books. . ISBN 9781498520607

with a total of 32. More than 60 of her poems were included in the Kin'yō Wakashū and later court anthologies.

In her article on Emon, Hiroko Saitō called her poetic style unexceptional.

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Cited works

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Further reading

• Earl Miner (1985). 9780691065991, Princeton University Press. . ISBN 9780691065991

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External links

Categories: Ladies-in-waiting Of The Heian Period, 10th-century Japanese Women Writers, 11th-century Japanese Women Writers, 10th-century Births, Year Of Birth Uncertain, 1041 Deaths, Japanese Women Poets, 11th-century Japanese Poets, Hyakunin Isshu Poets, 10th-century Japanese Poets, Buddhist Nuns Of The Heian Period

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