Lord Fujiwara no Kanemune, Senior Fourth Rank Lower Grade, Headquarters of the Inner Palace Guards, Left Division, Provisional Middle Captain
正四位下行左近衛権中将藤原朝臣兼宗 (1163-1242)
Kanemune was the eldest son of Nakayama no Tadachika 中山田忠親, a major political figure in his day who rose to be Minister of the Centre, while his mother was the daughter of Provisional Middle Controller of the Right, Fujiwara no Mitsufusa 藤原光房. In his own career, he achieved the eventual position of Major Councillor at Senior Second Rank. Today, he is chiefly remembered for his poetic contributions to competitions such as this one, and the even lengthier Sengohyaku-ban Uta Awase (‘Poetry Competition in Fifteen Hundred Rounds’) 千五百番歌合 sponsored by Emperor Gotoba in 1201. He is known to have been close to Fujiwara no Teika who, nevertheless, is reported to have remarked facetiously that, ‘Major Councillor Kanemune seems to compose poetry as if he was conducting a public rite, formally seated, in full court dress.’
Kanemune has the following poems in the Roppyaku-ban Uta Awase:
| 11 15 31 39 53 67 77 87 99 113 |
131 137 155 167 171 189 193 211 223 235 |
243 255 267 285 297 307 315 329 339 351 |
367 373 391 405 415 427 433 449 465 475 |
483 499 515 525 533 545 555 571 585 597 |
611 615 629 641 651 663 675 689 701 717 |
723 743 751 765 777 783 795 809 819 833 |
849 857 867 879 893 903 917 927 941 953 |
965 977 991 1003 1015 1021 1037 1049 1057 1073 |
1085 1097 1109 1125 1133 1143 1155 1167 1181 1191 |