![]() ![]() ![]() “Shoku Nihongi” in Japan Encyclopedia, p. “Fujiwara Hirotsugu (藤原広嗣)’s soul harmed Genbō to death” (Hirotsugu having died in a failed insurrection, named the “Fujiwara no Hirotsugu Rebellion”, after failing to remove his rival, the priest Genbō, from power).” – Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. ***Get back now if you don’t want to be spoiled*** Have you guessed who the ghost was? Here is an extract from the Shoku Nihongi, one of the Six National Histories of Ancient Japan: It had been the heir of one of the Fujiwara Four (the four sons of Fujiwara no Fuhito), who started a rebellion against the crown in order to banish Buddhism from the land. This ghost was one of the most famous onryō (vengeful/wrathful spirit) from Japanese antiquity and its haunting/possession was the first to be recorded in a historical chronicle. Why was Shinigami built around the history of the Fujiwara clan? It all started with a ghost so feared by the superstitious aristocracy of Japan, it led to the Yamato Imperial Family moving capitals from Heijo-kyo (modern day Nara) to Heian-kyō (modern day Kyōto), and shifting to a new imperial era known as Heian. ![]() “He was the beginning of us all, the reason why you and I were born to live among the most powerful men in Yamato.” Shinigamiįujiwara no Kamatari with his sons Fuhito and Jōe, Nara National Museum, Japan ![]() “My son,” Umakai said, “our wealth, power, and name come from your great-grandfather, Fujiwara no Kamatari.” He gestured toward the fields. ![]()
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