was a Kugyō

Kugyo

is the collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras. The kugyō was broadly divided into two groups: the , comprising the Chancellor of the Realm, the Minister of the Left, and the Minister of the Right; and the , comprising the...

(high-ranking Japanese official) from the late Heian period

Heian period

The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. The period is named after the capital city of Heian-kyō, or modern Kyōto. It is the period in Japanese history when Buddhism, Taoism and other Chinese influences were at their height...

 to the early Kamakura period

Kamakura period

The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....

. His father was Motozane

Konoe Motozane

, son of Fujiwara no Tadamichi, was a Kugyō during the late Heian period. His sons include Motomichi and wives include a daughter of Fujiwara no Tadataka and that of Taira no Kiyomori. At age of 16 he assumed the position of kampaku, regent, to Emperor Nijō, becoming a head of Fujiwara family...

, the founder of Konoe family

Konoe family

The Konoe family is a branch of the Fujiwara clan, a powerful noble family in Japan. As one of the five regent houses, the Konoe family monopolized the offices of Sessho and Kampaku along with Takatsukasa, Kujō, Ichijō and Nijō families. They are collectively known as the Five regent houses.With...

, and his mother was a daughter of Tadataka

Fujiwara no Tadataka

, first son of regent Matsudono Motofusa, was a Kugyō of the late Heian and Kamakura periods.Despite being first-born, he was treated as if he were not, while his stepbrother Moroie inherited the male-line. Hence, he called himself , avoiding the use of the name Matsudono...

. Among his sons is Iezane

Konoe Iezane

, son of Motomichi, was a court noble of the early Kamakura period. His sons include: Takatsukasa Kanehira, and Konoe Kanetsune.In 1206 when Kujō Yoshitune died, he became the head of the Fujiwara family and Sesshō. The same year he was appointed Kampaku. In the Jōkyū War he opposed to Emperor...

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In 1179 Motomichi was promoted to kampaku

Sessho and Kampaku

In Japan, was a title given to a regent who was named to assist either a child emperor before his coming of age, or an empress. The was theoretically a sort of chief advisor for the emperor, but was the title of both first secretary and regent who assists an adult emperor. During the Heian era,...

, regent, as a result of the coup led by Kiyomori

Taira no Kiyomori

was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.After the death of his father Taira no Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he...

, the father of his stepmother. In February of the following year he took the position of sesshō

Sessho and Kampaku

In Japan, was a title given to a regent who was named to assist either a child emperor before his coming of age, or an empress. The was theoretically a sort of chief advisor for the emperor, but was the title of both first secretary and regent who assists an adult emperor. During the Heian era,...

, regent-ship for Emperor Antoku

Emperor Antoku

Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans...

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