Minamoto no Hiromasa
Encyclopedia
was a nobleman and gagaku
Gagaku
Gagaku is a type of Japanese classical music that has been performed at the Imperial Court in Kyoto for several centuries. It consists of three primary repertoires:#Native Shinto religious music and folk songs and dance, called kuniburi no utamai...

 musician in the 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...

. He was the eldest son of Prince Katsuakira and the grandson of Emperor Daigo
Emperor Daigo
was the 60th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Daigo's reign spanned the years from 897 through 930. He is named after his place of burial.-Traditional narrative:...

. His mother was the daughter of Fujiwara no Tokihira
Fujiwara no Tokihira
was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.-Career:Tokihira was a minister under Emperor Daigo.* 891 : Tokihira was given a rank which was the equivalent of sangi....

.

Because the highest rank he achieved was Provisional Master of the Palace of the Empress as a lower-third rank non-councillor, he was known as , which is the Chinese reading of the characters for 'Hiromasa' and those for 'third rank'.

He was an expert in , orchestral gagaku which does not accompany dance. He was also called or Lord Autumn after the Autumn Palace, the poetic name for the empress and her dwelling.

When he was removed from the imperial succession, he was granted the surname Minamoto. In 934, the lower fourth rank was conferred upon him. In 947, he became the Senior Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Central Affairs
Ministry of the Center
The was a division of the eighth century Japanese government of the Imperial Court in Kyoto, instituted in the Asuka period and formalized during the Heian period. The Ministry was replaced in the Meiji period.-Overview:...

. In 959, he became Captain of the Right Watch. In 965, he became the Middle Captain of the Left Palace Guards. In 974, he was promoted to the lower third rank and became Provisional Master of the Palace of the Queen Mother.

He attained his mastery of gagaku, music lore has it, by studying vocal music with Prince Atsumi, koto
Koto (musical instrument)
The koto is a traditional Japanese stringed musical instrument, similar to the Chinese guzheng, the Mongolian yatga, the Korean gayageum and the Vietnamese đàn tranh. The koto is the national instrument of Japan. Koto are about length, and made from kiri wood...

 with Emperor Daigo, biwa with Minamoto no Osamu, flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...

 from Ooishi no Minekichi, and hichiriki
Hichiriki
The is a double reed Japanese fue used as one of two main melodic instruments in Japanese gagaku music, the other being the ryūteki. The hichiriki is difficult to play, due in part to its double reed configuration. Although a double reed instrument like the oboe, the hichiriki has a cylindrical...

 from Yoshimine no Yukimusa. Bass hichiriki was his strong point, but he disliked song and dance. In 951, he played biwa at the Emperor's New Year's banquet.

In 966, by the order of Emperor Murakami
Emperor Murakami
was the 62nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Murakami's reign spanned the years from 946 to his death in 967.-Traditional narrative:...

, he compiled an imperial music anthology, the . The system of notation he developed is still used today.

There is a story that he was called upon to participate in the so-called "Forth Year of Tentoku Poetry Contest" in 960, but that he froze in front of the emperor and accidentally gave the title of one poem but recited another.

He received the famous flute from the demon at the Suzakumon Gate
Suzakumon Gate
The was the main gate built in the center of the south end of the imperial palaces in the Japanese ancient capitals of Fujiwara-kyō , Heijō-kyō , and later Heian-kyō . The placement followed the ancient Chinese palace model requirements at the time, where , the Vermilion Bird was the Guardian of...

. He retrieved the famous biwa from the Rashomon Gate
Rashomon Gate
was the gate built at the southern end of the monumental Suzaku Avenue in the ancient Japanese cities of Heijō-kyō and Heian-kyō , in accordance with the Chinese grid-patterned city layout. At the other far north-end of Suzaku Avenue, one would reach the Suzakumon Gate, the main entrance to the...

. After three years of visiting Semimaru
Semimaru
was a Japanese poet and musician of the early Heian period. His name is recorded in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, but there are no historical accounts of his pedigree. Some accounts say he was a son of Uda Tennō, Prince Atsumi, or that he was the fourth son of Daigo Tennō...

 in Osaka, he was taught the secret tunes "Flowing Spring" and "Woodpecker". He appears in many tales of this kind in sources like the Konjaku Monogatarishu
Konjaku Monogatarishu
is a Japanese collection of over one thousand tales written during the late Heian period . The entire collection was originally contained in 31 volumes, of which only 28 remain today...

. Also, it is said that he held his liquor well and was a heavy drinker.

About his personality, Fujiwara no Sanesuke
Fujiwara no Sanesuke
, also known as Go-Ono no Miya , was fourth son of Fujiwara no Tadatoshi. He became udaijin in 1021, and lived to be ninety. He became adopted heir of his grandfather Saneyori, the head of Ononomiya family , and he inherited vast estate and documents of Ononomiya family...

 made the following comment in his diary: "As for Hiromasa, he's a poet and a writer, but he neglects his duties."

In fiction

In the novel "Onmyoji" (novel: Baku Yumemakura
Baku Yumemakura
is a Japanese science fiction and adventure writer. He is best known for writing Jōgen no Tsuki wo Taberu Shishi , which won both the Seiun Award and the Nihon SF Taisho Award...

, manga: Reiko Okano
Reiko Okano
is a Japanese manga artist. In 1989, she won the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōjo for Fancy Dance. She is married to director Makoto Tezuka.- References :...

), Hiromasa appears as the partner of the protagonist, Abe no Seimei
Abe no Seimei
was an onmyōji, a leading specialist of onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan. In addition to his prominence in history, he is a legendary figure in Japanese folklore and has been portrayed in a number of stories and films....

. He was portrayed by Hideaki Ito
Hideaki Ito
-Personal information:He was born in Gifu and has a younger sister. He enjoys riding, diving, skiing, and snowboarding in his spare time.-Television shows:* Dessin * Odoru Daisousasen * Boy Hunt...

 in director Yojiro Takita
Yojiro Takita
Yōjirō Takita , is a Japanese filmmaker.-Career:Yōjirō Takita entered the film industry throughMukai Productions, where he served as an assistant director...

's movies "Onmyoji
Onmyoji (film)
is a Japanese movie that was released in 2001 and sent to the US in 2004. Directed by Yōjirō Takita, it tells of the exploits of Abe no Seimei, the Onmyoji from the court of the Emperor. He befriended bungling court noble, Minamoto no Hiromasa, who enlists his aid to defend the Heian emperor...

" and "Onmyoji 2".
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK