REKIHAKU

No.112 A Witness to History

The Hardships of the Heian Aristrocrats

"Tenshi-Sekkan Miei" (Portrait of the Emperor-Regent)- Portrait of Fujiwara Munetada Museum of the Imperial Collections (Sannomaru Shozokan) of the Imperial Household Agency The Minister of the Right Fujiwara Munetada (1062-1141), author of the Chuyuki diaries, was a court noble who was well learned in the ceremonies, old customs, and manners of the Imperial court.

In describing the society and life of the aristocrats in the Heian Period, the expression "miyabi" (elegance, refined taste) is often used. The word conveys well the traditional image of the Heian court with its banquets and music, tradition of exchanging poetic verses, and colorful attire worn by the ladies-in-waiting and young nobility - aspects that are undoubtedly a part of the lives of the Heian aristocrats. Nevertheless, court life was definitely not limited to such pleasures. The aristocrats of the Heian Period were, above anything else, bureaucrats holding positions in the country's bureaucratic system and so they had to fulfill the various duties accompanying their positions by carrying out affairs of state. In those times, affairs of state were often carried out in the form of ceremonies. The aristocrats were therefore required to have an extensive knowledge of ceremonial procedures and manners and precedents. They acquired such knowledge through constant study of diaries kept by their ancestors.

Fujiwara Munetada (1062-1141), Minister of the Right in the late Heian Period, was an aristocrat well-versed in the old ceremonial customs and manners and is also known as the author of the "Chuyuki" diaries, a sweeping account of court life. On June 17, 1120, Munetada categorized and rearranged according to subject (called "burui suru", or "compiling") the contents of his diaries which he had kept for thirty-odd years and, in spite of his old age, spent the next three years writing the 160-volume "Buruiki" (Compiled Diaries on Each Subject). Munetada's objective in doing so was to make sure his son Muneyoshi would be able to safely carry out his duties when his turn eventually came to enter court service and conduct ceremonies. This objective leads to the reason why the aristocrats of the day kept so many diaries.

"Chuyuki-Burui" Vol. 7 Chief events of the year No. 7 autumn, part 1 (beginning of volume) This manuscript was handed down through generations of the Kujo family, one of the five regent houses. Vol. 7 deals with events taking place throughout the year and in this volume can be found a collection of entries from the "Chuyuki" diaries referring to the "sumai-no sechie," a rite of the Imperial court performed every July.

"Chuyuki-Burui" Vol. 7, reverse side of paper (collection of Chinese-style poem) In Vol. 7, the "Chuyuki-Burui" are copied on to the reverse side of paper of a collection of Chinese-style poem. In the Chinese-style poem collection, the words "No. 6 Food and Drink - part 1" can be made out and one can see that the collection must have been quite large, classifying the poems according to subject. The title of this collection is not known.

One of the characteristics of court diaries is that they include very detailed accounts of the procedures for various ceremonies carried out at the Imperial court. The nobles accumulated such records of ceremonies and passed them on to their descendents who, in turn, read through the diaries of their ancestors to learn ceremonial etiquette through precedents. There are quite a few examples of aristocrats who, due to lack of knowledge of etiquette, made a serious mistake during a ceremony and were laughed at and scorned by fellow courtiers. In order to avoid such a disgrace, the nobles had to continuously study ceremonial etiquette. However, as time progressed, more and more diaries were written, and finding the right content became extremely difficult. Therefore, the idea of categorizing and rearranging the content of the diaries according to subject into "Buruiki" was devised. Using the Buruiki, the reader could open the diary right away at a certain category and take in at a glance the subject, as well as related subjects, that he had been looking for. It is quite certain that Munetada prepared his Buruiki, forgetting his old age, out of his parental feelings toward his son; however, the episode also sheds some light on aristocratic life in the Heian Period.

	"Chuyuki-Burui" Vol. 19 "special religious services" No. 1 (catalog at beginning of volume) In Vol. 19 can be found a collection of entries from the "Chuyuki" diaries referring to special (non-routine) religious services.
	"Chuyuki-Burui" Vol. 19 reverse side of paper (documents - variant edition of the "Kugyobunin") In Vol. 19, the "Chuyuki-Burui" are copied on to the reverse side of old documents from the end of the Heian Period and the "Kugyobunin" (directory of court nobles). The "Kugyobunin" shown here differs in style from the popular edition and is therefore called the "Ihon Kugyobunin" (variant edition).
	"Chuyuki" June 17, 1120 Diary entry indicating how Fujiwara Munetada, in his old age, categorized and rearranged according to subject the contents of his diaries to create the 160-volume "Buruiki" Munetada's objective was to prepare the way for his son Muneyoshi's future as a courtier.

Many copies of the Buruiki of the Chuyuki diaries are still in existence today, but the "Chuyuki-Burui", in the Kujo Family archives, is particularly famous as a copy made in the late Heian or early Kamakura Period. The National Museum of Japanese History is also in possession of two volumes, Vol. 7 and Vol. 19, both of which have been designated important cultural property. These volumes begin with large categories such as "chief events of the year" and "special religious services" and go on to divide these categories into various ceremonies and events, finally ending by classifying the contents of the Chuyuki diaries according to the ceremonies and events above.

Masayuki Yoshioka
History Department
The National Museum of Japanese History