Fujiwara no Tametoki was a Japanese aristocrat, author of Japanese waka and Chinese poetry of some repute, and father ofMurasaki Shikibu. Tametoki's position at the Shikibu-shō ministry was what probably became part of his daughter's historical appellation, "Murasaki Shikibu".
Life
Tametoki was well-read and an accomplished poet. Three of his waka poems were selected to the Goshūi Wakashū and one to the ShinKokin Wakashū Also thirteen of his Chinese verses are in the anthologyHonchō reisō of 1010. Tametoki served as tutor to the Crown Prince Morosada, and when the prince ascended the throne as Emperor Kazan, he was elevated to shikibu no daijō. Tametoki also simultaneously held the office of kurōdo more specifically rokui no kurōdo. Tametoki's position as kurōdo gained him special privileges to attend court. With the resignation of Emperor Kazan in 986, Tametoki was relieved of all his posts, and devoted his time to educating his son Nobunori Tametoki went without position for 10 years, in marked contrast to the man who would become Lady Murasaki's husband, who was at one time Tametoki's predecessor on the same job yet continued to gain lucrative governorships. Tametoki finally wrote a poem to Emperor Ichijō that so moved the monarch it garnered him governorship of Echizen Province. Lady Murasaki accompanied Tametoki there, though she did not stay for the full four year tenure and returned after 1 or 2 years. Kojidan includes an episode that the governorship of Echizen had already gone to Minamoto no Kunimori who had to be recalled in order to give way to Tametoki wrested the position away. This so distressed Kunimori he fellill, and even though he was awarded Harima as replacement, he never recovered and died. Tametoki was promoted to the rank of "Senior fifth rank, lower grade", and sashōben in 1009. Subsequently he was commissioned as governor of Echigo Province in 1011, but his son Nobunori died in Echigo that same year, and her returned to the capital in 1014 before the full term. He became a monk at Mii-dera temple two years later. Scholars do not agree about the years of Tametoki's birth or death, although some give his death year as 1029.
