Sugawara no Michizane

Sugawara no Michizane

Sugawara no Michizane was a courtier in the Heian period, and revered as a god by the Shinto name 'Tenman daijizai tenjin', often shortened to 'Tenjin'. As a distinguished scholar, and also a politician, he recieved a high evaluation from Emperor Uda and was promoted to 'U-daijin', the Junior Minister of State. However, he was relegated to Dazaifu under false accusation and died their in despair. After his death, various calamities occured in Kyoto and people began to consider it to be caused by the angry spirit of Michizane, as a result, he became deified as a god.

Name

Sugawara no Michizane (菅原道真)

Some other names

Kankō (菅公)

Kanke (菅家)

Name as a god

Tenman daijizai tenjin (天満大自在天神)

Gender

Male god

The first half of his life

Sugawara no Michizane was born in June 25th, 845 in the Heian period.

The Sugawara family was said to be descendants of Amanohohi-no-mikoto, and served the Imperial coart as scholars. The heads of the family held a private school called "Kanke-rōka", which produced eminent scholars.

Michizane was also good at studying. He was a talented child, able to compose a Waka at the age of 5, and Kanshi, Classical Chinese poetry, at the age of 11. Michizane passed the entrance exam for Daigaku-ryō, the national academy to train government officials, and became a Monjō-shō when he was 18.

5 years later, he became Monjō-tokugōshō, a rank only two of the Monjō-shō are chosen to become. After holding several government posts, appointed to Monjō-hakase, the highest rank of a scholar, when he was 33. Also, when his father, Sugawara no Koreyoshi died when he was 37, he took over the Kanke-rōka, and eventually became the leader of the literary circles.

When he was appointed to be governor of Sanuki Province, in 886, he lamented that this is a demotion, but it is said he did his duties with energy. While serving as governor of Sanuki Province, Emperor Kōkō died and Emperor Uda assumed the throne. But an imperial rescript he ordered Sa-daiben Tachibana no Hiromi to issue caused a conflict between Emperor Uda and Fujiwara no Mototsune, the Daijō-daijin, Chancellor, and Mototsune abandoned all his government business. Michizane sent a letter saying the Fujiwara clan will gain nothing from continuing this conflict, and Mototsune ended this conflict. This conflict called "Akō Incident" served as a clear reminder of the great influence the Fujiwara clan had over the imperial coart.

U-daijin

4 years later, in 890, Michizane's term as governor completed and he returned to Kyoto. Michizane gained the favor of Emperor Uda, and became a close adviser of the Emperor in place of Tachibana no Hiromi, who died the same year. It is said that Michizane's promotion to key positions was because the Emperor wanted to restore power from the Fujiwara clan by putting non-Fujiwara families to key positions, since Fujiwara no Mototsune died of illness.

Michizane held several important posts. In 894, he was a appointed as an envoy on a missions to Tang China, but he suggested the mission to be cancelled due to the unstable condition of Tang China. Michizane continued to be a envoy, but the mission was never sent, and later, Tang dynasty ended. In 897 Michizane was appointed to the highest rank of a Daijō-kan, the Grand Council of State, together with Fujiwara no Tokihira, who is the son of Mototsune. Emperor Uda suddenly abdicated the throne to Emperor Daigo, but requested Michizane to be appointed to key positions, and Michizane was promoted to U-daijin, Junior Minister of State. At the same time Fujiwara no Tokihira became Sa-daijin, the Senior Minister of State.

Relegation and death

Michizane's promotion to U-daijin was exceptional for his family rank. As a result, a number of cortiers were displeased, and those lead by Fujiwara no Tokihira made a movement to exclude Michizane. In 901, Michizane was ranked Junior First Rank, but soon after, due to Tokihira's slander, that Uda Retired Emperor is trying to enthrone Prince Tokiyo who is an adopted son of Michizane, Emperor Daigo relegated Michizane to Dazai-ingai-no-sochi, a minor post in Dazaifu, in the Chikuzen Province.

Dazai-no-gon-no-sochi is originally an a Provisional Governor General of the Dazaifu regional government, but who was appointed to this position as a result of losing position in defeat of a political fight was distincted as Dazai-ingai-no-sochi.

Michizane was forced to leave Kyoto without enough time to say farewell to his family and travelled to Dazaifu at his own expense. In Dazaifu, without any attendants and no salary, he was confined without enough to eat or to wear. 2 years later, in 903, Sugawara no Michizane died and was buried at Anrakuji Temple, where Dazaifu Tenmangū is now, and given the Shinto name "Tenman daijizai tenjin ".

"Michizane's curse"

After Michizane's death, an epidemic ravaged Kyoto, and after Fujiwara no Tokihira died in 909, those who took part in the plot of Michizane's exile died one after another. People started to think this was caused by Michizane's angry spirits and called "Michizane's curse". In 919, under the imperial orders of Emperor Daigo, Tokihira's brother Fujiwara no Nakahira went to Dazaifu and built a fine shrine building over Michizane's grave, to calm down his spirits.

But still the "curse" stormed Kyoto, and suffered disastrous fire, drought and flood, and in 923, Prince Yasuakira died. The flustered imperial coart restored Michizane's coart rank to U-daijin and promoted him to the court rank of Senior second grade as a posthumous honor, and changed the era name to Enchō. But Prince Yoshiyori, who was placed to the next crown prince died, and in the ultimate, lightning struck the "Seiryō-den" in the imperial palace, where a meeting was held with the presence of Emperor Daigo. After witnessing the horrible sight, Emperor Daigo became prone to being sick and passed out 3 months later. In 947, a shrine was built in Kitano, in Kyoto, to calm down the "curse".

Since then, every time a disastor occured, feared that it is because of the "curse". In 987, under Emperor Ichijō's reign, an imperial messenger was sent to the shrine in Kitano and given the name "Kitano-tenmangū-tenjin" and around then, the shrine in Dazaifu became to be called "Anrakuji Tenmangū". The name "Gū (宮)" is a name only that can only be used by shrines dedicated for Emperors and members of the Imperial family, and this shows how terrified the Imperial coart was. In 993, Michizane was promoted to a higher rank than when he was alive, first Sa-daijin, and then Dajō-daijin. In 1004, Emperor Ichijō visited Kitano Tenmangū in person, and sent an Imperial envoy to Dazaifu.

The cult of Tenjin

At the end of the Heian period, the fear for the "curse" eventually faded out, and the worship of Michizane spreaded out in different ways.

As a result of thunder striking the "Seiryō-den", people related Michizane's spirits to the "Raijin", god of thunder, and believed his anger causes lightning. This made nobles in Kyoto feel awed and scared, but at the same time, farmers believed the spirit as a god of good harvest, that brings rain needed for farming.

As the disastors became forgotten, since Michizane was good at composing waka, he became to be believed as a god of waka. And as renga, another type of poetry, became popular he became a god of renga. In the Muromachi period, renga sessions where held at Kitano Tenmangū and it became the center of renga. Izumo no Okuni, who is said to be the founder of Kabuki, held a theater in Kitano Tenmangū. Gradually, Michizane became believed as the god of performing arts.

By the Edo period, since Michizane was an eminent scholar, his divided spirits were worshipped at terakoyas, temple schools. As terakoyas became common, and learning became common to ordinary people, Sugawara no Michizane became revered as a god of learning, as he is now.

Related shrines

These are some shrines those enshrine Sugawara no Michizane.

Kitano Tenmangū

Located in Kyōto city, Kyōto prefecture.

Enshrines Sugawara no Michizane.

Dazaifu Tenmangū

Located in Dazaifu city, Fukuoka prefecture.

Enshrines Sugawara no Michizane.

Yushima Tenmangū

Located in Bunkyō ward, Tokyo prefecture.

Amenotajikarao-no-mikoto and Sugawara no Michizane.

Kameido Tenjinsha

Located in Kōtō ward, Tokyo prefecture.

Enshrines Tenman-ōkami and Amenohohi-no-mikoto.

Ōsaka Tenmangū

Located in Ōsaka city, Ōsaka prefecture.

Enshrines Sugawara no Michizane.

Hōfu Tenmangū

Located in Hōfu city Yamaguchi prefecture.

Enshrines Sugawara no Michizane.

Sugawara no Michizane is enshrined in many Tenmangūs and Tenjinshas around Japan.