Fujiwara no Matate was a Japanese noble of the Nara period. He was the third son of the founder of the Hokke branch of the Fujiwara, the sangi Fujiwara no Fusasaki. He achieved the court rank of and the position of dainagon, and posthumously of daijō-daijin. His original name was Yatsuka.
Life
recognized Yatsuka's abilities, and through his favor Yatsuka was rapidly promoted. He was raised in the year 740 from the rank of to and then, in 743 to, and in 744 to. Shōmu specially entrusted him with duties related to the transmission of reports to and requests from the emperor. According to the Shoku Nihongi, Yatsuka was respected as exceptionally intelligent, incurring the jealousy of his cousin Fujiwara no Nakamaro. He is then said to have secluded himself in his home for a time, with his books for company. In 748 he was promoted to sangi, beating his one-year-older brotherNagate to the ranks of the kugyō. In 756, shortly after the death of Emperor Shōmu, Nagate was promoted directly to chūnagon, overtaking Yatsuka. In 758, he supported Nakamaro's renaming of various government offices in the Chinese style of the Tang dynasty, and in 760 Yatsuka himself was granted the Tang-style name of Matate. He was steadily promoted to in 760 and to chūnagon in 762. Also in this period, he held a farewellfeast for of the fourth envoy expedition from Balhae to the court, which the latter greatly appreciated. In Nakamaro's rebellion of 764, Matate supported the winning side of Empress Kōken, and was promoted to and and granted honors, second-class. In 766, Matate was promoted to dainagon, replacing Nagate, who had been promoted to udaijin. Two months later, though, Matate died at the age of 52. He was given the burial of a, and posthumously promoted to daijō-daijin. In Matate's day, the ruling power was Nakamaro, putting the Nanke in the predominant position. Moreover, Matate's older brother and head of house Nagate held a position at the daijin level. In the late Nara period, an equality between the clans was considered ideal, and for important positions to be held by father–son or sibling pairs still incurred criticism. For Matate too to be promoted as far as dainagon implies that this due in large part to his own ability. In later years, Matate's descendants included Fujiwara no Michinaga and Fujiwara no Yorimichi, who led the Fujiwara to the peak of their power. Matate was a magnanimous man, with a talent for assisting emperors in their governance as a politician. Eight of his works are recorded in the Man'yōshū, including seven tanka and one sedoka. Notes in the same work suggest Matate had a personal friendship with Ōtomo no Yakamochi.
