Ono no Takamura

• Name — Ono no Takamura • Native Name — 小野 篁 • Born — 802 • Died — 853 02 03 • Occupation — Calligrapher, poet • Era — Heian period • Other Names — Sangi no Takamura (参議篁)

Takamura's father was Ono no Minemori. He was the grandfather of Ono no Michikaze, one of the Sanseki (three famous Heian period calligraphers). In 834, he was appointed to a kentōshi (Japanese mission to Tang China). In 838, after a quarrel with the envoy, Fujiwara no Tsunetsugu, he gave up his professional duties pretending to be ill, and attracted the ire of retired Emperor Saga, who sent him to Oki Province. Within two years he regained the graces of the court, and he returned to the capital where he was promoted to Sangi (associate counselor in the imperial court of Japan). Takamura is the subject of a number of odd stories and legends. One of the most singular of these legends is the claim that, every night, he would climb down a well to hell and help Yama in his judgements. In Kita-ku, Kyoto, there is a grave said to belong to Takamura.

Uji Shūi Monogatari contains a story illustrating Takamura's wit. One day, in the palace of Saga Tennō, someone put up a scroll with the writing "no evil goodness". No one in the palace was able to decipher its meaning. The emperor ordered Takamura to read it, and he responded: "it will be good if there is no evil", reading the character for 悪 as "Saga" to indicate Saga Tennō. The emperor was incensed at his audacity and proclaimed that because only Takamura was able to read the scroll, he must have been the one who put it up. Takamura pleaded his innocence, saying that he was simply deciphering the meaning of the scroll. The emperor said, "Oh, so you can decipher any writing, can you?" and asked Takamura to read a row of twelve characters for 子: "". Takamura immediately responded: "the cat's young kitten, the lion's young cub", using the variant readings ne, ko, shi, and ji for the character. The emperor was amused by Takamura's wit and withdrew the accusation.

Takamura is the main character in the tale Takamura Monogatari, where he has a romantic affair with his half-sister. Few scholars take it to be historically reliable.

One of his poems is included as No. 11 in Fujiwara no Teika's Ogura Hyakunin Isshu: • Japanese text — Romanized Japanese — English translation • わたの原 八十島かけて 漕ぎ出でぬと 人には告げよ 海人の釣舟 — Wata no hara yaso shima kakete kogi-idenu to hito ni wa tsugeyo ama no tsuri-bune — Fishing boats upon this sea! Tell whoever asks I am being rowed away to exile out past the many islets to the vast ocean beyond. Takamura contributed six poems to the Kokin Wakashū: #335, 407, 829, 845, 936, and 961. The following is poem 829. • Japanese text — Romanized Japanese — English translation • 泣く涙 雨と降らなむ 渡り河 水まさりなば かへり来るがに — naku namida ame to furanan watari gawa mizu masarinaba kaeri kuru ga ni — Let the tears I cry fall from my face like the rain. If they overflow the river to the next world, maybe you can return home.

• Onimusha: Way of the Sword

His recorded language was Japanese. He was the child of Ono no Minemori. He married Daughter of Fujiwara no Mitsumori, wife of Ono no Takamura. 3 children are recorded: Ono no Yoshizane, Ono no Kuzuto and Ono no Yasuhira. Other recorded relations include Sakanoue no Tōsumi.

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