Fujiwara no Tanetsugu

Fujiwara no Tanetsugu (737–785), a grandson of Umakai, rose through provincial governorships into senior court office. He became a councillor in 782 and headed the ministry responsible for official personnel in 783. Emperor Kammu entrusted him with government business as well as the construction of a new capital. [S01]

In 784, Tanetsugu and Fujiwara no Ogurimaro inspected the Nagaoka site, southwest of today’s Kyoto. Tanetsugu became a leading official in the palace-building administration. Moving the court did not finish the city: construction continued while government operated there. Tanetsugu remained responsible for work when Kammu visited the old capital at Nara. In 785, he was shot at the construction site and died from his wounds the following day. [S01, S02]

The investigation led to punishments among the Ōtomo and Saeki families and implicated Crown Prince Sawara, Kammu’s brother. Sawara was removed and died while being taken toward exile. The government’s conclusions do not by themselves prove every accused person’s responsibility. Tanetsugu’s death deprived construction of a principal director and turned an attack on an official into a succession crisis. Nagaoka nevertheless remained the capital until 794. [S01, S02, S03]