Kume no Wakame
Who was Kume no Wakame?
Poet
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Kume no Wakame (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Kume no Wakame (久米 若女 or 久米 若売; c. 650–30 July 780) was a Japanese poet and a significant figure in the Nara period known for her contributions to the Man'yōshū anthology and a scandal that affected her court career. She held the title of muraji and was an important woman in the imperial court of eighth-century Japan. Her life was intertwined with key events and families of her time, and she is remembered for her personal strength and poetry.
Kume no Wakame married Fujiwara no Umakai, a senior official from the powerful Fujiwara clan. They had a son, Fujiwara no Momokawa, around 732. Umakai died in 737 during the smallpox epidemic that devastated Japan, killing many, including top Fujiwara nobles. As a widow, Kume no Wakame maintained her status at court, raising a son who would become highly influential in politics.
In March of Tenpyō 11 (739), she had an affair with Isonokami no Otomaro, leading to a public scandal. She was exiled to Shimōsa Province, far from the capital. Otomaro also faced severe consequences, losing his status and influence at court. Her exile wasn't permanent; by June of Tenpyō 12 (740), she was called back to the capital, pardoned, and appointed to the rank of jugoi (従五位) in the imperial court. This return showed her connections and resilience.
She continued to rise in rank over the years, eventually reaching jushii (従四位) before her death on 30 July 780. Her son Momokawa became a powerful political player, and his daughter became the empress consort of Emperor Heizei, the 51st emperor of Japan, eventually receiving the title of empress posthumously. Through these ties, Kume no Wakame's family connected to the imperial lineage.
Between 733 and 741, Kume no Wakame exchanged poems with Atsumi no Ōkimi, using the pen name Kume no Jorō (久米 女郎), which means 'the prostitute of Kume,' likely a humorous or playful literary persona rather than a literal description. These poems are in volume eight of the Man'yōshū, the oldest existing collection of Japanese poetry, compiled in the late eighth century. Her presence in this anthology includes her among the few named women poets whose work survived from the Nara period.
Before Fame
We don't have records about Kume no Wakame's birth and early life in existing historical sources. She was born around 650, during a time when Japan was experiencing major political and cultural changes under the Yamato court. This included adopting Chinese administrative models and the spread of Buddhism. Women from the aristocratic muraji class in this era could take part in court culture, including writing poetry, which was an important social and literary skill.
Her marriage to Fujiwara no Umakai linked her to one of Japan's most powerful families, putting her in the influential circles that defined court life in the Nara period. This role gave her access to literary circles and the imperial court setting where her poetry thrived.
Key Achievements
- Inclusion of her poetry in volume eight of the Man'yōshū, the oldest existing collection of Japanese verse
- Attainment of the court rank of jushii (従四位) within the imperial court hierarchy
- Recovery from exile and reinstatement to court rank within one year of her banishment to Shimōsa Province
- Establishment of a family line that connected to the imperial family through her son Fujiwara no Momokawa
- Exchange of poems with Atsumi no Ōkimi between 733 and 741, constituting a named poetic correspondence preserved for posterity
Did You Know?
- 01.She wrote poetry under the pen name Kume no Jorō, which literally translates as 'the prostitute of Kume,' an unusual and provocative literary persona for a woman of aristocratic rank.
- 02.Her poems exchanged with Atsumi no Ōkimi are preserved in volume eight of the Man'yōshū, the oldest surviving anthology of Japanese poetry.
- 03.Her affair with Isonokami no Otomaro in 739 caused enough of a scandal to strip him of his court influence, while she herself was exiled to the distant Shimōsa Province.
- 04.She was restored to favor within just one year of her exile and was appointed to the rank of jugoi (従五位), a formal rank within the imperial court hierarchy.
- 05.Through her son Fujiwara no Momokawa, her granddaughter became the posthumous empress of Emperor Heizei, the 51st emperor of Japan.