Imperial Prince Kazurawara (葛原親王)
Imperial Prince Kazurawara (December 1, 786 - July 17, 853), a member of the Imperial Family in the Heian period, was the founder of the Taira clan. His father was Emperor Kanmu. His mother was TAJIHI no Mahito Mamune (Sadako). TAIRA no Takamune, TAIRA no Yoshimune and Prince Takami were his children.
Known since childhood as a person of genius, Imperial Prince Kazurawara, who was also a founder of the Taira clan, celebrated his coming of age along with Prince Otomo (later Emperor Junna), a half-brother by the same father, in 789. With the appointment as Minister of Jibu-sho (the Ministry of Civil Administration) in 803, he assumed successive posts as Minister of Okura-sho (Ministry of the Treasury), Danjoin (President of the Board of Censors), Minister of Shikibu-sho (the Ministry of Ceremonial), etc. Appointed as Minister of Shikibu-sho in 810, he kept the post for 33 years until appointed as Dazai no sochi (Governor-General of the Dazai-fu offices (local government office in Kyushu region)) in 850, except for the period between 823 and 830. In 831, the Ippon Shinno (the first-rank Imperial Prince) was granted to him, marking the first time in 80 years that such a distinction was given.
An article in "The Montoku Jitsuroku" (official national history book), in which the death of the Imperial Prince is described, asserts that he actually directed the Shikibu-sho as a chief officer, describing '久在式部 諳職務 凡在旧典 莫不達練 挙朝重之.'
In 825, he made a request to the Emperor to have his sons and daughters adopt the family name Taira, and was approved. Having served concurrently as the governor of Kozuke and Hitachi provinces, he was later bestowed the Ippon Shinno. Furthermore, in 835 he received 'Umaaino kyukanchi 500 cho' (500 hectares of unused land in Umaaino), which had been the ground to raise horses and cattle in the Koma district of Kai Province (now Minami-Alps City, formerly Shirane-cho and Hatta-mura of Nakakoma-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture). He was appointed to the Dazai-no-sotsu in 850.