Yoshimine no Nagamatsu (良岑良松)

YOSHIMINE no Nagamatsu (813 - December 30, 879) was a government official who lived during the Heian period. He was the son of YOSHIMINE no Yasuyo, who held the title of Dainagon (chief councilor of state).

He held the posts of Hitachi no kuni no gon no daijo (the third-ranking governor of Hitachi Province) and Iyo no kuni no jo (the provincial governor of Iyo) during the Jowa era (Japan). In 838, he went to Tang as a fourth-ranking officer of the Japanese envoy to Tang Dynasty China. In the following year, he was caught in a storm on his way back to Japan, drifting to the southern sea, and many people boarding the same ship lost their lives. After he returned to Japan, he was awarded the rank of Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) and later appointed as jiju (a chamberlain) having the rank of Jugoinojo (Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade). After that, he held various posts, including Tanba no kuni no suke (Assistant Governor of Tanba Province) having the rank of Shogoinoge (Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade), Nuidonoryo no kami (the head of the Bureau of the Wardrobe and Court Ladies) having the rank of Jushiinoge (Junior Forth Rank, Lower Grade), Kudai-taifu (post of Imperial Household Ministry) having the rank of Jushiijo (Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade), Shoryoryo no kami (the head of the Bureau for managing imperial mausoleums), and the governor of Musashi Province, Yamato Province, and Yamashiro Province. He died without a post in 879.

He was a master of the Japanese harp, which was supposedly the reason for being selected for the Japanese envoy to Tang Dynasty China. According to the article of death in "Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku" (sixth of the six classical Japanese history texts), he had no other remarkable talent: he was a mediocre person.

[Original Japanese]