Aimiya (愛宮)

Aimiya (year of birth and death unknown) was a woman in the mid-Heian period. Keishitsu (second wife) of the Minister of the Left, MINAMOTO no Takaakira. She was the fifth daughter of the Minister of the Right, FUJIWARA no Morosuke, and her mother was Imperial Princess Gashi (Imperial daughter of Emperor Daigo). Aimiya' is supposed to be an infant name, but her real name was unknown. She was a paternal half-sister of FUJIWARA no Koretada, FUJIWARA no Kanemichi, FUJIWARA no Kaneie, FUJIWARA no Kinsue, FUJIWARA no Anshi (Emperor Murakami's Chugu (the second consort of the Emperor)), MINAMOTO no Takaakira's wife (MINAMOTO no Toshikata's mother), etc. FUJIWARA no Takamitsu, FUJIWARA no Tamemitsu and Jinzen were maternal-half brothers.

In January 962, when her elder brother Takamitsu, with whom she was on good terms, entered the priesthood, she lamented over it very much (this anecdote is described in "Tomomine Shosho Monogatari" as well). After the death of her older paternal half-sister (the third daughter of Morosuke), who was married with her uncle, MINAMOTO no Takaakira, she married into his family as his second wife, and MINAMOTO no Akiko (FUJIWARA no Michinaga's wife) and MINAMOTO no Tsunefusa were born. After the Anna Incident that occurred in March 969, she separated from Takaakira. Although after the separation she continued living in Nishinomiya-dono Palace (Takaakira's residence), Nishinomiya-dono Palace later burned down, and she moved to live in Momozono(桃園). There is no record about her later life.

In "Kagero Nikki" (The Gossamer Years), Aimiya's secluded days in Momozono (桃園) after entering the priesthood are told.

[Original Japanese]