National Treasures & Important Cultural Properties
of National Institutes for Cultural Heritage, Japan

The renowned poet and courtier Fujiwara no Sadaie (also read Teika, 1162-1241) kept a diary, known as Meigetsuki (Record of the Clear Moon), from age nineteen until just before his death. Although a major portion of the diary now belongs to the Reizei family, which traces its ancestry to this noble, much of it also left the collection over the years. The present manuscript is recognized as one such volume and covers the events from the first day of the first month to the twenty-ninth day of the third month of 1199 (Kenkyu 10). It serves as an important historical source in understanding the social currents and situation between imperial court and samurai. Above all, its description of Shogun Minamoto Yoritomo's (1147-1199) death (entries from the eighteenth and twentieth day of the first month) offers more detail than any other record from the time. The calligraphy reflects Teika's handwriting in his later years, and the absence of writing on the reverse side of the paper suggests that this volume was a clean copy of his diary.