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[[Image:Ono-no-takamura.jpg|right|thumb|320px|The grave of Ono no Takamura.]]
*''Born: [[802]]''
*''Died: [[853]]/12/22''
*''Japanese'': [[小野]]篁 ''(Ono no Takamura)''

Ono no Takamura was a [[kuge|court noble]] and poet of the early [[Heian period]].

He was the son of [[Ono no Minemori]], who was among the compilers of the ''[[Ryounshu|Ryôunshû]]'', the first Imperially-commissioned collection of ''[[kanshi]]''. As a child, Takamura did not excel at literary or other academic studies, and preferred martial pursuits. Noting this great difference between Takamura and his literary father, [[Emperor Saga]] gave Takamura a nickname, calling him "crazy/uncultivated Ono"<ref>野狂, a combination of 小野 and 粗野.</ref>; this persuaded young Takamura to dedicate himself to his studies, but in the course of his literary pursuits, in one famous incident, he composed a poem insulting the Emperor.<ref>The poem roughly translated to, or implied the message of, "(even though) if not for Emperor Saga, the world would be better off..."</ref>

In [[834]], Takamura was appointed vice-envoy (''fukushi'') on a [[kentoshi|mission to China]], but in [[838]], on the occasion of his third departure, he refused the requests of lead envoy [[Fujiwara no Tsunetsugu]], and faked illness so as to avoid having to board the ship. For this, he was exiled to [[Iki]].

During his exile, Takamura composed criticisms of the journey to China, but two years later, he was pardoned and recalled. In [[847]], he was appointed ''[[Sangi]]'' (Councillor). He came to be recognized as possessing a wide range of talents and great knowledge, and was much praised, with his poetry compared to that of [[Bai Juyi]] and his calligraphy to that of [[Wang Xizhi]]. Takamura's writings survive in a number of compilations including the [[Kokinshu|Kokinshû]], and he played a role himself in compiling other significant poetry collections.

A grave at Horikawa-Kitaôji in Kyoto neighboring that of [[Murasaki Shikibu]] has traditionally been believed to be Takamura's. His descendants include famous poets [[Ono no Michikaze]] and [[Ono no Komachi]].

==References==
*"[http://kotobank.jp/word/%E5%B0%8F%E9%87%8E%E7%AF%81 Ono no Takamura]." ''Asahi Nihon rekishi jinbutsu jiten'' 朝日日本歴史人物事典. Asahi Shimbun-sha.

[[Category:Heian Period]]
[[Category:Artists and Artisans]]
[[Category:Nobility]]
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