Who was Izumi Shikibu? Gaze upon this unassuming stele. It marks a life far more dramatic than its simple form suggests. This is the memorial to Izumi Shikibu a woman whose name is synonymous with Heian-era poetry and passionate love affairs.
Izumi Shikibu lived during the mid-Heian period. She was a lady-in-waiting at the imperial court. Her name a combination of her husband’s post and her father’s official title. She wasn’t born with this name. Her true name was different. She was born around 976. Her legacy rests primarily on her remarkable poetry. She’s considered by many to be the greatest female poet of her era. Her poetry is filled with passionate love poems. These poems fueled rumors. Rumors that painted her as a femme fatale with many lovers. Lovers who included two husbands and two princely lovers.
Her early life was quite ordinary. She was the daughter of Oe no Masamune the governor of Echizen. Her mother was the daughter of Taira no Yasuhira governor of Etchu. At age 20 she married Tachibana no Michisada. He was governor of Izumi. This is where her name Izumi Shikibu originates. They had a daughter Koshikibu no Naishi. She too became a poet. Izumi Shikibu’s marriage ended in divorce. Her former husband died soon after.
Her life at the imperial court was far from ordinary. She had many affairs. Before her marriage to Michisada she is believed to have been a companion of a man named Omotomaru. It’s even suggested she was his wife. While married to Michisada she had an affair with Prince Tametaka. He was the third son of Emperor Reizei. This resulted in a scandal. Her husband divorced her. Her family disowned her.
After Tametaka’s death she fell for Prince Atsumichi. He was Tametaka’s brother. Their affair is documented in her semi-autobiographical diary. The Izumi Shikibu Nikki. This diary reveals her hopes and anxieties. It details her love for Atsumichi. The diary contains over one hundred poems. Many are waka. It shows the ebb and flow of their relationship. It details his alternating ardor and indifference. It details her own timidity and yearning. Their relationship was very public. It continued until Atsumichi’s death in 1007. He was only 27.
In 1009 she married Fujiwara no Yasumasa. He was a military commander. He served under Michinaga. They moved to Tango Province. Izumi Shikibu outlived her daughter. The year of her death remains unknown. Her final known correspondence was a poem. It dates from 1027. She later became a Buddhist nun.
This simple stele stands as a poignant reminder. It’s a reminder of a remarkable woman. She lived a dramatic life full of love. This love inspired some of the greatest poetry of its time. This was Izumi Shikibu a woman whose life resonates through the ages. Her influence extends far beyond her many poems. It’s an influence we feel today when considering her legacy. Remember her life when you stand before this stele.