Fujiwara

由来と歴史

Fujiwara means 'wisteria plain' (藤原) and is the original 'to' surname from which dozens of other surnames derived. The Fujiwara clan was founded in 645 AD by Nakatomi no Kamatari, who helped orchestrate the Taika Reform and was granted the Fujiwara name on his deathbed. The clan dominated Japanese court politics for centuries through the regency system and arranged marriages into the imperial family. Nearly all Japanese 'to' surnames (Sato, Ito, Kato, etc.) trace their lineage to the Fujiwara.