Abe no Seimei was a prominent onmyoji (yin-yang master) who lived during the mid-Heian period. Considered a charismatic figure among onmyoji, he was highly respected by noble figures and had the ability to predict fortunes and repel illness and demons. In 2024, he will be portrayed as a influential onmyoji with exceptional divination skills in the NHK historical drama “Hikarukimi e.” Abe no Seimei’s life and accomplishments, including his upbringing in the Imperial Court and his significant role as an onmyoji, will be explored in the following sections. Born in 921, during the Enki era, Abe no Seimei’s life spanned until 1005. He received education in onmyodo and astronomy from renowned onmyoji and learned to read the skies to predict fortunes. Abe no Seimei was later appointed as a minister in the Imperial Court and was known for his exceptional abilities as an onmyoji. As a result, his descendants, known as the Tsuchimikado family, became a prominent onmyoji family and served in the Imperial Court for generations.
Introduction – Who is Abe no Seimei?
Abe no Seimei (Seimei) was an onmyoji who was active during the mid-Heian period. During this time, technology had not developed as much as it has today, and onmyoji, as they were called, used it to predict good and bad fortunes, as well as to drive away diseases and demons.
Seimei was a charismatic figure among onmyoji and was highly regarded by noble people such as priests and government officials.
Abe no Seimei has become a popular topic in movies starring Nomura Mansai and figure skater Hanyu Yuzuru. While he is considered a mysterious and legendary onmyoji in the public eye, let’s unravel the mysteries of Abe no Seimei and see who he really was based on historical facts.
In the NHK Taiga drama “Hikaru Kimi e” scheduled for 2024, Seimei, who possesses exceptional fortune-telling talents and holds great influence in political circles, is depicted as an onmyoji (Santa Maria Yūsuke).
Table of Contents
Introduction – Who is Abe no Seimei?
The era in which Abe no Seimei lived
Footprints and major events of Abe no Seimei
Generalizing
The era in which Abe no Seimei lived
Abe no Seimei was born in 921. He was born during the Enryaku era, during the reign of the Fifth Emperor, when Confucian administration was upheld under the direct political influence of the Emperor. Later, the Tenrei era under Emperor Murakami’s reign was idealized as the “Enryaku Tenrei era” by future generations.
During that time, Seimei worked as an onmyoji at the Imperial Court.
Footprints and major events of Abe no Seimei
Abe no Seimei was born in Enryaku 21 (921) and died in Kōhō 2 (1005). Let’s shed light on his life and events.
Studying Onmyodo and Astronomy
Born in 921 as the son of Abe no Masaki, details about Seimei’s early life are unclear. It is said that during his childhood, he studied Onmyodo and astronomy (a method for predicting good and bad fortunes based on celestial phenomena) under onmyoji Kamo Tadayuki and his son Anonori.
Seimei later served as an imperial minister and an astronomer, showcasing his exceptional abilities as an onmyoji. Since Seimei’s ancestral home was at the Tsuchimikado within the Imperial Palace of Heian-kyo, his descendants are known as the Tsuchimikado family. From then on, the Tsuchimikado family prospered as a family of onmyoji.
【Active as an onmyoji in the Imperial Court. Move on to the next page】