Raised by his grandfather,
Fujiwara no Michitaka, who died in 995. His father,
Fujiwara no Korechika, was promoted to Minister of the Interior (
Naidaijin) the following year, but following an incident in which an arrow was shot at
Emperor Kazan, he was demoted to the post of governor of Dazai. Michimasa lived during the downfall of his family's fortunes. In 1004, at the age of 14, he was conferred with the rank of Junior fifth rank lower. In 1011, he became a servant of the future
Emperor Ichijo. In 1015 he became Lieutenant of the Guard for the Left. In 1016, at the time of Emperor Ichijo's accession to the throne, he was promoted to lower third rank. However, he was dismissed 8 days after taking up his new post. Furthermore, in September of the same year, when escorting the Imperial Princess Masako to Ise to become the sacred maiden, their affair was made known to her father the Retired
Emperor Sanjo, who censured Michimasa heavily. According to the
Eiga monogatari, Masako took the tonsure before her father's death, but according to the Shōyūki (小右記), she took the tonsure on November 13, 1017, six months after her father's death. On December 6, 1024, Emperor Kazan's daughter, Jōtomo-In was murdered in the night and her body was discovered the following morning. The following year a suspect was caught; however, the suspect confessed that he killed her on Michimasa's orders. The following year 1026, with the case still undecided, Michimasa was demoted from his posts. In July 1054 he took the tonsure and died shortly after. == Life ==