Bifukumonin is asteroid #5683 and also known as 1990 UD. Bifukumonin’s orbit is characterized by a semi-major axis of 2.21 Astronomical Units, an eccentricity of 0.22, a period of revolution of 1 202 days, and an inclination of 4.8 degrees. Bifukumonin was discovered by Urata Takeshi (浦田 武) at the Oohira Station of the Nihondaira Observatory.

Bifukumonin is named after Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子), who lived on the material plane from 1117 A.D. until 1160 A.D. Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子) was the daughter of Minamoto no Masako (源 方子) and Fujiwara no Nagazane (藤原 長実), a second rank counselor at the Imperial Court. (These two clans still could intermarry obviously.) Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子) in 1134 A.D. became a consort of Toba-tennō (鳥羽天皇), the already abdicated 74th emperor of Japan and still the person ruling Japan. Then Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子) in 1149 A.D. became known as Bifukumon-in (美福門院), that also is meant to be the name of the asteroid 1990 UD.

Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子) gave birth to four of the children of Toba-tennō (鳥羽天皇). This were Eko-naishin’nō (叡子内親王) in 1136 A.D., Akiko-naishin’nō (暲子内親王) in 1137 A.D., Narihito (躰仁) in 1139 A.D., and Yoshiko-naishin’nō (姝子内親王) in 1141 A.D. Narihito (躰仁) was the only male child. He was three months after his birth declared the crown prince because Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子) was the favorite consort of Toba-tennō (鳥羽天皇). Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子) was promoted to nyōgo (女御) and thus surpassed Fujiwara no Tamako/ Shōshi (藤原 璋子), the main wife of Toba-tennō (鳥羽天皇), in influence. Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子) in 1140 A.D. adopted Shigehito-shin’nō (重仁親王), the first son of Sutoku-tennō (崇徳天皇), the then incumbent emperor. Fujiwara no Kiyoko (藤原 聖子) probably in exchange adopted Narihito (躰仁). Fujiwara no Kiyoko (藤原 聖子) was the empress consort of Sutoku-tennō (崇徳天皇). Then Toba-tennō (鳥羽天皇) in 1141 pressed Sutoku-tennō (崇徳天皇) to abdicate and Narihito (躰仁) ascended the chrysanthemum throne as Konoe-tennō (近衛天皇). He was the 76th emperor of Japan, but during all of his reign had the abdicated Toba-tennō (鳥羽天皇) stayed the person, who really ruled Japan. Because adopted by Fujiwara no Kiyoko (藤原 聖子), so Konoe-tennō (近衛天皇) should have been counted as the son of Sutoku-tennō (崇徳天皇). But the expression kōtaitei (皇太弟) was used instead of kōtaishi (皇太子) in the proclamation of ascension. This declared Konoe-tennō (近衛天皇) the younger brother instead of the son of Sutoku-tennō (崇徳天皇). This trick prevented that Sutoku-tennō (崇徳天皇), after whom the asteroid Sutoku is named, could begin a cloistered rule and so Toba-tennō (鳥羽天皇) stayed in power instead. Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子) by the ascension of Konoe-tennō (近衛天皇) became kōtaigō (皇太后). She got stewards and these were her relatives and these became the favored retainers of Toba-tennō (鳥羽天皇), thus Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子) concentrated power. Fujiwara no Tamako/ Shōshi (藤原 璋子), the main wife of Toba-tennō (鳥羽天皇), attempted to curse Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子), so Fujiwara no Tamako/ Shōshi (藤原 璋子) in 1142 was forced to become a nun. Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子) in 1148 A.D. adopted the daugher of one of her cousins, Fujiwara no Teishi/ Shimeko (藤原 呈子), who in 1150 A.D. became a consort of Konoe-tennō (近衛天皇). But Fujiwara no Teishi/ Shimeko (藤原 呈子) didn’t give birth to any child and since 1155 A.D. felt too ill to try again, so became a nun. Fujiwara no Teishi/ Shimeko (藤原 呈子) seemed to be pregnant in 1152 A.D. and during this time Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子) built five human-sized Buddha statues, while she and several monks prayed each day for safe delivery of the child of Fujiwara no Teishi/ Shimeko (藤原 呈子) because she hadn’t given birth on schedule. The attempts failed and Fujiwara no Teishi/ Shimeko (藤原 呈子) never gave birth. Konoe-tennō (近衛天皇) was physically weak and left the material plane in 1155 A.D. So Masahito-shin’nō (雅仁親王) was made the 77th emperor of Japan without declaring him crown prince beforehand. He reigned as Goshirakawa-tennō (後白河天皇). The asteroid Goshirakawa is named after him. Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子)/ Bifukumon-in (美福門院) adopted his eldest son Morihito-shin’nō (守仁親王). Bifukumon-in (美福門院) feared that she would lose her power by a cloistered rule of Sutoku-tennō (崇徳天皇), so she sided with Goshirakawa-tennō (後白河天皇) in the Hōgen-no-ran (保元の乱) or Hōgen Rebellion of 1156 A.D. Bifukumon-in (美福門院) wasn’t a warrior and at this time already a nun, but she got the Taira (平) Clan involved on the side of Goshirakawa-tennō (後白河天皇) in this conflict. Fujiwara no Michinori (藤原 通憲) was at that time the leader of the clan of the Fujiwara (藤原). He was an ally of Japan’s grey eminence Taira no Kiyomori (平 清盛). Bifukumon-in (美福門院) negotiated with Fujiwara no Michinori (藤原 通憲) in 1158 A.D. and they came to the agreement that Morihito-shin’nō (守仁親王) should become the next emperor. Goshirakawa-tennō (後白河天皇) also agreed, abdicated, and made his first son ascend the Chrysanthemum throne as Nijō-tennō (二条天皇), the 78th emperor of Japan. The youngest daughter of Bifukumon-in (美福門院), Yoshiko-naishin’nō (姝子内親王), became the empress consort of Nijō-tennō (二条天皇), who was her nephew and two years younger than herself. Bifukumon-in (美福門院) left the material plane in 1160 A.D. and her mortal remains got according to her wish buried at Kōya-san (高野山). This caused some stir because women had not been permitted to enter this holy place, on the other hand nobody there could have declined the wish of the empress consort.

Bifukumon-in (美福門院)/ Fujiwara no Nariko (藤原 得子) is the main suspect of being Tamamo-no-Mae (玉藻前), a demon, who is said to have ended whole dynasties in India and in China before coming to Japan. There her disguise was blown, she was hunted and she turned into the boulder known as Sesshōseki (殺生石). This boulder split in two parts on March, 5th, in 2022. I did pass on this news. (I really can’t make separate categories for articles on this blog.) The demon could be free and already do something evil. Maybe an excuse for current politics?

Bifukumon-in (美福門院) became the main suspect for being Tamamo-no-Mae (玉藻前) because Bifukumon-in (美福門院) was a very manipulative woman. So the asteroid Bifukumonin should exactly represent this in astrological charts: Doubtless manipulative women.