Ki no Yoshimochi

Ki no Yoshimochi (紀 淑望; died 919) was a Japanese poet of both waka and kanshi (Japanese and Chinese poetry, respectively). He also composed the Chinese preface (mana-jo) to the tenth-century waka anthology, the Kokin Wakashū. He studied classics at the Imperial University, before serving various, mostly scholarly, positions at court.

The date of birth of Ki no Yoshimochi is unknown.^[1] He was the first-born son of Ki no Haseo (紀 長谷雄)^[1] and the elder brother of Ki no Yoshihito (紀 淑人) and Ki no Yoshimitsu (紀 淑光),^[1] and may have been the adopted son of Ki no Tsurayuki.^[1]

In Kanpyō 8 (896) he entered the Imperial University as a student of Chinese (文章生, monjōshō).^[1] In 906 (Engi 6), he attained the Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade,^[1] and in 912 was promoted to the Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade,^[1] having acted as Director of the University (大学頭, daigaku-no-kami)^[1] and Teacher of the Classics for the Crown Prince (東宮学士, tōgū-gakushi).^[1] In 913 he became Provisional Vice-Governor of Shinano (信濃権介, Shinano no gon-no-suke).^[1]

He died in 919,^[2] Engi 19.^[1]

『日本紀竟宴和歌』、『古今和歌集』、『新古今和歌集』にはそれぞれ彼に帰せられる和歌が一篇ずつ収められているが^{[ 1 ]}、彼の中国語の著作の方が高く評価されていたようで^{[ 1 ]} 、 『和漢聯集』の一巻の冒頭には彼の漢詩が掲載されており^{[ 1 ]} 、『古今和歌集』の中国語の序文の執筆者にも選ばれている（下記参照）^{[ 1 ] 。}