Lady Ise (875? - 939?) is also known as Ise no miyasudokoro.
She was one the greatest poets of
Heian era Japan.
Her father was Fujiwara no Tsugukage, a third-generation descendant of Manatsu (d. 829). Tsugukage was a middle level official who spent part of his career moving from region to region as governor of the provinces of Ise, Yamato, Satsuma and Oki successively. The name by which his daughter is known was acquired when she entered imperial court service in Heian-kyo during his tenure as governor of Ise.
She served as a lady-in-waiting for the Emperor Uda's consort Onshi. After the death of the Prince, Lady Ise then became the concubine of the Emperor Uda and she bore Prince Uiki-Akari for the imperial household. Later she became the lover of Emperor Uda's fourth son, Prince Atsuyoshi (887-930), by whom she bore a daughter, the poet Nakastukasa.
She consistently refused the advances of the powerful Fujiwara clan who sought to profit from her court position. She is believed to have been a woman of great beauty, and also an excellent musician.
One hundred seventy-three of her tanka (5-7-5-7-7 syllable count) verses are collected in the Kokinshu imperial anthology and one collection which was devoted to her work. Lady Ise was also invited to participate in the Teiji-in poetry competition sponsored by Emperor Uda in 913.