was a Japanese waka poet and early historian who lived in the mid-Heian period. She is a member both of the and the Thirty-Six Immortal Women Poets.
Akazome Emon's year of birth is unknown, but she was likely born between Tentoku 1 (957) and Kà Âhà  1 (964). She was officially the daughter of , but the late-Heian karonsho (book of poetic criticism) ' records that her biological father was her mother's first husband, Taira no Kanemori.
A poetic exchange between Emon and Fujiwara no Michitaka, dating to around Ten'en 2 (974) to JÃ Âgen 2 (977), when she was likely in her late teens, is the earliest dateable event in her life. At roughly this time, she went to serve in the household of Minamoto no Masanobu, and for a long time thereafter she served his daughter Rinshi (<small></small>), the wife of Fujiwara no Michinaga.
It was also around this time (Ten'enâÂÂJà Âgen) that she married , a Confucian scholar and poet of both waka and kanshi. They had a son, , a daughter, Gà  Jijà « (æ±Âä¾Âå¾Â), and one more daughter. The couple were considered to be .
According to her personal waka collection, the Akazome Emon Shà « (赤æÂÂè¡ÂéÂÂéÂÂ), when Masahira was twice sent to serve in Owari Province, she accompanied him both times. The collection also indicates that she worked to ensure her son's professional success at court and presented poems as offerings to Sumiyoshi Shrine when he fell ill. The Fukuro-zà Âshi portrays her as gently supporting her husband when he was overwhelmed by his official duties. These works present Emon as a good wife and wise mother (è¯妻賢毠ryà Âsai kenbo). She also devoted much effort to her service as Rinshi's lady-in-waiting.
In Chà Âwa 1 (1012), her husband died, and a few years later Emon became a nun. She apparently lived a long and tranquil life from this point, living to see the birth of her great-grandson à Âe no Masafusa in Chà Âkyà « 2 (1041).
Akazome Emon served Minamoto no Rinshi and Fujiwara no Shà Âshi, who were, respectively, the wife and daughter of Fujiwara no Michinaga, and she was present at the Imperial court at the same time as Izumi Shikibu. She was a contemporary of Murasaki Shikibu, who praised her writing, and Sei Shà Ânagon.
The year of her death is uncertain, but she probably lived until at least 1041.
Emon remained active in waka composition until late in life, contributing poems to uta-awase competitions on the sixteenth day of the fifth month of Chà Âgen 8 (1035), the Kanpaku-Sadaijin-ke Uta-awase (é¢ç½左大è£家æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ), and 1041, the Kokiden no Nyà Âgo Uta-awase (å¼Â徽殿女御æÂÂÃ¥ÂÂ). She also contributed a screen poem (å±Â風æ byà Âbu-uta) to celebrate Rinshi's seventieth year, in 1033.
She left a personal collection, the Akazome Emon Shà «, and she is also believed to have been the writer of the first part of Eiga Monogatari. Her poetry was incorporated into court anthologies from the Shà «i Wakashà « on. She ranks fourth in the number of her poems that were included in the Goshà «i Wakashà «, with a total of 32. More than 60 of her poems were included in the Kin'yà  Wakashà « and later court anthologies.
In her article on Emon, Hiroko Saità  called her poetic style unexceptional.