Ono no Komachi (834?-?) served at the
Japanese imperial court in the capital city of
Heiankyo (present-day
Kyoto) in the early
Heian era. Very little is known about her but she was a legendary beauty.
She became the central character of many Japanese legends, including 15 plays of Noh drama and apparently a Chinese opera as well. There is also a modern Noh drama written by Tsumura Kimiko (1902-1974) called "Fumigara" (The Love Letters) featuring Ono no Komachi.