| Prince Osakabe 刑部親王 | |
|---|---|
| Chancellor of the Realm | |
| Tenure | 703 – 705 |
| Successor | Prince Hozumi |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | 2 June 706 |
| Spouse | Princess Asuka Unknown concubine |
| Issue |
|
| Father | Emperor Tenmu |
| Mother | Shishihito no Kajihime-no-iratsume |
Prince Osakabe (刑部(忍壁)親王, Osakabe Shinnō) (died June 2, 705) was a Japanese imperial prince who helped write the Taihō Code (681 A.D.), [1] alongside Fujiwara no Fuhito. The Code was essentially an administrative reorganization, which would serve as the basis for Japan's governmental structure for centuries afterwards.
Prince Osakabe was born to Emperor Tenmu and Kajihime no Iratsume in approximately 663 A.D. [2]
According to the Nihon Shoki in the fifth month, on the fifth day of 679 A.D. Prince Osakabe, Prince Kusakabe, Prince Otsu, Prince Takechi, Prince Kawashima, and Prince Shiki, all swore to Emperor Tenmu that they wouldn't engage in future succession disputes. This occurred after Emperor Tenmu ascended the throne after the Jinshin War. [3] In the first months of 704 A.D. he, Prince Naga, Prince Toneri, and Prince Hozumi were collectively awarded two hundred households by Emperor Monmu and Empress Genmei. [4]
Along with Prince Kawashima, Osakabe was appointed to lead the emperor's 681 initiative, which was tasked with compiling the Imperial Chronicles and Fundamental Dicta. [5]
The Nihon Shoki or The Chronicles of Japan, are a historiographical collection of writing composed into thirteen books covering the Japanese history from its beginning until Empress Jitō was forced to relinquish her throne in 697. Prince Osakabe was a contributor to the project since its inception in the 680's. [6] Osakabe, like many other courtiers of the time, was also a poet, and one of his poems is included in the Man'yōshū . The Volume III of this collection opens with a poem - written by Kakinomoto no Asomi Hitomaro - dedicated to Osakabe. [7]
Osakabe's contribution to the reforms undertaken by Emperor Monmu included the draft of several laws and decrees based on the Chinese model. [8] With small modifications, many of these are still valid today. [8]
Parents
Consort and issue(s):
Emperor Kinmei was the 29th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign is said to have spanned the years from 539 to 571. Kinmei is the first historically verifiable Japanese emperor.
Emperor Tenji, known first as Prince Katsuragi and later as Prince Nakano Ōe until his accession, was the 38th emperor of Japan who reigned from 668 to 671. He was the son of Emperor Jomei and Empress Kōgyoku, and his children included Empress Jitō, Empress Genmei, and Emperor Kōbun.
Emperor Tenmu was the 40th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He ascended to the throne following the Jinshin War, during which his army defeated that of Emperor Kōbun. Tenmu reigned from 673 until his death in 686, amid the late Asuka period.
Empress Jitō was the 41st monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Emperor Monmu was the 42nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Empress Genshō was the 44th monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Her reign spanned the years 715 through 724.
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Kakinomoto no Hitomaro was a Japanese waka poet and aristocrat of the late Asuka period. He was the most prominent of the poets included in the Man'yōshū, the oldest waka anthology, but apart from what can be gleaned from hints in the Man'yōshū, the details of his life are largely uncertain. He was born to the Kakinomoto clan, based in Yamato Province, probably in the 650s, and likely died in Iwami Province around 709.
Emperor Jomei was the 34th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
The Nihon Shoki (日本書紀), sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history. The book is also called the Nihongi. It is more elaborate and detailed than the Kojiki, the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeologists as it includes the most complete extant historical record of ancient Japan. The Nihon Shoki was finished in 720 under the editorial supervision of Prince Toneri with the assistance of Ō no Yasumaro and presented to Empress Genshō. The book is also a reflection of Chinese influence on Japanese civilization. In Japan, the Sinicized court wanted written history that could be compared with the annals of the Chinese.
Fujiwara no Fuhito was a powerful member of the imperial court of Japan during the Asuka and Nara periods. Second son of Fujiwara no Kamatari, he had sons by two women, and those sons were the founders of the four principal lineages of the Fujiwara clan: the South, North, Ceremonial, and Capital lineages. Also, he had four daughters by two other women, three by Kamohime, one by Tachibana no Michiyo. One daughter by Kamohime became Emperor Monmu's wife Miyako, who in turn gave birth to Emperor Shōmu. The daughter by Michiyo became the empress of his grandson Shōmu, Empress Kōmyō.
The Isshi incident was a successful plot by Nakatomi no Kamatari, Prince Naka no Ōe and others who conspired to eliminate the main branch of the Soga clan, beginning with the assassination of Soga no Iruka. It takes its name from the zodiological name of the year 645 during which the Taika Reform, a transformative event in Japanese Imperial history, occurred.
Empress Genmei, also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd monarch of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Genmei's reign spanned the years 707 through 715. She established the capital at Heijō-kyō in 710, marking the beginning of the Nara period.
Fujiwara-kyō (藤原京) was the Imperial capital of Japan for sixteen years, between 694 and 710. It was located in Yamato Province, having been moved from nearby Asuka. However, the name itself was never used in the Nihon Shoki; during those times it was recorded as Aramashi-kyō (新益京).
The Teiki (帝紀) is a historical text purported to have been compiled in 681. The text is no longer extant.
Princess Ki (紀皇女)was a Japanese princess during the Asuka period of Japanese history. She was a daughter of Emperor Tenmu and Lady Ōnu, whose father was Soga no Akaye. Her brother was Prince Hozumi and her sister Princess Takata.
Princess Tagata was a Japanese princess during the Asuka period and Nara period of Japanese history. She was a daughter of Emperor Tenmu and Lady Ōnu, whose father was Soga no Akaye. Prince Hozumi was her older brother, and Princess Ki was her older sister. She was a Saiō.
Princess Ōe was a Japanese princess who lived during the Asuka period. She was a daughter of Emperor Tenji. Her mother was Lady Shikobuko (色夫古娘), daughter of Oshiumi no Miyakko Otatsu (忍海造小竜). Ōe's siblings included Prince Kawashima and Princess Izumi.
Prince Hozumi was a Japanese prince, the fifth son of Emperor Tenmu, who lived from the Asuka to Nara periods. He was the first child of the emperor and Soga no Ōnu-no-iratsume, who later had two daughters together as well. After the death of his half-sister Princess Tajima in 708, with whom he had had a tryst, he married the poet Ōtomo no Sakanoe no Iratsume. Four of his poems are included in the Man'yōshū, including a lament written after the death of the Princess. He had two sons.
Princess Iwa, sometimes known as Empress Iwa no hime, was a poet and the empress consort of Emperor Nintoku, who was the 16th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. She was a descendant of Emperor Kōgen.