Empress Shōtoku

Empress Shōtoku

¶Empress Shōtoku had earlier passed the throne to the Deposed Emperor — Emperor Junnin — and had received an honorific title in consequence. Before long, however, the Deposed Emperor came to hate the monk Dōkyō deeply, and spoke of it constantly. The empress found this displeasing.

¶In the sixth year of Tenpyō-Hōji, the court returned from the Hora Palace to the Heijō Palace. The empress took up residence at Hokkeji. She summoned those of the fifth rank and above to the Courtiers' Hall and issued an edict: "The line of the Okanomiya Sovereign — Prince Kusakabe — was in danger of coming to an end. Though a woman, We received the command of the Empress Dowager, reverently took up the sacred throne, and for long years have conducted the affairs of government; We installed the emperor — Emperor Junnin — as heir. Yet he proved disrespectful and disobedient, and in the end turned to enmity against Us. He has falsely attributed to Us words We never spoke, and deeds We never did. That matters should have come to this is truly owing to Our own poor and unworthy character. We feel shame and remorse deeply, and it is fitting that We should now awaken the aspiration for enlightenment. Since the occasion for this is at hand, We shall renounce the world and become a disciple of the Buddha. The minor affairs of the court, however, shall continue to be conducted by the present emperor, while the great affairs of state — the two instruments of reward and punishment — shall be decided by Ourself alone." (Note: the Ichidai Yōki, the Rekidai Kōki, and the Genkō Shakusho all give her Dharma name as Hōki.)

¶In the eighth year, on the ninth day of the tenth month, the day Mizunoe-saru, Prince Yamamura was sent to proclaim an edict: "In recent years the emperor has shown himself wanting in virtue, and has proved unequal to bearing so great a charge. We have moreover heard that, making common cause with Fujiwara-no-Nakamaro, he plotted against Our person, secretly raising six thousand troops with the intent of forcing the barrier and stirring up rebellion. For this he is deposed and made an imperial prince, granted the rank of Lord of Awaji; Prince Funado is exiled to Oki, and Prince Ikeda to Tosa." From this time the empress once more took the reins of government into her own hands (Note: "the empress" onward follows this work's own entry for the eleventh month of the following year. The Gukanshō, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Teiō Hennenki all state that she ascended the throne on the first day of the first month of the following year, but it is not clear on what this is based). The Minister of the Right, Fujiwara-no-Toyonari, remained in his post as before (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). On the eleventh day, the day Kinoe-inu, an edict forbade the keeping of hawks, dogs, and cormorants throughout the realm, and ordered that meat and fish no longer be presented as delicacies for the imperial table; it also forbade the use of fish, meat, garlic, and the like among the produce levied from men of middle age, chūnan-sakumotsu, ordering that other goods be substituted in every case, except at the shrine households, kanbe. On the fourteenth day, the day Hinoto-ushi, an edict was issued: "The offices of the hundred officials all say that a crown prince should be installed, to settle the foundation of this great undertaking. It is not that We give the matter no thought. Yet what the multitude urges does not always come to a good end, and what Heaven does not grant, even if obtained, will surely be lost again. No man can bestow this recklessly, nor can it be won by force or contention. Where Heaven grants it, the right person will of himself appear. We do not mean, out of mere greed for the great treasure of the throne, to presume to fix an heir. Where the will of Heaven inclines will in time surely become clear." A further edict declared: "There are those among the multitude who, by lending their support to another, hope to make a name for their own merit. Should they secretly discuss the matter of the crown prince's seat, join their hearts and plots together, and draw others in to form a faction, their undertaking will fail, their house will be destroyed, and their descendants cut off forever. Henceforth let all be loyal and upright in plain view, and follow and uphold Our instruction." On the sixteenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-u, an edict was issued: "We, all unworthy, look over the myriad lands, and give Our thought even to the smallest thing, pondering good government by morning and remaining watchful and cautious by evening. Yet the treacherous subject Nakamaro, benighted, violent, and deranged, raised rebellion and fled. The net of Heaven was spread high, and all his followers were brought low and put to death. We think now of the common people, and wish to wash away old wrongs and lead all to turn toward good and renew themselves. A general amnesty should be proclaimed throughout the realm — except for Nakamaro's partisans, and those whom an ordinary amnesty does not reach. Moreover, in recent years flood and drought have prevented a good harvest, the people have in places gone hungry, and military levies are still being raised. This year's rice-field tax throughout the realm should be remitted." On the twenty-first day, the day Kinoe-saru, an edict declared: "Let the prisoners held in the capital's gaols, down to those guilty of a capital offense, be pardoned — except for the rebel Nakamaro, and the partisans of the Lord of Awaji, Prince Funa, and Prince Ikeda." On the last day of the month, the day Mizunoto-mi, an edict ordered that officials of fixed and supernumerary rank without post, sani, no longer be made to pay labor dues in coin, and that the provinces of Tōkaidō and Tōzandō present mounted women, kinyo, in tribute. On the twelfth day of the eleventh month, the day Kinoto-mi, the Commissioner of Military Affairs for Saikaidō was recalled. On the twentieth day, the day Mizunoto-ushi, envoys were sent to present offerings, heihaku, to the eminent deities of Ōmi, in thanks for the prayers offered when the rebels were subdued. On the twenty-eighth day of the twelfth month, the day Kanoe-tora, an edict was issued: "We reign over the myriad people though Our virtue is slight; good instruction has not yet spread abroad, and those condemned to punishment remain many. A general amnesty should be proclaimed throughout the realm. Even those whom an ordinary amnesty does not pardon shall be included; should there be any sentenced to death, let his sentence in every case be reduced by one degree." This month, a sound like thunder was heard in the west, and on the border of Ōsumi and Satsuma, smoke and cloud brought a darkness that did not clear for seven days. Sand and stone gathered along the coast into three islands, burying dwellings beneath them. This year war and drought followed one upon the other, and the price of rice rose to a thousand coins the koku.

¶In the first year of Tenpyō-jingo, the year Kinoto-mi, in spring, on the first day of the first month, the day Mizunoto-mi, the empress came forth to the front hall of the Western Palace and received the New Year's felicitations. On the seventh day, the day Tsuchinoto-i, she issued an edict: "We, of slight and insignificant person, have unworthily received the sacred succession; Our civilizing virtue has not yet made itself known, and treacherous and crooked men have often appeared. Epidemic disease has come again and again, the harvest has failed year after year, and the destruction of goods and the loss of livelihood has been like falling into a deep pit. The treacherous subject Nakamaro, as a close relative and attendant of the throne, was employed by the former reigns — those of Emperor Shōmu and Empress Kōken — and, thinking him equal to the trust placed in him, We harbored no further suspicion of him. How could We have foreseen that he concealed calamity and harm within himself, spread the poison of the scorpion throughout the realm, provoked the wrath of men and gods alike, and so moved Heaven with the resentment he had stirred up? Fortunately, by the protection of the divine spirits over the state, and the aid of wind and rain to Our forces, within ten days all his followers had been brought low and put to death. Now that this author of evil has already been removed, let all together turn toward good. We shall wash away the old defilement, and together with the myriad things make all things new once more. The ninth year of Tenpyō-Hōji should be changed to the first year of Tenpyō-jingo." (Note: the Ichidai Yōki states that the era was changed on the seventeenth day, but this is mistaken.) A further edict was issued: "In rewarding Our ministers there is a due measure for each: some for their service in ordinary times, others for their merit in the field of battle. Yet in advancing rank and bestowing office on this occasion, We should depart from the ordinary rule. In a time of peace and order, there is none who does not faithfully carry out his duties. But when the state was lately in peril, Our ministers exhausted their strength, spared not their lives, held fast to purity and loyalty of heart, and guarded the court. Their merit should be recorded and openly commended and advanced. Henceforth let them labor diligently without slackening, guide the mediocre and unworthy by instruction, and hold ever more firmly to earnest devotion." Thereupon the ranks of the assembled ministers were advanced, a banquet was held for those of the fifth rank and above, and gifts were bestowed, each according to standing. On the eighth day, the day Kanoe-ne, an edict remitted the labor and tribute taxes of Takashima district in Ōmi, through which the government troops had passed, for two years, and those of Shiga and Asai districts for one year; relief, in due measure, was also to be given from confiscated property. On the third day of the second month, the day Kinoe-ne, the Judōei, the Guard of the Sword-Bearers, was renamed the Konoefu, the Palace Guards Headquarters, and the Naikyūryō, the Bureau of the Inner Stables, was established for the first time. On the eighth day, the day Tsuchinoto-mi, Junior Third Rank Fujiwara-no-Kurajimaro was made General of the Palace Guards. On the twenty-ninth day, the day Kanoe-tora, millet from the Left and Right Capitals was sold at the eastern and western markets, at a hundred coins the to. This month, the price of rice rose high in the capital, and private rice was shipped in from the provinces of Saikaidō. On the second day of the third month, the day Mizunoto-mi, an edict was issued: "In recent years We have met with drought, and the hundred grains have failed to ripen. We grieve over this deeply. Where a province that failed to produce a harvest last year has obtained one this year, let the tax be collected from it as before. Should there be provinces that again fail to produce a harvest this year, let them await Our further disposition in the autumn season. The three provinces of Bizen, Bitchū, and Bingo have long suffered severe drought, and their desolation is especially deep. On this account the regular tax owed by them cannot be delivered. Let all arrears of official rice owed from before the eighth year of Tenpyō-Hōji be entirely forgiven." On the fourth day, the day Kinoto-hitsuji, since Mikawa, Shimōsa, Hitachi, Kōzuke, and Shimotsuke had suffered drought, an edict remitted seven or eight tenths of their labor and tribute taxes for this year. On the fifth day, the day Hinoe-saru, an edict forbade the people of the realm from freely opening new fields, and forbade imperial princes and court nobles from privately storing weapons; whatever they already possessed was to be delivered up to the government in every case. In summer, on the sixteenth day of the fourth month, the day Hinoto-ushi, a thousand koku of grain from the Left and Right Capitals was sold at the eastern and western markets. On the twenty-sixth day of the fifth month, the day Hinoe-tatsu, a thousand koku of grain was sold to the poor. On the tenth day of the sixth month, the day Kanoe-uma, a thousand koku of grain and a hundred koku of salt were sold to the poor. In autumn, on the fourteenth day of the seventh month, the day Kinoe-tatsu, three thousand three hundred koku of grain from the Left and Right Capitals was sold to the officials of the various offices. On the first day of the eighth month, the day Kanoe-saru, the Councillor and Minister of Military Affairs, Prince Wake, rose in rebellion and was put to death. The Councillor and Senior Assistant Minister of Civil Personnel, Awata-no-Michimaro, the Senior Assistant Minister of Military Affairs, Ōtsu-no-Ōura, and the Junior Assistant Minister of Civil Personnel Supernumerary, Ishikawa-no-Nagatoshi, were implicated as his partisans and banished far away. On the eighth day of the ninth month, the day Hinoto-tori, new coins were further minted, and put into circulation together with the old. On the twenty-first day, the day Kanoe-inu, since a progress to Kii was planned, envoys were sent to have temporary palaces, angū, built in Yamato, Kawachi, and Izumi. In winter, on the first day of the tenth month, the day Tsuchinoto-hitsuji, there was a solar eclipse. On the thirteenth day, the day Kanoto-hitsuji, the empress made a progress to Kii. On the eighteenth day, the day Hinoe-ne, she arrived at Tamatsushima. On the nineteenth day, the day Hinoto-ushi, she went to the Bōkairō, the Sea-Viewing Pavilion, at the southern shore, and had court music and various entertainments performed; a market was set up there for the occasion, and the attendant officials and the common people of the province were allowed to trade. On the twenty-third day, the day Kanoto-mi, the Lord of Awaji died. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Kinoe-saru, the imperial carriage returned and arrived at the temporary palace of Fuke in Izumi. On the last day of the month, the day Tsuchinoe-ne, it arrived at Yugedera in Kawachi, where the empress worshipped the Buddha and had music performed. On the second day of the intercalary month, the day Kanoe-tora, the Minister and Meditation Master, the monk Dōkyō, was made Grand Minister and Meditation Master, Daijō-daijin Zenji, and an edict ordered the civil and military hundred officials to offer their congratulations. On this day, she again made a progress to Yugedera. On the third day, the day Kanoto-u, an edict was issued: "This year's tribute of Kawachi and Izumi is remitted, as is the rice-field tax of Ōgata and Wakae districts in Kawachi, and of three districts in Izumi. Gifts shall be given to the aged in the vicinity of the temporary palace, and those guilty of a capital offense or less shall be pardoned." On this day, the imperial carriage returned to the Inaba Palace. On the fifth day of the eleventh month, the day Mizunoe-inu, envoys were sent to have the shrines of the realm throughout repaired. On the sixteenth day, the day Mizunoto-tori, the Daijōsai, the Great Thanksgiving Rite, was performed. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Kinoe-saru, the Minister of the Right, Fujiwara-no-Toyonari, died. This year there was famine in the Left and Right Capitals, Izumi, Yamashiro, Iga, Owari, Mikawa, Suruga, Kai, Sagami, Hitachi, Mino, Musashi, Kōzuke, Shimotsuke, Noto, Ecchū, Tanba, Hōki, Izumo, Iwami, Oki, Harima, Mimasaka, Bingo, Kii, Awaji, Awa, Sanuki, Iyo, Iki, and Tanegashima; relief was given to all. Saidaiji was also built, and bronze-gilt images of the Four Heavenly Kings were cast there (Note: "Saidaiji was also built" onward follows the Mizukagami, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Genkō Shakusho; the Ichidai Yōki dates the building of Saidaiji to the second year).

¶In the second year, the year Hinoe-uma, in spring, on the eighth day of the first month, the day Kinoe-ne, the Major Counselor, Fujiwara-no-Nagate, was made Minister of the Right. On the fourteenth day, the day Kanoe-uma, dancing to song, tōka, in the villages of the two capitals and the home provinces was forbidden (Note: "the fourteenth day" onward follows the Ruijū Sandaikyaku). In summer, on the twenty-second day of the fourth month, the day Hinoto-hitsuji, an edict was issued: "We have of late had a thought in mind. We take refuge in the Three Treasures, practice the way, and perform repentance. To weep over transgression and loosen the net is the mark of the benevolence of the sages of old. We wish to extend Our clemency, and wash away every stain of fault entirely. A general amnesty should be proclaimed throughout the realm. The rebel factions, both earlier and more recent, are not included." On the last day of the month, the day Kinoe-tora, a certain man claimed to be a son of Emperor Shōmu, born of a woman of the Isonokami-no-Shii clan. On investigation this proved false, and he was sentenced by edict to distant exile. On the seventeenth day of the fifth month, the day Kanoto-hitsuji, offerings, heihaku, were presented to the deity of Niukawakami and to the assembled gods of the home provinces, to pray for rain. On the third day of the sixth month, the day Hinoto-i, a great storm struck Hyūga, Ōsumi, and Satsuma, destroying the mulberry and hemp entirely; an edict remitted the labor and tribute taxes of the frontier guard-households, sakuko. On the fifth day, the day Tsuchinoto-ushi, the god of Ōsumi formed a new island; the tremors did not cease, and many of the people fled their homes. Relief was given. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Kanoe-inu, since the Left and Right Capitals and Yamato had repeatedly failed to produce a harvest year after year, an edict remitted their unpaid tax (Note: the Ichidai Yōki states that there was heavy snow this month, but since this work does not record it, it is not noted here). In autumn, on the twenty-third day of the seventh month, the day Hinoe-ne, envoys were sent to have a sixteen-foot Buddha image made at the Great Shrine Temple of Ise. On the fifth day of the ninth month, the day Tsuchinoe-uma, an edict was issued: "We have lately seen in the memorials of Ise, Mino, and other provinces that great storms have damaged many government buildings, and that some have even lost their lives. In ancient times, not to inquire after the horses first was the deep benevolence of the men of old. Now, over the injury done to men, We grieve most deeply. We have heard that the provincial governors fail to discharge the trust placed in them by the court, that they show their private greed early on, that the granaries stand empty, and that the rice and grain lie rotting and discolored. Having already forgotten that lasting ease is won only through a season of hardship, they bring upon themselves in the end the troubles of mice and sparrows, and of wind and rain. Were a good governor to hold the post, how could such things come to pass? Henceforth let this abuse be reformed once and for all. Let the provinces record in detail the number of government buildings repaired within the year, and report it yearly through the provincial reporting envoys, chōshūshi. The two provincial temples should likewise be held to the same standard. None should startle the ears and eyes of the people by appealing to divine wonders." On the fifteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-tatsu, an edict was issued: "Wheat and barley carry over what would otherwise run out, and relieve want; among the grains they are especially good. The several provinces of the realm should encourage and require the common people to plant wheat and barley." (Note: "the fifteenth day" onward follows the Ruijū Sandaikyaku.) On the twenty-third day, the day Hinoe-ne, circuit inspectors were sent to the five home provinces and the six circuits, to inquire into the people's hardships; for Saikaidō, the Dazaifu was made to conduct the inquiry. In winter, on the first day of the tenth month, the day Mizunoto-hitsuji, there was a solar eclipse. On the twentieth day, the day Mizunoe-tora, relics that had appeared on the Bishamon image of Sumidera were placed at Hokkeji, and an edict ordered the hundred officials of the rank of clerk, sakan, and above to perform worship there; the Grand Minister and Meditation Master, the monk Dōkyō, was granted the rank of Hōō, Dharma King (Note: the Mizukagami places this in the second year of Jingo-keiun, and writes Hōō as Hōkō, but both are mistaken). The Junior Prelate, Enkō, was granted the rank of Hōshin, Dharma Minister, and the monk Kishin was made Hōsangi Dairisshi, Councillor of the Law and Grand Master of Discipline. A further edict made the Minister of the Right, Fujiwara-no-Nagate, Minister of the Left, and the Major Counselor, Kibi-no-Makibi, Minister of the Right. On the twenty-first day, the day Mizunoto-u, an edict was issued: "We have long had a thought in mind, and have awakened the aspiration for enlightenment and taken refuge in the supreme way. By a divine sign, three grains of relic appeared within a sealed vessel. For months We marveled at this, unable to learn its origin. We have heard it said that the unicorn, the phoenix, and the five sacred creatures are auspicious signs for a true king, and that in an age of utmost virtue the histories never cease to record them. Yet never before has a whole-body relic manifested its form in such a way. That a response should surely follow where there is true feeling is indeed no idle saying. We, of empty and slight virtue, have passed the years in constant dread, Our care for the people falling short of the proper way, ever cautious as though treading on ice or at the edge of a ravine. How could We have imagined that the utmost Way, still and silent, should answer feeling by showing forth the truth, and that perfect nature, calm and unmoved, should gather its sacred light to make manifest its substance? The traces of the Lonely Garden — Jetavana — have long been cut off, and this has troubled Our heart; yet now the evening form of the twin forest — the sal trees of the Buddha's passing — shines resplendent and fills Our eyes. Even the mysterious tablets and green characters of ancient omen could not compare with this in their own age. We now know that the Law of the West flows to the East, and that this very day marks its arrival. That We should so unexpectedly bear so rare and sacred a treasure of this age — how could it fail to match the joy of all the people? Let one rank be added to the civil and military hundred officials of the sixth rank and below." On the seventh day of the eleventh month, the day Tsuchinoto-hitsuji, over sixteen thousand four hundred koku of grain from Iwaki and Miyagi districts in Mutsu was given in relief to the poor. On the twelfth day of the twelfth month, the day Mizunoto-mi, she made a progress to Saidaiji. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, lightning struck the eastern pagoda of Daianji. This year there was famine in Kawachi, Izumi, Shima, Iwami, Awaji, and Tanegashima, and relief was given (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi).

¶In the first year of Jingo-keiun, the year Hinoto-hitsuji, in spring, on the eighth day of the first month, the day Tsuchinoto-hitsuji, an edict ordered the seven circuits of the home provinces to have the Kichijō Keka, the Rite of Repentance to the Goddess of Fortune, performed for seven days at the provincial temples and the Konkōmyōji, praying that wind and rain follow their proper season and the five grains ripen. On the eighteenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-mi, an edict granted rank to those among the imperial princes who were advanced in years and had rendered meritorious service. On the fourth day of the second month, the day Kinoe-saru, she made a progress to Tōdaiji. On the seventh day, the day Hinoto-i, the imperial carriage attended the Sekiten, the rite honoring Confucius, at the University. On the eighth day, the day Tsuchinoe-ne, she made a progress to Yamashinadera — Kōfukuji. On the first day of the third month, the day Kanoe-inu, there was a solar eclipse. On the second day, the day Kanoto-i, she made a progress to Gangōji. On the third day, the day Mizunoe-ne, she made a progress to the cloister of Saidaiji. On the ninth day, the day Tsuchinoe-uma, she made a progress to Daianji. On the fourteenth day, the day Mizunoto-i, she made a progress to Yakushiji. In summer, on the fourteenth day of the fourth month, the day Mizunoto-mi, the new hall of the Eastern Cloister was completed, roofed with glazed tile and painted with colored patterns; people of the time called it the Jeweled Palace. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Mizunoto-u, an edict was issued: "Agriculture is the foundation of the realm, and officials are the father and mother of the people. In encouraging and requiring farming and sericulture there should be a fixed rule. Of late the harvest of the several provinces has fallen short year after year. This is not only a fault of the season granted by Heaven, but also stems from the negligence of human affairs. Let provincial and district governors of diligent service, and commoners of good, careful, and sincere character, be chosen to pray and sacrifice to the gods of Heaven and earth, and to encourage and require farming. Where their prayer meets with response and their encouragement bears fruit, special reward shall be given." On the twenty-sixth day, the day Kinoto-mi, she made a progress to the Akunami Palace. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Hinoto-hitsuji, she returned to the palace. On the fourth day of the fifth month, the day Mizunoe-ne, seed was lent out to the home provinces. In autumn, on the tenth day of the seventh month, the day Hinoto-mi, the Naijushō, the Bureau of Pages, was established for the first time. On the eighth day of the eighth month, the day Kinoto-tori, Mikawa province reported that an auspicious cloud had appeared. Six hundred monks were summoned to the sleeping hall of the Western Palace, and a religious feast was held. On the sixteenth day, the day Mizunoto-mi, an edict changed the era name and proclaimed a general amnesty throughout the realm. The ranks of the assembled ministers were advanced and gifts bestowed; filial sons, obedient grandsons, righteous husbands, and chaste wives were honored; relief was given to the aged among the widowers, widows, the solitary, and the orphaned; and half of this year's rice-field tax throughout the realm was remitted. On the first day of the ninth month, the day Tsuchinoe-saru, five-colored clouds appeared above the sun. On the second day, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, she made a progress to the island cloister of Saidaiji. In winter, on the twenty-fourth day of the tenth month, the day Kanoe-ne, she came forth to the Daigokuden and summoned six hundred monks to read through the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra by alternate recitation, and had music and song-dance, tōka, performed. This month, the fortress of Korehari in Mutsu was completed. This year there was famine in Yamashiro, Shima, and Owari; the five grains failed to ripen in Izumi; and there was drought and famine in Awaji; relief was given to each in turn. Mino had failed to produce a harvest for several years on account of severe drought, and its unpaid tax was remitted.

¶In the second year, the year Tsuchinoe-saru, in spring, on the tenth day of the first month, the day Kinoto-u, Harima presented a white deer. On the twenty-eighth day of the second month, the day Mizunoto-u, the fortress of Ito in Chikuzen was completed. On the first day of the third month, the day Kinoto-mi, there was a solar eclipse. On the tenth day, the day Kinoe-tora, the unpaid tax owed from the second year of Tenpyō-jingo by the Left and Right Capitals and the five home provinces was remitted. On the fourteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-uma, hail fell. In summer, on the third day of the fifth month, the day Hinoe-uma, an edict was issued: "That on entering a country one should ask after the sovereign's personal name is a matter of ritual propriety. On examining of late the name registers submitted by the several offices, We find that some fail to avoid the personal names of past and present rulers, some take the titles mahito and ason as personal names, and others use the titles of buddhas, bodhisattvas, and sages and worthies. Each time We see or hear of this, Our mind is troubled. Such cases should be corrected at once, and care taken to conform to the codes of ritual propriety." On the twenty-third day, the day Hinoe-tora, on account of drought, offerings, heihaku, were presented to the assembled gods of the home provinces. On the twenty-first day of the sixth month, the day Mizunoto-mi, Musashi presented a white pheasant, and an edict was issued: "We, of empty and slight virtue, have unworthily received the great foundation of the throne, and reign over the four quarters, rearing the myriad creatures as Our own children. Good government has not yet spread everywhere, and We ever dread the weight of this charge. The pure customs of old may at times have failed, and Our mind is constantly startled, as though driving a horse that will not be controlled. Now a man of Musashi, Asukabe-no-Kishi-no-Iokuni, has caught and presented a white pheasant from Kuraki district. We referred the matter to the assembled ministers for deliberation, and they reported: "The pheasant is a sign of the single-hearted loyalty of a good minister, and its whiteness a token of the sacred court's radiance shining forth anew. That the province should be called Musashi already presents the good fortune of one who has laid arms aside to honor letters. That the district should be named Kuraki makes plain the sign of the prolonging of the sacred reign. The surname Kishi marks the hearts of the countless people who come to submit as to a parent. The name Iokuni truly manifests the sign of five hundred tributes offered at court." We face this fine gift with a sense of Our own meager virtue. Of old, in the flourishing age of Zhou, when punishment was set aside and unused, Yuechang in the end presented a white pheasant; and in the reign of peace at Toyosaki — the reign of Emperor Ingyō — Nagato likewise offered a white pheasant. To speak at length of so auspicious a sign, it is truly fitting that grace be extended. Let the unpaid tax owed by Musashi from before the second year of Tenpyō-jingo be remitted, and a third of this year's rice-field tax of Kuraki district. Let the provincial and district governors each be granted one rank, and let rank and gifts be bestowed upon Iokuni." In autumn, on the eleventh day of the seventh month, the day Mizunoe-uma, Hyūga presented a white tortoise. On the nineteenth day, the day Kanoe-tora, the Dazaifu reported: "North of the granary office of Yashiro district in Higo, toads gathered in ranks over an area of about seven jō, and then departed toward the south." On the last day of the month, the day Kanoto-ushi, an edict honored Confucius, and ordered that he be given the posthumous title King Bunsen. On the first day of the eighth month, the day Mizunoe-tora, there was a solar eclipse. On the eighth day, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, Mikawa presented a white crow. On the nineteenth day, the day Kanoe-saru, Shimōsa petitioned to have the Kenu River dredged, and this was granted. On the eleventh day of the ninth month, the day Kanoto-mi, an edict was issued: "Of late Mikawa has presented a white crow, and Hyūga a red-eyed white tortoise and a dark horse with a white mane and tail. In each case the matter was referred to the proper office to be checked against the charts and registers, and it was found that both accord with the great auspicious signs. We, of thin and meager virtue, have repeatedly been burdened with so great a gift. Mindful of the precedents of former reigns, We shall extend Our grace accordingly. Let this year's labor tax of Higo and Hyūga be remitted; let the labor and tribute taxes of the districts that produced the signs be remitted especially; and let rank and gifts be bestowed on those who caught them." In winter, on the twentieth day of the tenth month, the day Kanoe-saru, she made a progress to Hase-dera. On the twenty-second day, the day Mizunoe-inu, she returned to the palace. On the second day of the eleventh month, the day Mizunoe-saru, Mimasaka presented a white rat. On the fourth day of the twelfth month, the day Kinoe-tatsu, the Hōsangi, Kishin, was found guilty of an offense and banished to Hida. This year there was famine on the island of Iki, and relief was given.

¶In the third year, the year Tsuchinoto-tori, in spring, on the first day of the first month, the day Kanoe-uma, the New Year's felicitations were cancelled on account of rain. On the second day, the day Kanoto-hitsuji, she came forth to the Daigokuden and received the New Year's felicitations. On the third day, the day Mizunoe-saru, the Dharma King, Dōkyō, took his place in the front hall of the Western Palace, and the ministers and officials below him offered their congratulations. On the seventh day, the day Hinoe-ne, the empress went to the Dharma King's residence and held a banquet for those of the fifth rank and above. On the eighth day, the day Hinoto-ushi, she went to the Eastern Palace and performed the Kichijō Keka for the first time. On the seventeenth day, the day Hinoe-inu, she went to the Eastern Cloister and held a banquet for the assembled ministers. On the third day of the second month, the day Mizunoe-tora, she made a progress to the residence of the Minister of the Left, Fujiwara-no-Nagate. On the sixteenth day, the day Kinoto-u, sacred garments, kanmiso, were presented to the Grand Shrine and to the shrines of the realm. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Mizunoto-i, she made a progress to the residence of the Minister of the Right, Kibi-no-Makibi. On the twenty-eighth day of the third month, the day Hinoe-saru, a general amnesty was proclaimed throughout the realm. In summer, on the twenty-fourth day of the fourth month, the day Kanoto-tori, she made a progress to Saidaiji. On the sixteenth day of the fifth month, the day Mizunoto-hitsuji, Ise presented a white dove. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Mizunoe-tatsu, Imperial Princess Fuwa, convicted of the crime of sorcery and cursing, fuko, was banished from the capital. Hikami-no-Shikeshimaro was exiled to Tosa. In autumn, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the day Kanoe-tatsu, offerings, heihaku, were presented to the god of wind, Fūhaku, of the home provinces. On the first day of the eighth month, the day Hinoe-saru, there was a solar eclipse. On the ninth day, the day Kinoe-tatsu, there was a great flood in Owari, and grain was given in relief to the poor. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Tsuchinoto-ushi, Junior Fifth Rank Lower Wake-no-Kiyomaro, for having opposed Dōkyō, was exiled to Ōsumi. In winter, on the first day of the tenth month, the day Kinoto-hitsuji, an edict bestowed belts of purple damask on the assembled ministers, with the character for forbearance, jo, written in gold at both ends. On the fifteenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, she made a progress to the Akunami Palace. On the seventeenth day, the day Kanoto-i, she went on to the Yuge Palace. On the twenty-first day, the day Kinoto-u, stalls for a market were temporarily set up at Ryūgeji, and the imperial carriage went to view them. On the last day of the month, the day Kinoe-ne, an edict made the Yuge Palace the Western Capital, made Kawachi province the Kawachi Administration, and granted a local amnesty, pardoning those guilty of a capital offense or less. On the ninth day of the eleventh month, the day Mizunoto-tori, the imperial carriage returned to the palace. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Kanoto-u, Iyo presented a white deer. This year there was famine in Shima and Shimōsa, and relief was given.

¶In the fourth year, the year Kanoe-inu, in spring, on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, a Ninnōe assembly was held in the palace. On the twenty-first day, the day Kinoe-saru, a great storm within the jurisdiction of the Dazaifu destroyed dwellings, and relief was given. On the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the day Kanoe-saru, she made a progress to the Yuge Palace. On the fourth day of the third month, the day Hinoto-u, a Silla envoy was entertained at the Dazaifu and sent home. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Kanoto-u, she viewed the utagaki, the song-and-dance gathering. In summer, on the fifth day of the fourth month, the day Hinoto-tori, an edict ordered the pagoda of Yugedera to be built. On the sixth day, the day Tsuchinoe-inu, the imperial carriage returned to the palace. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Tsuchinoe-inu — earlier, at the time of Fujiwara-no-Nakamaro's rebellion, the empress had made a vow to have a hundred thousand miniature three-tiered pagodas built. By this time the pagodas were completed, and they were distributed among the several temples. On the tenth day of the fifth month, the day Mizunoe-saru, an edict was issued: "Last year Iyo presented a white deer, and this year the Dazaifu has offered a white sparrow. That Heaven and earth should send down such blessings, and auspicious signs appear one after another, comes of the auspicious bird displaying its fortunate form, and its pearl-like plumage representing a gift bestowed from above; it is truly because the ancestral shrines have accumulated virtue, and its surplus grace has reached down to Us. How could Our own mediocre and empty person be truly worthy of such a response? We shall receive the blessing of Heaven with ever greater caution, and bear this sacred gift with ever deeper awe. Together only with the ministers who share Our virtue and the good officials who assist Our government, We should spread abroad the utmost way of government, and respectfully answer what is above, Heaven itself. Following precedent, let benevolent measures be weighed out and extended. Let those who caught the auspicious signs be granted rank and gifts. Let the unpaid regular tax owed by Iyo and Higo from before the third year of Jingo-keiun be remitted, and a third of the rice-field tax of the districts that produced the signs be remitted as well." On the first day of the sixth month, the day Mizunoe-tatsu, an edict proclaimed a general amnesty throughout the realm. On the tenth day, the day Kanoto-ushi — earlier, since returning from the Yuge Palace, the empress had been unwell for months. The Minister of the Left, Fujiwara-no-Nagate, was accordingly charged by edict to take over the affairs of the Palace Guards, the Outer Guards, and the Left and Right Military Guards, and the Minister of the Right, Kibi-no-Makibi, to take charge of the affairs of the Central Guards and the Left and Right Gate Guards. On the twenty-third day, the day Kinoe-tora, rites were held to propitiate the deity of plague at the four corners of the capital and the ten boundaries of the home provinces. This month, a comet entered the Big Dipper, and did not disappear until the seventh month. This summer there was famine and epidemic disease in the capital, a great storm in Shima, and long rains in Mino. There was famine on the island of Tsushima, and relief was given. In autumn, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the day Kinoto-i, an edict was issued: "We bear a weighty charge, as though treading on thin ice at the edge of a deep abyss. Above, We cannot anticipate Heaven and honor its season; below, We cannot rear the people as Our own children. We have set aside rich fare and made Our own person plain, growing ever more cautious day by day. Ordinances forbidding the taking of life have been set up in the provinces, and codes of pardon have been proclaimed at court. Yet still the pestilential air injures the living, and strange calamities startle all things; to speak of this at length, the pain in Our breast knows no end, and We do not know what more can be done. Only the teaching of the Buddha can deliver from suffering and remove calamity. For this reason We look to the wind of awakening, and wish to dispel this ill-omened mist. Let the great and small temples of the capital be made to read through the Great Perfection of Wisdom Sutra within a limit of seven days. Let it be proclaimed throughout the realm that the eating of pungent vegetables, wine, and meat be forbidden. Let the temples of the several provinces likewise read this sutra. Let the civil and military officials, within the court and without, likewise conform to this rule." On the eighteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, Hitachi presented a white crow, and Chikuzen a white pheasant. This month there was flood damage in Dewa, epidemic disease in Tajima, and famine in Tosa; relief was given. On the first day of the eighth month, the day Kanoe-tora, there was a solar eclipse. The Councillor and General of the Outer Guards, Fujiwara-no-Tsugutada, was sent to Ise to present offerings, heihaku, and horses to the Grand Shrine. Envoys were also sent to present horses to the shrine of Wakasahiko and to the Hachiman Shrine. On the second day, the day Kanoto-u, envoys were sent to present offerings, heihaku, to the deity of Kehi in Echizen and the deity of Keta in Noto. The Director of the Bureau of Music, Prince Ito, was sent to Sumiyoshi to receive an oracle from the god. On the fourth day, the day Mizunoto-mi, the empress died in the sleeping hall of the Western Palace. She was fifty-three years of age (Note: the Gukanshō and the Jinnō Shōtōki give her age as fifty-seven, but this is mistaken). The Minister of the Left, Fujiwara-no-Nagate, and others deliberated together and installed the Major Counselor, Prince Shirakabe, as crown prince. She was buried at the Takano mausoleum in Saki village, Sōnoshimo district, and was called the Takano Sovereign. That spring, shamans and mediums, fugeki, had declared that the foundation stone of the eastern pagoda of Saidaiji was behaving strangely. Brushwood was accordingly piled upon it and wine poured over it, and it was burned, broken up, and cast out onto the road. As it happened the empress fell ill at just this time, and on divination it was said that the stone was working a curse; it was therefore moved to a pure place, and rites of exorcism, enjō, were performed. Afterward, the empress made a progress to the Yuge Palace, but, feeling unwell in her sacred person, returned at once to the Heijō Palace. For more than a hundred days she did not attend to the affairs of government herself, and the assembled ministers were unable to obtain an audience with her. Only the Mistress of the Imperial Wardrobe, Kibi-no-Yuri, went in and out of her bedchamber, conveying matters that needed to be reported to her (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi).

¶The empress held Buddhism in especial reverence, and took pains to show mercy in matters of punishment and imprisonment. During the Shōhō years her government was praised for its frugality. Yet from the time Nakamaro was put to death, Dōkyō monopolized power, recklessly raising labor levies to press forward the building of temple halls, so that public and private resources alike were exhausted and the needs of the state fell short. Government and punishment grew harsher by the day, and executions were carried out without restraint. Compared with the governance of her earlier years, it is said that wrongful convictions and excessive punishments became far more common. Later generations accordingly called her earlier reign Empress Kōken, and her later reign Empress Shōtoku.