Emperor Montoku

Emperor Montoku

¶Emperor Montoku's personal name was Michiyasu. He was the eldest son of Emperor Ninmyō. His mother was the Empress Dowager Fujiwara-shi, of the Fujiwara clan.

¶He was born in the eighth month of the fourth year of Tenchō (Note: the year of birth follows the Ōkagami and the Ichidai Yōki. The Kōdaiki, however, gives the fifth month). At first he held the rank of imperial prince.

¶In the seventh month of the tenth year, he paid a chōkin visit, presenting himself at court to pay his respects. He was seven years old at the time, yet his bearing and conduct were so correct and dignified, so like that of a grown man, that all who saw him were astonished and full of admiration.

¶In the second month of the ninth year of Jōwa, he underwent the genpuku, the ceremony of coming of age, at the Jijūden. When the crown prince, Imperial Prince Tsunesada, was deposed, he was installed as crown prince in his place (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

¶In the third year of Kashō, on the twenty-first day of the third month, the day Tsuchinoto-i, Emperor Ninmyō's illness grew grave, and he left a testamentary edict to the crown prince directing that he should ascend the throne before the coffin. Before long the emperor died, and the crown prince withdrew to a kyūro, a temporary hut, in the eastern garden of the Giyōden. One lieutenant each of the Left and Right Palace Guards led guardsmen and took up position around the hut (Note: the account from "the Left and Right Palace Guards" onward follows the Shoku Nihon Kōki. Note further: regarding the kyūro, the Shoku Nihon Kōki calls it the crown prince's jikisō, direct office; it would seem that the jikisō stood in the garden of the Giyōden and may also have been called the kyūro. Since the substance is the same, the wording of the main text is followed here). The Ministers of the Left and Right, leading the assembled ministers, the Minor Counsellors, and the lieutenants of the Left and Right Palace Guards, presented the sacred jewel, the sacred sword, the tally of office, and the bell-seal (Note: for the passage from "the Ministers of the Left and Right" to "the lieutenants," the Shoku Nihon Kōki instead states that the Councillor and Captain of the Left and Right Military Guards, Fujiwara-no-Suke, led the office of the lieutenants of the Left and Right Palace Guards). That same day, he rode in a renshsa, a hand-drawn carriage, and took up residence at the Gain of the Crown Prince's Palace. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Mizunoto-u, Emperor Ninmyō was buried. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Kinoto-mi, there was a violent storm with thunder and rain, and trees at the Saga mausoleum were blown down. The Middle Counsellor Abe-no-Yasuhito was sent to inspect the damage. On this day, the ministers memorialized, saying that in administering the affairs of government throughout the realm, the crown prince's directives were still termed ryōji, orders, which they feared might give rise to doubt among those who saw or heard them, and requesting that the term ryō be changed to choku, edict. This was not granted. On the second day of the fourth month, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, the Governor-General of the Dazaifu, Imperial Prince Fujii, died. On the third day, the day Kanoe-inu, the ministers submitted a memorial urging him to ascend the throne. This had by now been done some three times in all, and he at last consented. On the sixth day, the day Mizunoto-ushi, the emperor's kōjo, the completion of the mourning period, took place, and the hundred officials returned to kichifuku, ordinary dress. On this day, there was an earthquake. On the fifteenth day, the day Mizunoe-inu, there was an earthquake. On the seventeenth day, the day Kinoe-ne, the emperor ascended the throne at the Daigokuden. He was twenty-four years of age at the time (Note: this age follows the Rekidai Kōki, the Gukanshō, and the Kōdaiki, together with this work's own statement that he died at the age of thirty-two). The Minister of the Left and concurrently Captain of the Left Palace Guards, Minamoto-no-Tokiwa, and the Minister of the Right and concurrently Captain of the Right Palace Guards, Fujiwara-no-Yoshifusa, both retained their posts (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). His birth mother, the consort Fujiwara-shi, was honored with the title of Kōtaifujin, Empress Mother, and the assembled ministers were each granted court rank. On the eighteenth day, the day Kinoto-ushi, an edict was proclaimed within the court and without: "The ekigetsu system, by which the sovereign's mourning is shortened by reckoning months in place of days, is grounded in ancient statute, yet the way proper to a minister and a son still calls for the inward observance of mourning, shinsō. Let the officials concerned be instructed that, for the full year until the first anniversary, feasting, music-making, and the wearing of fine dress are forbidden." On the twenty-second day, the day Tsuchinoto-mi, an edict pardoned the exile Koganesashi-no-Fukukimaro, banished to Sado, and allowed him to return. This month, the weather was cold. On the second day of the fifth month, the day Tsuchinoto-u, a great wind broke trees. On the fourth day, the day Kanoto-mi, the Grand Empress Dowager Tachibana-shi, of the Tachibana clan, died. On the fifth day, the day Mizunoe-uma, the Empress consort of Emperor Saga was buried. On the ninth day, the day Hinoe-inu, the Daihannyakyō was read by alternate recitation for three days at the Daigokuden, praying for rain. On the eleventh day, the day Tsuchinoe-ne, there was rainfall. On the thirteenth day, the day Kanoe-tora, the Daihannyakyō was read by alternate recitation for three days at the Crown Prince's Palace and the Chūgū, the Empress's Palace. On the twenty-first day, the day Tsuchinoe-inu, Iwami province reported that sweet dew, kanro, had fallen. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Mizunoto-u, hail fell, each stone about the size of a duck's egg. On the third day of the sixth month, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, lightning struck the sacchū, the central pillar of the pagoda, at Saiji temple. On the eleventh day, the day Hinoto-mi, Mimasaka province presented a white tortoise as tribute. On the twentieth day, the day Hinoe-tora, a shooting star was seen passing with its head and tail turning over and over. In autumn, on the second day of the seventh month, the day Hinoto-ushi, relief, shingō, was given to the poor of the Left and Right Capitals. On the fifth day, the day Kanoe-tatsu, the Daihannyakyō was read by alternate recitation at the Daigokuden, praying for the ripening of the five grains. Bizen province presented a white tortoise. On the ninth day, the day Kinoe-saru, the imperial princesses Anshi and Keishi were made Ise Priestess and Kamo Priestess respectively. Fujiwara-no-Furuko, Princess Tōshi, Fujiwara-no-Toshiko, Fujiwara-no-Takakiko, and Fujiwara-no-Koreko, all of Junior Fourth Rank Lower, were each made consorts, nyōgo. On the tenth day, the day Kinoto-tori, Iwami province presented sweet dew as tribute. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Tsuchinoto-i, there was heavy rain, which destroyed twelve jō of the Ryūbidō, the dragon-tail ramp, before the Daigokuden. On the eleventh day of the eighth month, the day Hinoe-tatsu, the ministers submitted a memorial offering congratulations on the auspicious signs of the white tortoises and the sweet dew. The emperor, in humility, declined to accept them. On the nineteenth day, the day Kinoe-ne, the assembled ministers again memorialized their congratulations. The emperor replied by edict: "We are still ourself within the great mourning, and have entrusted the affairs of government to the chōsai, those acting as regent and chief minister. Our virtue has not yet moved even what lies close at hand; how then could its transforming influence reach to what is distant and obscure? And yet now the auspicious signs of the white tortoise and the sweet dew have both appeared together, and you, our ministers, have submitted a memorial to congratulate Us on them. We know well that We cannot bear the burden of Our own shallow and insufficient virtue. To grieve when there is in fact no calamity is a thing conspicuous in the old precedents; and to rely upon an auspicious sign only to bring down misfortune is likewise not without example in the past. We do not wish to accept these words of congratulation." On the twenty-first day, the day Hinoe-tora, the ministers once again submitted a memorial requesting that their congratulations on the auspicious signs be accepted. This was granted. On the twenty-third day, the day Tsuchinoe-tatsu, envoys were sent to present a sacred sword, a bright mirror, fine incense, and silk thread and cloth, shihaku, at the Hachiman shrine and the Kashii shrine. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Tsuchinoto-mi, a sound like thunder was heard in the southern sky. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Kanoto-hitsuji, there was an earthquake. On the first day of the ninth month, the day Kinoto-i, there was a solar eclipse. On the eighth day, the day Mizunoe-uma, a man of the Right Capital found a white tortoise in Shimakami district, Settsu province, and presented it as tribute. On the fourteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-ne, the Councillor Fujiwara-no-Suke was sent to the Kamo shrine to present sacred treasures and pray for the peace of the state. On the fifteenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-ushi, an envoy was sent to the Kasuga shrine. Divine rank was conferred, and sacred treasures were presented, in prayer for peace. An edict was proclaimed: "Heaven's scrutiny is beyond fathoming, yet it manifests its numinous proofs in accordance with the sovereign's transforming influence; the principle of the gods is not something remote, yet it communicates its response according to human affairs. Thus, wherever bounty reaches, tortoises and dragons do not conceal the signs of their hidden aid; wherever virtue extends broadly, clouds and dew show in advance the auspicious signs of an age of peace. We, above, have followed the testamentary ordinance of the late emperor, and, below, have heeded the counsel of the assembled ministers, and, unable to decline further, have at last ascended the imperial throne. Yet still the pain of gathering bitter herbs grows only the more pressing, and the dread of standing at the edge of a deep ravine has not yet lifted; it is as though We were crossing a great river without knowing the way across. The deep pool of heavenly sweet dew is not necessarily poured out for Our sake, and how should the wisdom of the sacred tortoise in the waters rise up in reliance upon Us? For this reason We declined the memorial of the Council of State and did not accept the congratulations of the assembled ministers. And yet now, within the home provinces, in Settsu, a sacred tortoise has been found and presented. All say that this is a great and rare auspicious sign in the world, not to be set aside. We find Ourself once again going against the sincerity of their earnest request, and have pondered the matter again and again. Perhaps this is the result of the hundred gods and the seven ancestral shrines secretly aiding the myriad people, and of the sankai kyūkyoku, the ministers and high officials, bringing order and lustre to the government. Let the officials concerned choose an auspicious day and report this to the ancestral shrines and the altars of the state. The presentation of an auspicious sign, like the sealing of an altar mound or the counting of a horse's years, is not a thing that occurs at every turn; since a gift from Heaven has descended, reason demands some mark of special favor. Let Shimakami district in Settsu in particular be exempted from presenting this year's chō, the tribute tax. Let Aida district in Mimasaka, Anō district in Iwami, and Iwanashi district in Bizen each be exempted from this year's yō, the labor tax. Let Suguri-no-Minenari and the others who found the tortoise be granted the rank of Junior Sixth Rank Upper, with gifts bestowed according to custom. Let the hafuribe, shrine attendants, throughout the realm each be exempted from their land tax. And let all unpaid tribute and labor tax owed in the provinces of the five home provinces and seven circuits from before the sixth year of Jōwa be remitted in full." On the twenty-first day, the day Kinoto-hitsuji, an envoy was sent to present offerings at the Sumiyoshi shrine in Settsu, in thanks for the fulfillment of prayers long offered there. On the twenty-third day, the day Hinoto-tori, since the Yamazaki bridge had been destroyed by the great flood of the seventh month, an edict sent the Middle Counsellors Abe-no-Yasuhito and Minamoto-no-Hiromu, and the Councillors Shigeno-no-Sadanushi and Tomo-no-Yoshio, among others, to have facilities built for its repair. In winter, on the sixteenth day of the tenth month, the day Kanoe-saru, Dewa province reported that the earth had shaken violently, that mountains had collapsed and valleys been buried, and that many had been crushed to death. On the twentieth day, the day Kinoe-ne, envoys were sent to the Sono-Karakami shrine, to the Hinokuma and Kunikakasu shrines in Kii province, and to the Itakiso shrine, to present sacred treasures and divine rank, in thanks for the fulfillment of prayers long offered. On the twenty-third day of the eleventh month, the day Hinoe-saru, an edict was proclaimed: "The Shikyoku, the seat of the Heavenly Sovereign, shines on high, nurturing and sustaining the myriad things though it utters no word; the kōoku, the imperial carriage, sits in honor, extending its bounty and affection yet relying on nothing. Thus to carry on the legacy of Kun and Ka, the titles of Shun and Yao, falls not short in diligence, and the trace Yu once trod, spreading its influence like the wind, is likewise one with the nurturing of the people. We have reverently received the teaching of the late emperor, and humbly hold fast to the design of good government, tasting the bitterness of the sharyō, the herb that figures suffering, so as to spend Our very spirit, and looking with deep concern upon the common people. And yet now Our utmost sincerity has not spread everywhere, nor has even a small measure of trust reached the hearts of the people; Our hidden virtue has lacked harmony, and jūgi, the earth goddess, has delivered her reproof. The land of Dewa has answered precisely to the sign of the dōryō, the bronze dragon that portends earthquake, and the people of that frontier office have suffered in vain the calamity of a baleful, owl-like bird. Villages and dwellings have shaken and trembled, and the people cannot rest easy even as they tread the thick-laid earth; fortifications and stockades have toppled and crumbled, and their hardship only deepens. All should be regarded as one's own children, and yet some among them have met death or injury; being charged to look upon them as a mother alone would, how could We neglect to bring them relief? Envoys bearing Our seal should be sent posthaste, that the light of Our bounty may reach them. As for those whose disaster has been especially severe, and who cannot sustain their own livelihood, let the provincial governor take counsel and remit their land tax and tribute tax. And whether they be of the people or of the Emishi, let the granaries be opened and loans given, to revive their livelihoods, so that they are not reduced to further want. Where corpses or remains lie beneath broken walls and ruined houses, let the officials gather and bury them. Let every effort be made to extend generous aid: let those who are cold be given to know the bounty of an added warm garment, and let those who are hungry be given their fill from the granary stores." On the twenty-fifth day, the day Tsuchinoe-inu, the imperial prince Korehito was installed as crown prince, and the Major Counsellor Minamoto-no-Makoto was made Fu, Tutor to the Crown Prince. On the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, the day Hinoto-mi, there was thunder (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

¶In the first year of Ninju, the year Kanoto-hitsuji, in spring, on the first day of the first month, the day Kinoe-inu, the New Year's felicitations were not received, on account of ryōan, the sovereign's mourning. On the twelfth day, the day Kinoto-tori, there was an earthquake. On the last day of the month, the day Mizunoto-u, a shooting star appeared, its size about that of a to, a measuring box. On the second day of the second month, the day Kinoto-mi, there was an earthquake. On the thirteenth day, the day Hinoe-tatsu, the Seiryōden, which had served as Emperor Ninmyō's enshin, his hall of daily residence, could not bear to have its timber diverted to other use, and so a Buddhist hall was built from it at Kashōji temple. On the first day of the third month, the day Mizunoto-tori, there was a solar eclipse. On the fifteenth day, the day Hinoto-i, there was an earthquake. In summer, on the fourth day of the fourth month, the day Hinoe-uma, there was an earthquake. On the eighth day, the day Kanoe-inu, the emperor for the first time went in state to the Shishinden. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Hinoto-u, Harusumi-no-Yoshitada, Junior Fourth Rank Lower, was summoned to the Kitadono, the Northern Hall, and made to lecture on the Monzen, the Wen Xuan anthology. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Kanoe-uma, the era name was changed. An edict declared: "To found oneself upon the origin and abide in correctness is a maxim of the Spring and Autumn Annals; to put away the old and bring about the new is the mysterious teaching of the images of the Book of Changes. For this reason, every branch of the imperial line, every shining succession to the throne, has without exception revised the calendar to spread its influence and changed its insignia to proclaim its teaching. We, though of unworthy capacity, have succeeded to this great undertaking. The rites of ryōan have already concluded, yet Our grief and sorrow remain all the more acute. Yet once the year has turned and the months and days have moved on, failure to follow the old custom might invite fresh controversy. Last year, at the very outset of Our reign, auspicious signs of the white tortoise and the sweet dew appeared repeatedly. In Our own want of virtue, We did not presume to claim these for Ourself; yet, heeding the counsel of the ministers, We reported them to the ancestral shrines. Now is precisely the season when the pure yang spreads its virtue and the myriad things take on their proper form. Looking back upon those numinous and auspicious signs of the past, it is fitting that the era name be changed this day. Let the fourth year of Kashō be renamed the first year of Ninju." On the last day of the month, the day Kanoto-hitsuji, there was an earthquake. On the eighth day of the fifth month, the day Tsuchinoto-u, there was rainfall. On the ninth day, the day Kanoe-tatsu, an envoy was sent to the Niukawakami shrine to pray for clear weather, and relief was given to those in the Left and Right Capitals unable to support themselves. On the eleventh day, the day Mizunoe-uma, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Kinoto-hitsuji, there was again an earthquake. On the third day of the sixth month, the day Kinoe-tatsu, envoys were sent to the shrines of Ise, Kamo, Matsunoo, Otokuni, and others, to pray for clear weather. On the fourth day, the day Kinoto-mi, the sky cleared. On the fifth day, the day Hinoe-uma, envoys were sent out separately to the home provinces, and relief was given to those who had suffered flood damage. In autumn, on the eighth day of the seventh month, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-third day, the day Mizunoe-tatsu, at night something fell before the hall, giving off a light like fire. On the first day of the eighth month, the day Kanoe-ne, more than a hundred monks were summoned to the Daigokuden and made to read the Daihannyakyō, praying for the ripening of the five grains. On the second day, the day Kanoto-ushi, a man of Kawachi province presented kaka, an auspicious ear of rice, as tribute. On the tenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, there was heavy rainfall and flooding (Note: the account from "the tenth day" onward follows the Nihon Kiryaku). The Ministry of Ceremonial presented the chick of an unusual bird, but an edict ordered it released. On the fourteenth day, the day Mizunoto-ushi, since the great floods of recent years had destroyed the dwellings of the people, an edict exempted the Left and Right Capitals and the five home provinces from this year's tribute tax. Relief, shinjutsu, was given according to the severity of the damage to those most affected. On the fifteenth day, the day Kinoe-tora, the Kebiishi, officers of the Imperial Police, of the Left and Right were sent out, and rice was distributed to those in the capital who had suffered flood damage. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Mizunoto-i, Suruga province presented an auspicious plant as tribute, with purple leaves and a vermilion stem. On the first day of the ninth month, the day Kanoe-uma, there was a solar eclipse. On the ninth day, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, the sechie, the court banquet, was cancelled on account of the flood damage. In winter, on the fifth day of the tenth month, the day Mizunoto-u, there was an earthquake. On the eleventh day, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, an envoy was sent to present offerings at the Kashii Hachiman shrine. On the thirteenth day, the day Kanoto-i, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Kinoe-ne, a purification rite, gokei, was performed. On the last day of the month, the day Tsuchinoe-tatsu, the Great Purification, ōharae, was performed at the Suzaku Gate. On the sixth day of the eleventh month, the day Kinoe-inu, a dark spot appeared within the sun, about the size of a plum. On the twenty-first day, the day Tsuchinoto-ushi, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-third day, the day Kanoto-u, the Daijōsai, the Great Thanksgiving Rite, was performed. On the eighth day of the twelfth month, the day Kinoto-mi, an envoy was sent to present offerings at the Daijingū. On the fifteenth day, the day Mizunoe-ne, an envoy was sent to give relief to the starving people of Hōki. The people of the two districts of Iishi and Nita in Izumo province were exempted from tribute and labor tax for one year. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Mizunoe-inu, the people of Kikō district, Tōtōmi province, were exempted from tribute and labor tax for one year. This year, the winter was warm.

¶In the second year, the year Mizunoe-saru, in spring, on the third day of the first month, the day Kanoe-uma, the emperor paid his respects to the Chūgū, the Empress, at the Reizen'in. A banquet was bestowed at the Higashi-no-tsuridai, the eastern fishing platform, on the ministers in attendance, and each received a gracious gift. On the twelfth day, the day Tsuchinoto-u, the several Guards headquarters presented uzue, ceremonial wands of the Hare, as tribute (Note: the presentation of uzue is first seen in the third year of Empress Jitō's reign, though it is not there recorded as an established rite. From this year onward it is often seen. According to the Dairishiki, it had already become an established practice since the Kōnin era, and so it will not be separately noted hereafter). On the third day of the second month, the day Kanoe-ne, there was an earthquake. On the nineteenth day, the day Hinoe-tatsu, Harima province reported that a purple cloud had appeared. On the twentieth day, the day Hinoto-mi, a comet appeared in the west. On the twenty-first day, the day Tsuchinoe-uma, the Junior Assistant Governor-General of the Dazaifu, Tachibana-no-Takamune, presented a white rat as tribute. On the first day of the third month, the day Hinoto-u, there was a solar eclipse. On the sixth day, the day Mizunoe-saru, gifts were bestowed on officials of the Left and Right Palace Guards and others below them who had witnessed the eclipse directly, and relief was given to those especially poor in the capital. On the seventh day, the day Mizunoto-tori, Ōmi province presented a giant salamander as tribute. On the eighth day, the day Kinoe-inu, an envoy was sent to give relief to the starving people of Harima. On the eleventh day, the day Hinoto-ushi, an edict ordered the great temples to read the Daihannyakyō every year from the first day of the fourth month to the thirtieth day of the eighth month, to avert the calamities of flood and drought, and this was established as a permanent practice. On the twelfth day, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, there was an earthquake. On the thirteenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-u, the emperor decreed: "Among the eight branches of government in the Hongfan, the chapter of the Book of Documents, food is placed first. The Treatise on Food and Goods likewise states that there has never, from ancient times, been an example of a state governed well without grain in store. If this is so, the essence of kingly government, the very root of sustaining the people's lives, lies solely in devotion to agriculture. In recent years, the fields reported by the provinces as lying uncultivated have grown numerous. This arises because the officials of the provinces and districts have not applied themselves to the benefit of the land, nor given due weight to the people's lives — a thing sharply at odds with the principle of choosing good officials and entrusting the people to their care. In the cultivation of a field, diligent effort will increase the yield by three to per se, one unit of measure, while even slight neglect will diminish it by the same degree. If sowing the seed alone, when neglected even slightly, causes such loss, how much greater still is the loss when cultivation is abandoned altogether. A single se of field can support one household; leave a single se unfilled, and one household suffers hunger. Since there is already so much uncultivated land, how could there fail to be many who go hungry? The governors of the provinces and districts in ancient times made their rounds of the fields in spring, and where they found fields left uncultivated, had them tilled as a form of labor service, dividing the harvest equally between the state and the cultivator. So greatly did the men of old esteem the benefit of the land. Let this be conveyed to the circuits, that its purport be made known. Let the provincial and district officials make their own rounds of inspection, and see that ponds and weirs are kept in repair. Let those diligent in cultivation be praised and recorded, and those who are negligent be admonished and spurred on." (Note: the account from "the thirteenth day" onward follows the Ruijū Sandaikyaku.) On the fifteenth day, the day Kanoto-mi, relief was given to the starving people of Kawachi, Wakasa, and Inaba. In summer, on the eighth day of the fourth month, the day Kinoe-tatsu, envoys were sent to present offerings to the eminent deities of the realm. On the eighteenth day, the day Kinoe-tora, there was an earthquake. On the fifth day of the fifth month, the day Kanoto-hitsuji, the keiba, mounted archery, and sōme, horse racing, were cancelled. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Mizunoto-mi, Yamato province reported that a purple cloud had appeared (Note: this work itself gives this day's designation with a corrupted character; it is here corrected to the day Mizunoto-mi by calculation). On this day, sweet dew fell upon the capital. Yamato, Echizen, Kaga, Tajima, Inaba, Hōki, Oki, Harima, and Nagato all alike reported that sweet dew had fallen. On the third day of the sixth month, the day Tsuchinoe-inu, there was an earthquake. On the thirteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-saru, an envoy was sent to give relief to the starving people of Tosa. In autumn, on the tenth day of the seventh month, the day Kinoto-i, envoys were sent to present offerings to the eminent deities of Kamo, Matsunoo, Inari, Kibune, and others, praying for rain. On the thirteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, Kikō district, Tōtōmi province, was exempted from tribute. On the nineteenth day, the day Kinoe-saru, more than sixteen thousand poor people of Hizen and Bungo were exempted from tribute and labor tax. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Mizunoe-tatsu, all those of the sixth rank and above who had died while still owing borrowed government goods were granted a full pardon of the debt. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Mizunoto-mi, wind and rain damaged the ripening rice. On the first day of the eighth month, the day Kinoto-hitsuji, offerings were presented at the Daijingū, praying for the wind and rain to cease. On the nineteenth day, the day Mizunoto-ushi, an envoy was sent to present offerings at the Kehi shrine. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Tsuchinoto-hitsuji, Awaji province reported that a cow had given birth to a calf with two heads. On the last day of the month, the day Mizunoto-i, there was an earthquake. On the first day of the intercalary month, the day Kinoe-ne, there was a solar eclipse. On the twelfth day, the day Kinoto-i, a great wind blew off roofs and uprooted trees. On the sixteenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-u, rice from the Rin'in, the granary office, was used to give relief to those in the capital who had suffered wind damage. On the twenty-second day, the day Kinoto-tori, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Kanoe-tora, there was heavy rain. On the twenty-ninth day, the day Mizunoe-tatsu, envoys were sent out separately to present offerings at the shrines of Kamo, Matsunoo, and others, praying for clear weather. On the eighth day of the ninth month, the day Kanoto-ushi, there was an earthquake. On the ninth day, the day Mizunoe-tora, the emperor did not go in state for the Chōyō festival, the Double Ninth. In winter, on the fifth day of the tenth month, the day Hinoto-u, there was an earthquake. Envoys were sent to present offerings to the various deities of the realm, in thanks for the fulfillment of prayers long offered. On the eighteenth day, the day Kanoe-tatsu, there was an earthquake, accompanied by a sound like thunder. On the seventh day of the eleventh month, the day Tsuchinoto-i, there was an earthquake. On the twelfth day, the day Kinoe-tatsu, an envoy was sent to present offerings at the Make shrine in Tanba. On the twenty-sixth day of the twelfth month, the day Hinoto-i, an edict ordered the provinces of the five home provinces and seven circuits to read the Kongō Hannyakyō, to ward off epidemic disease.

¶In the third year, the year Mizunoto-tori, in spring, on the thirteenth day of the first month, the day Kinoe-tatsu, there was an earthquake. On the fifteenth day, the day Hinoe-uma, there was again an earthquake (Note: the account from "the fifteenth day" onward follows the Ruijū Kokushi). On the seventeenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-saru, the taisha, the great archery ceremony, was cancelled. On the eighteenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, the norikyumi, the wagered archery contest, was cancelled (Note: this work itself is missing the character for "cancelled"; it is here supplied from the Ruijū Kokushi and the Nihon Kiryaku). On the twentieth day of the second month, the day Kanoe-tatsu, the emperor moved his residence from the Crown Prince's Palace and entered the Rikain. He decreed: "We have not yet caused the fragrance of Our virtue to spread, and the traces of Our transforming teaching remain sparse. We fear that the people do not feel close to Us, and are ashamed before the feudal lords of Our own want of virtue. And yet now all the sons and daughters We have borne stand in a position to receive the weight of enfeoffment and the use of tōmoku, the tax revenue of a fief. When We consider the burdensome expense this entails, We feel an inward shame. We reflect privately that among the counsels the Imperial ancestors left as a warning for later generations is this: that the title of imperial prince be removed, and the surname of ason, courtier, bestowed instead. This has been carried on from generation to generation, and has already become an established practice. It is indeed fitting to nurture this sage custom, to spread it abroad for long ages to come, and to mingle their blood together with the Genji, the Minamoto clan. This, however, does not apply to those who already hold the title of imperial prince; children born later of the same mother are to be treated in the same way as the others. The bounty of an auspicious cloud makes, from the outset, no distinction of favor or disfavor, just as the blossoms of a tree still vary in their depth of color. We reflect that the great treasure of the realm lies in bending oneself to benefit others, and that the highest justice of the realm desires to diminish what is above in order to enrich what is below. Let this be proclaimed broadly within the court and without, that all may hear and know of it." On the last day of the month, the day Kanoe-tora, the emperor made a progress to the Reizen'in. He then proceeded to the residence of the Minister of the Right, Fujiwara-no-Yoshifusa, to view the cherry blossoms. This month, smallpox, hōsō, spread through the capital and the provinces beyond the home territory, and there were many deaths. On the eighteenth day of the third month, the day Tsuchinoe-saru, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-second day, the day Mizunoe-ne, a hundred monks were summoned to the Daigokuden and made to read the Daihannyakyō by alternate recitation for three days, to ward off the calamity of epidemic disease. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Hinoto-mi, coarse salt from the Kokusōin, the Granary Office, was distributed to those in the capital suffering from smallpox. In summer, on the second day of the fourth month, the day Mizunoe-inu, there was an earthquake. On the tenth day, the day Kanoe-uma, an envoy was sent to the Daijingū to ward off the calamity of epidemic disease. On the eighteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, Imperial Prince Nariyasu died. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Kinoto-tori, since smallpox was spreading and the people were dying of the epidemic, the Kamo festival was cancelled, and an envoy was sent to announce this and offer apology. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Hinoe-inu, an edict declared: "When a sovereign establishes the way of the utmost good, he prizes complying with the season in spreading his government; when a sage sets his standard, he desires to proclaim his transforming influence in accordance with the proper time. It is for this reason that he is able to shape and complete the myriad things well, and the virtue by which Heaven covers and embraces all grows ever more exalted; his light fills the eight directions to their furthest reaches, and the achievement of his universal succor extends ever more widely. We, though of scant virtue, have unworthily come to govern this great undertaking. We do not rest from the affairs of government even until dusk, and forget sleep and food even into the depths of the night. It is not that We covet the wealth of the Four Seas, nor that We dwell on the exalted dignity of the ninefold palace; We wish only to guide the realm along the way of jinju, humanity and long life, to give the myriad people peace, and, by suspending forced labor, to bring ease to the common folk. And yet Our sincerity has not yet spread everywhere, and signs of reproof have appeared in response. The epidemic of smallpox has spread, and voices crying out in suffering and grief rise up on every side. Even now, at the very season when the gentle warmth of spring and summer should prevail and the grass and trees flourish on every side, Our own people are falling ill, and some lie close to death. Through Our own want of virtue, and the faults in Our way of nurturing the people, We do not know by what means to relieve Our anxious and fearful sincerity. The Monthly Ordinances state that in spring and summer lenient directives should be issued. We ought to disseminate a government of transforming virtue, follow the constant way of Heaven, and relieve this calamity. Let the officials concerned apply themselves diligently to their duties, and humbly heed the teaching proper to the season. Where guilt is in doubt, let the lighter penalty be followed; where reward is in doubt, let the greater be followed. Let the humanity of burying the dead and covering their remains be prized, and the virtue of caring for the aged and pitying orphans be honored. A general amnesty should be proclaimed throughout the realm, though this shall not extend to those not covered by the ordinary pardon. Let the provinces and districts of the realm not be required to pay the unpaid tribute and labor tax owed from before the tenth year of Jōwa, and, in consideration for the common people, let this year's labor service be suspended for ten days. As for the sick, let the chief officials make their own rounds of inspection and distribute medicine according to the severity of illness. May it be that this intent of inonjutsu, deep and compassionate care, moves Heaven above in response, and that a spirit of humanity and generosity sweeps away the signs of calamity from this land." On the fourth day of the fifth month, the day Mizunoto-mi, an edict ordered Sagami, Kazusa, Shimōsa, Hitachi, Kōzuke, and Mutsu to divide among themselves the copying and presenting of the Daizōkyō, the Buddhist canon. On the fifth day, the day Kinoe-uma, the keiba and sōme were cancelled on account of the epidemic. On the eleventh day, the day Kanoe-ne, an edict ordered seventeen temples to read the Daihannyakyō for three days, to ward off the epidemic. On the thirteenth day, the day Mizunoe-tora, an edict ordered the Dazaifu to have the Daihannyakyō read at the two temples of Kannon and Miroku, at the Shiōin, at the Kashii shrine, and at the kokubunji within its jurisdiction. On the fourteenth day, the day Mizunoto-u, an edict ordered Musashi and Shinano to each copy out one complete set of the Daizōkyō. On the twenty-first day, the day Kanoe-inu, the Dazaifu reported that a woman of Iki island had given birth to three children at once. Three hundred bundles of shōzei, regular tax rice, were bestowed upon her. On the twenty-second day, the day Kanoto-i, an edict declared: "Release two thousand one hundred koku of grain from Mino province, and distribute it to those suffering from smallpox." On the fourth day of the sixth month, the day Mizunoto-i, the Governor-General of the Dazaifu, Imperial Prince Kazurawara, died. In autumn, on the fourth day of the seventh month, the day Mizunoto-mi, there was an earthquake. On the fifteenth day, the day Kinoe-tatsu, there was again an earthquake. On the eighteenth day, the day Hinoto-hitsuji, an envoy was sent to present offerings at the Daijingū, to ward off calamity. On the twenty-second day, the day Kanoto-i, there was an earthquake. On the first day of the eighth month, the day Tsuchinoto-hitsuji, there was a fire in the Western Capital, which spread to more than a hundred and eighty houses. On the tenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-tatsu, the people of Hōki province were exempted from tribute and labor tax for one year. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Mizunoe-uma, there was an earthquake. On the first day of the ninth month, the day Tsuchinoe-ne, there was a great wind, which blew off roofs and uprooted trees. On the ninth day, the day Hinoe-saru, on account of the calamity the emperor did not go in state to the Nanden, the Southern Hall, and music was cancelled. On the fourteenth day, the day Kanoto-ushi, an edict ordered the Dazaifu: "Release more than thirty-eight thousand seven hundred koku of grain, and distribute it to those suffering from smallpox within your jurisdiction." In winter, on the second day of the tenth month, the day Tsuchinoto-hitsuji, there was an earthquake. A rainbow appeared before the hall of the Daijōkan, the Council of State. On the sixteenth day, the day Mizunoto-tori, the three districts of Saeki, Yamagata, and Isagoda in Aki province were exempted from this year's labor service. On the thirteenth day of the eleventh month, the day Tsuchinoto-i, there was an earthquake. On the eighth day of the twelfth month, the day Kinoe-ne, upon the petition of the Onmyōryō, the Bureau of Yin-Yang, the provinces and districts of the realm, together with the two kokubunji in each province, were ordered to perform rites each year, according to the methods of yin and yang, to subdue gaiki, the baleful vapors of epidemic disease (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

¶In the first year of Saikō, the year Kinoe-inu, in spring, on the first day of the first month, the day Hinoe-inu, the New Year's felicitations were cancelled on account of muddy ground. On the seventeenth day, the day Mizunoe-tora, the taisha was cancelled. On the eighteenth day, the day Mizunoto-u, the norikyumi was cancelled. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Mizunoto-ushi, the emperor paid his respects to the Chūgū. On the thirteenth day of the second month, the day Tsuchinoe-tatsu, an edict ordered Yamato province to perform the kanjōkyōhō, the consecration rite of the sutra, to ward off epidemic disease. On the fifteenth day, the day Kanoe-uma, since the rivers of Owari had overflowed, an edict exempted a third of its kakō, those liable for tax, from their dues. On the twentieth day, the day Kinoto-i, an envoy was sent to give relief to the starving people of Tango. On the twenty-third day of the third month, the day Hinoto-hitsuji, thirty-five thousand bundles of fudōtō, reserve stores of rice, were used to give relief to the starving people of Iwami. This spring, the weather was cold, and frost fell. In summer, on the third day of the fourth month, the day Hinoto-mi, monks were sent out separately to the eminent shrines of the provinces of the seven circuits, and made to read the Daihannyakyō by alternate recitation, praying for the people's happiness. On the thirteenth day, the day Hinoto-u, the emperor moved his residence from the Rikain and entered the Reizen'in. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Kanoe-tatsu, the Empress Dowager was honored with the title of Grand Empress Dowager, and the Kōtaifujin was made Empress Dowager. More than nine thousand destitute people of Hizen and Bungo were exempted from tribute and labor tax for one year. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Mizunoe-uma, Mutsu province petitioned: "Last year's harvest failed, the common people are in distress, and soldiers have deserted, so that the garrison forces are already insufficient. Bands as fierce as tigers and wolves now vie with one another in banditry, and the signs of rebellion and disorder are close at hand. We request that two thousand soldiers be levied, to prepare against the unforeseen." An edict granted one thousand. On the fifth day of the fifth month, the day Tsuchinoe-ne, the keiba and sōme were cancelled. On the fifteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-inu, an edict ordered Mutsu province to give relief, with ten thousand koku of grain, to the fui, the submitted Emishi. On the seventeenth day, the day Kanoe-ne, there was an earthquake. This month, it was very cold, and a little snow fell on the northern slopes of the mountains. On the thirteenth day of the sixth month, the day Hinoe-tora, the Minister of the Left and concurrently Captain of the Left Palace Guards, Minamoto-no-Tokiwa, died. On the last day of the month, the day Mizunoto-hitsuji, there was an earthquake. In autumn, on the first day of the seventh month, the day Kinoe-saru, there was a solar eclipse. On the twenty-third day, the day Hinoe-uma, Iwami province reported that reisen, a sweet spring, had gushed forth, but had dried up after three days. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Kanoe-inu, an envoy was sent to the Daijingū to pray in advance for the stilling of wind and rain. On this day, there was a great windstorm with rain, and flooding followed. On the first day of the eighth month, the day Mizunoto-ushi, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Kanoe-tatsu, the Minister of the Right and Captain of the Right Palace Guards, Fujiwara-no-Yoshifusa, was transferred to Captain of the Left Palace Guards, and the Major Counsellor Minamoto-no-Makoto was made concurrently Captain of the Right Palace Guards. On the twentieth day of the ninth month, the day Mizunoe-tora, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-third day, the day Kinoto-mi, the Major Counsellor Minamoto-no-Makoto resigned as Captain of the Right Palace Guards (Note: the account from "the Major Counsellor" onward follows the Kugyō Bunin), and the Major Counsellor Fujiwara-no-Yoshimi was made concurrently Captain of the Right Palace Guards. On the last day of the month, the day Kanoto-i, the people of Mutsu province were exempted from tribute and labor tax for one year. In winter, on the third day of the eleventh month, the day Kinoe-saru, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-second day, the day Mizunoto-u, there was again an earthquake. On the last day of the month, the day Kanoto-i, an edict declared: "Looking up to examine the record of past reigns, and looking down to draw upon the flow of the imperial succession, there is no example of failing to open a new era name upon a numinous gift from Heaven, or to change the era's designation upon the breaking open of a divine token. Of late Iwami province presented a reisen, a sweet spring, said to have tasted like turbid wine and to have had the thick, fragrant consistency of sweet sake. With Our own want of virtue, how could We be worthy of this? We think rather that it must be the result of the ancestral shrines and the altars of the state sending down their numinous favor, and of excellent men holding office. How then could We stubbornly decline it as a matter concerning Ourself alone? Let the officials concerned choose an auspicious day and report this to the ancestral shrines and the altars of the state, and let the fourth year of Ninju be renamed the first year of Saikō. The conferring of rank and the bestowal of gifts shall follow the usual custom. May this rare and auspicious sign extend to the furthest reaches of the realm, that all may share in its joy, and may Our government, following virtue according to the season, stand equal alongside the rule of the Five Emperors of old."

¶In the second year, the year Kinoto-i, in spring, on the first day of the first month, the day Mizunoe-uma, the New Year's felicitations were cancelled on account of muddy ground. On the fifteenth day, the day Hinoe-saru, Mutsu province petitioned: "The fushū, the submitted Emishi of the interior, are killing and wounding their own kin, and guard forces are needed. We request an additional two thousand soldiers." This was granted. On the seventeenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-inu, the taisha was cancelled. On the twenty-second day, the day Mizunoto-u, since thieves and bandits were numerous in the capital, an edict ordered them searched out. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Tsuchinoe-saru, Mutsu province again requested an additional two thousand soldiers. The emperor replied by edict: "To entrust affairs to a strategic point on the frontier is indeed a matter touching on the realm's safety or peril. To be cautious of small signs and to take thought for their first stirrings is, in principle, entirely proper. Yet it is now the busy season of farming, and if a great number of soldiers were set in motion, it might well give rise to complaints of the burden of labor service, and extinguish the men's longing to return home. In the way of employing soldiers, numbers alone are by no means to be prized; if the men's strength is truly roused, a single man can match a thousand. Let a thousand soldiers near the fortress be carefully selected, their spirit calmed and guided, their martial skill refined, and let them be made to guard the strategic points well, in readiness for any sudden emergency. We know, moreover, that the root cause of this unrest lies in hunger and want. Let ten thousand koku of kogome, broken rice, therefore be granted for relief, and let generous care be extended without distinction between the people and the fushū, and bounty be opened to them, to ease their distress." On the third day of the second month, the day Mizunoto-ushi, a chōsei, a kind of comet, appeared in the northeast. On the thirteenth day, the day Mizunoto-i, Bitchū province reported that a bell-mirror within the sacred storehouse of the god Kibitsuhiko had sounded three times in a single night. On the seventeenth day, the day Hinoto-u, an edict ordered the Minister of the Right, Fujiwara-no-Yoshifusa, and the Councillor Harusumi-no-Yoshitada, among others, to compile the official history. On the eighteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-tatsu, a hundred monks were summoned to the Daigokuden and made to read the Daihannyakyō by alternate recitation. On the thirteenth day of the third month, the day Mizunoe-tatsu, inshu, the practice of concealing persons from the household register, was forbidden in the capital and home provinces, and officials were ordered to detect such cases and enter them in the registers (Note: the account from "the thirteenth day" onward follows the Ruijū Sandaikyaku). On the seventeenth day, the day Hinoe-saru, there was a great windstorm with rain. In summer, on the second day of the fourth month, the day Kanoe-inu, there was an earthquake. On the seventh day, the day Kinoto-u, an envoy was sent to present offerings to the god Kibitsuhiko. On the tenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-uma, the private keeping of hawks and sparrowhawks was forbidden. This month, the weather was cold, and frost fell. On the fourteenth day of the intercalary month, the day Mizunoe-tatsu, a fox ran past before the emperor, and he himself shot and caught it. On the fifteenth day, the day Mizunoto-mi, there was a great downpour and flooding. On the nineteenth day, the day Hinoto-tori, relief was given to the starving people of Sagami. On the twenty-third day, the day Kanoto-ushi, an envoy was sent to the Niukawakami shrine to pray for clear weather. This month, the horses of the Left and Right Bureaus of Horses grew exhausted and died, until almost none remained. On the fifth day of the fifth month, the day Mizunoe-ne, since so many of the Bureau's horses had died, the keiba and sōme were cancelled. On the tenth day, the day Hinoto-mi, there was an earthquake. On the eleventh day, the day Tsuchinoe-uma, there was again an earthquake. On the twenty-third day, the day Kanoe-uma, Tōdaiji reported that the head of the great Buddha image had fallen off of its own accord (Note: this work itself gives this day's designation with a corrupted character; it is here corrected to the day Kanoe-uma by calculation). On the first day of the sixth month, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, there was a solar eclipse. On the sixth day, the day Mizunoto-hitsuji, lightning struck a willow tree before the Kenrei Gate. On the twenty-first day, the day Tsuchinoe-inu, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Mizunoe-tora, there was again an earthquake. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Mizunoto-u, an edict ordered the Dazaifu: "Investigate and register the rōnin, the vagrant unregistered people, and enforce once more, with strictness, the ordinance of the sixteenth year of Enryaku." (Note: the account from "the twenty-sixth day" onward follows the Ruijū Sandaikyaku.) In autumn, on the first day of the seventh month, the day Hinoto-hitsuji, the Governor of Kii, Ki-no-Matataka, presented sweet dew as tribute. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Mizunoe-saru, there was an earthquake. On the first day of the eighth month, the day Hinoto-ushi, there was again an earthquake. On the second day, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, there was again an earthquake. On the tenth day, the day Hinoe-inu, the drum of the arsenal sounded of its own accord. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Kanoto-ushi, there was an earthquake. Nagato province reported that a cow had given birth to a calf with two heads. On the seventh day of the ninth month, the day Mizunoto-ushi, a wolf entered the Crown Prince's Palace and attacked a person. On the ninth day, the day Kinoto-u, there was an earthquake. On the tenth day, the day Hinoe-tatsu, there was again an earthquake. On the eleventh day, the day Hinoto-mi, there was heavy rain. On the nineteenth day, the day Kinoto-ushi, there was an earthquake. On the twentieth day, the day Hinoe-tora, there was again an earthquake. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Kinoe-inu, the realm was permitted to offer rice and coin to Tōdaiji. On the last day of the month, the day Kinoto-i, there was an earthquake. In winter, on the third day of the tenth month, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, there was again an earthquake. On the nineteenth day, the day Kinoe-uma, more than nineteen thousand destitute people of Dewa were exempted from tribute and labor tax. On the fifteenth day of the eleventh month, the day Kanoe-saru, there was an earthquake. On the twelfth day of the twelfth month, the day Hinoto-i, there was again an earthquake.

¶In the third year, the year Hinoe-ne, in spring, on the first day of the first month, the day Kinoto-mi, the New Year's felicitations were cancelled on account of rain. On the seventeenth day, the day Kanoto-tori, the taisha was cancelled. On the eighteenth day of the second month, the day Kanoto-u, more than a hundred monks were summoned to the Daigokuden and the Reizen'in, and made to divide among themselves the reading of the Daihannyakyō. On the twentieth day, the day Mizunoto-mi, there was an earthquake, accompanied by a sound like thunder. On the twenty-first day, the day Kinoe-uma, there was again an earthquake. On the third day of the third month, the day Hinoe-uma, hail fell. On the twenty-first day, the day Kinoe-ne, the emperor received the ryōbu kanjō, the twofold consecration rite, from the monk Ennin (Note: the account from "the emperor" onward follows the entry for the sixth year of Jōgan in the Sandai Jitsuroku, the Tendai Zasuki, and the Rekidai Kōki; the date follows the Tendai Zasuki). This month, earthquakes occurred repeatedly. Houses in the capital and to the south of the city were destroyed, and Buddhist pagodas tilted. In summer, on the first day of the fourth month, the day Mizunoto-tori, there was an earthquake. On the second day, the day Kinoe-inu, there was again an earthquake. On the eighth day, the day Kanoe-tatsu, Suruga province reported that sweet dew had fallen. On the twenty-second day, the day Kinoe-uma, it was decreed that the dress colors of princes of the fifth generation should conform to those of ordinary officials. On the last day of the month, the day Kanoto-ushi, a rainbow appeared before the hall of the Controllers' Office, the Benkan. On the fifth day of the fifth month, the day Hinoe-uma, the keiba and sōme were cancelled. On the ninth day, the day Kanoe-inu, two hundred and fifty monks were summoned to the Daigokuden, the Reizen'in, and the Kamo and Matsunoo shrines, and made to read the Daihannyakyō for three days, to ward off epidemic disease. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Tsuchinoto-mi, there was rainfall. On the first day of the sixth month, the day Mizunoe-saru, there was an earthquake. On the second day, the day Mizunoto-tori, there was again an earthquake. On the fourteenth day, the day Kinoto-tori, more than two hundred and sixty monks were summoned to the temples of the eastern and western capital and to Enryakuji, Sūfukuji, and twelve other temples, fourteen in all, and made to read the newly copied Daizōkyō through three times over seven days. In autumn, on the first day of the seventh month, the day Kanoto-ushi, envoys were sent to present offerings at the various shrines, praying for rain. On the tenth day, the day Kanoto-i, Etchū province reported drought. On the sixteenth day, the day Hinoe-tatsu, there was an earthquake. On the seventeenth day, the day Hinoto-mi, there was a thunderstorm. On the eighteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-uma, there was an earthquake. On the twentieth day, the day Kanoe-saru, Wakasa province reported drought. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Kinoe-ne, an edict ordered the various shami, novice monks, to be examined in sutra recitation, and those who passed were permitted tokudo, full ordination as monks. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Tsuchinoe-tatsu, there was an earthquake. On the first day of the eighth month, the day Kanoto-hitsuji, an envoy was specially sent to the Shinsen'en, to test those who held incantations and showed proof of efficacy, and ordination was granted to them. On the seventh day, the day Hinoto-ushi, rainbows appeared before the Reizen'in, the Hasshōin, and the hall of the Daijōkan. On the eighth day, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, Awa province reported that black ash had fallen from the sky. On the nineteenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-ushi, a madman burst into the encampment of the Palace Guards and was shot dead. On the twenty-first day of the ninth month, the day Kanoto-tori, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-second day, the day Mizunoe-inu, the Kongō Hannyakyō was read for three days at the Kamo and Matsunoo shrines. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Kinoto-ushi, there was an earthquake. In winter, in the tenth month, earthquakes occurred repeatedly. On the first day of the eleventh month, the day Kanoe-ne, and on the second day, the day Kanoto-ushi, there were earthquakes on both days. On the third day, the day Mizunoe-tora, the emperor received a lecture on the Jin Shu, the History of the Jin, from the Senior Assistant Minister of Justice, Harusumi-no-Yoshitada. On the fourteenth day, the day Mizunoto-ushi, there was an earthquake. On the eighteenth day, the day Hinoto-mi, the water of the imperial pond turned black, and returned to normal after several days. On the twenty-second day, the day Kanoto-tori, the Acting Major Counsellor Abe-no-Yasuhito, among others, was sent to the Nochi-no-Tawara mausoleum to announce that a rite to Heaven would soon be performed. On the twenty-third day, the day Mizunoe-inu, the Great Purification was performed at the new hall. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Kinoe-ne, the Major Counsellor Fujiwara-no-Yoshimi was sent to perform a rite to Heaven at the round mound of Katano. On the first day of the twelfth month, the day Kanoe-uma, there was a solar eclipse. On the tenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-u, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Hinoe-saru, Hitachi province reported that a tree had formed renri, joined branches, two trees growing together at the limb. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Hinoto-tori, Mimasaka province presented a white deer as tribute, and it was released at the Shinsen'en (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

¶In the first year of Ten'an, the year Hinoto-ushi, in spring, on the first day of the first month, the day Kanoe-ne, the New Year's felicitations were cancelled. On the seventeenth day, the day Hinoe-tatsu, the emperor did not attend the taisha. On this day, an edict ordered a new calendar to be compiled. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Kinoto-ushi, a kyokuen, an informal banquet, was held (Note: according to the Ruijū Kokushi, kyokuen were held on the days Tsuchinoe-ne and Kanoe-ne of the first month of the third year of Daidō under Emperor Heizei; on the days Hinoe-ne and Kinoe-ne of the first month of the fourth year, and the day Kinoe-ne of the first month of the eighth year, of Kōnin under Emperor Saga; and on the day Mizunoe-ne of the first month of the eighth year of Tenchō under Emperor Junna — yet in none of these cases is the designation "day of the Rat" used, nor is it recorded that this was an established custom. Here, however, the text of this work states that "in former times this observance invariably fell in the first ten days of the month, and was at that time called the Rite of the Day of the Rat; today's banquet is a revival of the old practice" — from which it is clear that it had indeed become an established custom. For that reason it will not be noted individually hereafter). On the nineteenth day of the second month, the day Hinoto-i, the Minister of the Right, Fujiwara-no-Yoshifusa, was made Daijō Daijin, Chancellor; the Major Counsellor Minamoto-no-Makoto was made Minister of the Left; and the Major Counsellor Fujiwara-no-Yoshimi was made Minister of the Right. On the twenty-first day, the day Tsuchinoto-ushi, the era name was changed. An edict declared: "The Genkyū, the distant Heaven, is plain and profound; it shows forth rare and auspicious tokens, yet utters no word. The sovereign, acting with the utmost impartiality, spreads virtue in the stead of the divine working. Looking far back over the records of former reigns, this way has long been followed. We, though of scant and clouded understanding, have succeeded to and preserve this great undertaking. To govern the court with suiyō, folded hands and effortless rule, feels to Us like treading upon ice over a ravine. Our benevolence in laboring to nurture the myriad things, the teidoku, the work of fostering and tempering them, has not yet spread widely; and Our sincerity in reverently serving Heaven, carried through to completion, is likewise wanting. Whether in the hidden or the manifest, We do not know where Our response has reached. Last winter, an auspicious gift was presented to Us. Mimasaka province offered up a white deer, its color like frost or snow, standing out among the herds of its kind, its nature tame and gentle, truly fit to be called a benevolent beast. It came, without recourse to an immortal's chariot, into the courtyard of the palace, and, in honor of its long life, is being nurtured in the reiyū, the sacred park. Hitachi province reported: 'Two renri trees, trees of joined branches, have appeared. Within the mountains of a single district, they stand luxuriant in two places. Their roots divide even as their trunks unite; their forms differ even as their branches are shared. In one case the branches join together for more than a jō; in another, where the branches cross, they extend still further into a yet more splendid form.' These are all things that ought to be recorded and handed down in the histories, and which, measured against the books of auspicious omens, are truly cause for rejoicing. With Our own thin and feeble virtue, We could not have summoned these of Ourself. It must be owing only to the favor sent down by the ancestral shrines and the altars of the state, and to the cooperation and assistance of kokō, Our ministers to left and right. Now, having received these fine signs, We do not wish to enjoy their beauty alone, but to extend their bounty and spread it broadly to every quarter. The common people of the two provinces of Mimasaka and Hitachi should be exempted from twenty days of this year's labor service, and the very localities where the auspicious signs appeared should be given still further consideration: whatever chō is due this year from Tomata district, and whatever yō is due from Makabe district, shall in each case be exempted. This year's labor service in the provinces of the realm shall be halved; one grade of court rank shall be conferred upon civil and military officials; grain shall be bestowed upon the aged of the realm; and relief shall be given, in due measure, to the kankakoku, the widowers, widows, orphans, and childless, who cannot support themselves. Now, to record the era name according to the season is a constant rule of the state, and to establish a new era name upon an auspicious sign is a precedent followed from ancient times to the present. Let the fourth year of Saikō be renamed the first year of Ten'an." On the twenty-eighth day, the day Hinoe-saru, the imperial princess Jutsushi was made Kamo Priestess. This month, earthquakes occurred repeatedly. On the seventh day of the third month, the day Kinoe-tatsu, a hundred and fifty monks were summoned to the new hall of the Reizen'in and to the Daigokuden, and made to read the Daihannyakyō by alternate recitation for three days. On the sixteenth day, the day Mizunoto-ushi, officers of the Left and Right Palace Guards and Military Guards, and the Kebiishi, were sent out to capture thieves and bandits in the southern part of the capital. On the eighteenth day, the day Kinoto-u, attendants of the Six Guards Headquarters were sent to capture thieves and bandits at Heijōkyō, the old capital of Nara. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Mizunoe-inu, an envoy was sent to the southern part of the capital, to suppress wrongdoing and theft. In summer, on the fifteenth day of the fourth month, the day Mizunoe-uma, the Hyakuza Ninnō-e, the Hundred-Seat Rite of the Benevolent Kings, was performed. On the nineteenth day, the day Hinoe-inu, the Minister of the Right and concurrently Captain of the Right Palace Guards, Fujiwara-no-Yoshimi, was transferred to Captain of the Left Palace Guards, and the Major Counsellor Abe-no-Yasuhito was made concurrently Captain of the Right Palace Guards. On the twentieth day, the day Hinoto-i, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-third day, the day Kanoe-tora, the Ōsaka barrier in Ōmi was restored, and the two new barriers of Ōishi and Ryūge were established. On the first day of the fifth month, the day Hinoto-tori, there was a solar eclipse. On the fifth day, the day Kanoto-ushi, the emperor did not attend the keiba. On the eighth day, the day Kinoe-tatsu, more than a hundred monks were summoned to the Daigokuden and made to read the Kongō Hannyakyō by alternate recitation for three days. On the eleventh day, the day Hinoto-hitsuji, there was an earthquake. On the twentieth day, the day Hinoe-tatsu, there was an earthquake. On the last day of the month, the day Kinoto-ushi, there were prolonged rains, and flooding followed. On the twenty-fifth day of the sixth month, the day Kanoe-tora, the Dazaifu reported: "The provisional registrar, gishuchō, of Kamitsuagata district on Tsushima island, Urabe-no-Kawachimaro, and the provisional district head, gidairyō, of Shimotsuagata district, Atai-no-Uranushi, conspired together, set fire to the residence of the Governor, Tateno-no-Masamine, and shot and killed Masamine, together with his attendants and sakimori, frontier guards." Mikawa province reported that the eastern storehouse of its provincial office had shaken. In autumn, on the sixteenth day of the seventh month, the day Kanoto-i, an ordinance was handed down to the Dazaifu: "Pardon the people of Tsushima island who were deceived by the rebels, and the wives and children of those who, though innocent, died in prison." On the nineteenth day, the day Kinoe-tora, a rainbow appeared to the east of the north gate of the Reizen'in. This month, earthquakes occurred repeatedly, and sounds like thunder were heard from all four directions. On the fourteenth day of the eighth month, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, the sky darkened as though covered in mist. On the fifteenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-u, the Sōheki Gate collapsed of its own accord. On the ninth day of the ninth month, the day Mizunoto-u, the emperor did not go in state to the Nanden on account of the drought, and music was cancelled. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Tsuchinoto-hitsuji, there was an earthquake. In winter, on the eighth day of the tenth month, the day Mizunoe-saru, rain fell. On the ninth day, the day Mizunoto-tori, there was an earthquake. On the twelfth day, the day Hinoe-ne, the emperor viewed the imperial horses, and bestowed one each upon his attendant courtiers. On the thirteenth day, the day Hinoto-ushi, there was a thunderstorm. On the fifteenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-u, Tōtōmi province reported that a tree had formed renri. On this day, white clouds spread across the whole sky. On the twenty-third day, the day Hinoto-i, a woman entered the storehouse at night and stole imperial garments, but was promptly caught. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Tsuchinoe-ne, the drum of the rōkoku, the water clock of the Onmyōryō, sounded three times of its own accord. On the second day of the eleventh month, the day Kinoto-hitsuji, the drum of the Onmyōryō again sounded of its own accord. On the seventh day, the day Kanoe-ne, Tōtōmi province again reported that a tree had formed renri. On the eighteenth day of the twelfth month, the day Kanoto-mi, there was thunder. On the twenty-second day, the day Kinoto-tori, there was thunder again.

¶In the second year, the year Tsuchinoe-tora, in spring, on the first day of the first month, the day Kinoe-uma, the New Year's felicitations were cancelled on account of snow. On the fifth day, the day Tsuchinoe-inu, the drum of the Onmyōryō's water clock sounded of its own accord. On the seventeenth day, the day Kanoe-inu, the taisha was cancelled. On the nineteenth day, the day Mizunoe-ne, Mikawa province reported that a tree had formed renri. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Kanoto-tori, there was a violent storm with heavy rain. On the ninth day of the second month, the day Mizunoe-saru, Echigo province reported that a tree had formed renri. On the fifteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, the Hyakuza Ninnō-e was performed. On the seventeenth day, the day Kanoe-tatsu, there was a fire at the Kōra Tamatare shrine in Chikugo province. On the twenty-second day, the day Kinoto-tori, the Lieutenant of the Left Palace Guards, Sakanoue-no-Masamichi, among others, was sent out, leading subordinate officials, to search out and capture the bands of thieves within the capital. On the thirteenth day of the intercalary month, the day Kinoto-mi, hail fell. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Hinoe-tatsu, Higo province reported that the drum of the arsenal at the Kikuchi fortress had sounded of its own accord. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Hinoto-mi, it sounded again. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Kanoe-saru, the commoners of Tsushima island who had killed the Governor, Tateno-no-Masamine, were handed over to the Ministry of Justice, to have their crime examined and judged. On the twelfth day of the third month, the day Mizunoto-tori, since the Fukakusa mausoleum was thought to be working a curse, the Councillor Fujiwara-no-Ujimune, among others, was sent to pray and offer apology there. On the fifteenth day, the day Hinoe-ne, the Assistant Governor of Sagami, Shigeno-no-Yasunari, was made to lecture on the Laozi and the Zhuangzi at the Jijūsho, the Chamberlains' Office. On this day, skilled calligraphers of the various offices were summoned to the Jōneiden, and made to copy out a hundred scrolls of the Hannya Rishukyō. On the twenty-third day, the day Kinoe-saru, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Tsuchinoto-ushi, thunder sounded though there were no clouds. In summer, on the first day of the fourth month, the day Mizunoe-tatsu, there was a solar eclipse. On the second day, the day Mizunoto-mi, the Senior Secretary of Justice, Ishikawa-no-Munenushi, and the Chief Clerk, Naniwa-no-Kiyomune, among others, forged an official directive, drew up a counterfeit ministerial order, and released the convicted criminal Saeki-no-Miyahito and others; they were accordingly handed over to the Ministry of Justice, to have their crime examined. On the sixth day, the day Hinoto-tori, hail fell, each stone about the size of a go stone. On the ninth day, the day Kanoe-ne, there was a fire at night at Hōkōji temple. On the eleventh day, the day Mizunoe-tora, a sound like thunder was heard in the sky. On this day, envoys were sent out to various quarters, to present offerings at the great shrines and pray for the peace of the state. On the twenty-third day, the day Kinoe-tora, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Kinoto-u, there was a fire at the Ōtoneriryō, the Bureau of Chamberlains. On the fifth day of the fifth month, the day Kinoto-ushi, the keiba and sōme were cancelled. On the fifteenth day, the day Kinoto-i, there was a great flood. On the twenty-first day, the day Kanoto-mi, there was heavy rain. On the twenty-second day, the day Mizunoe-uma, there was heavy rain and flooding; rivers overflowed and bridges were destroyed. Water from the eastern Horikawa flowed into the Reizen'in, and the jikiro, the night-duty quarters, of the Left Military Guards' encampment was swept away. Many drowned in the Left and Right Capitals. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Hinoe-inu, there was an earthquake, and thunder sounded though there were no clouds. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Hinoto-i, a shooting star appeared, about a jō in length. On this day, an envoy was sent to make a circuit of inspection of the flood damage in the two capitals. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Tsuchinoe-ne, thunder sounded though there were no clouds. At dawn, a star entered the moon's disk. On the last day of the month, the day Tsuchinoto-ushi, two thousand koku of grain from the Kokusōin, five hundred koku of rice from the Rin'in of the Ministry of Popular Affairs, and twenty-five koku of salt from the Daizenshiki, the Palace Board of Food, were released and distributed to the Left and Right Capitals. On the seventh day of the sixth month, the day Hinoe-saru, Izumi province reported: "Thunder has destroyed nearly a hundred dwellings and damaged some twenty chō of rice seedlings. People and livestock have been killed or injured, and many great trees have been broken." On the tenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-i, a shooting star appeared, as large as the moon and blue-red in color, which crossed the sky and fell in the west. A sound like thunder was heard in the sky. On the eleventh day, the day Kanoe-ne, white clouds stretched in a continuous line from the northeast to the southwest. On the thirteenth day, the day Mizunoe-tora, there was an earthquake. On the twentieth day, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, the Dazaifu reported: "On the first day of the fifth month, there was a great wind and violent rain. All of the nine provinces and two islands under our jurisdiction suffered damage. The drum of the arsenal at the Kikuchi fortress in Higo province sounded of its own accord, and eleven of the fudōsō, the reserve storehouses, caught fire." On the twenty-first day, the day Kanoe-inu, there was a thick fog, thunder sounded though there were no clouds, and there was a great wind. In autumn, on the fifth day of the seventh month, the day Kinoe-ne, Musashi province presented a white pheasant as tribute. On the twelfth day, the day Kanoto-hitsuji, prayers for rain were offered to the deities of Otokuni, Minushi, Kibune, and others. On the nineteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, rain fell. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Hinoe-inu, there was heavy rain. On the fourth day of the eighth month, the day Mizunoe-tatsu, Wakasa province reported that an arsenal had sounded, with a noise like a bell. On the nineteenth day, the day Hinoto-hitsuji, clouds spread across the whole sky. On the twenty-third day, the day Kanoto-i, the emperor fell ill and took to his bed. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Mizunoe-ne, the crown prince tasted the emperor's medicine before it was given and attended at his side, and the ministers and high officials stood watch before the encampment. That night, Saisei, the planet Jupiter, guarded the constellation Kengyū, the Oxherd. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Mizunoto-ushi, the imperial princes and ministers kept watch through the night at the Higashi-no-tsuridai. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Kinoe-tora, an edict declared: "August Heaven shows no partiality to any one person, but aids only the virtuous; the human heart has its close neighbors, and cherishes only kindness. We, though of slight and meager virtue, have unworthily come to preside over the imperial court. How could We indulge in ease within the halls of government, when We think always of the countless multitudes of the people? And yet the customs of men have grown shallow and frivolous, sincerity is thin and deceit runs deep. Few know the proper way, and those who transgress the law are never wanting. We have not been able to steep and moisten the people in humanity and righteousness, nor to temper and shape them through ritual and deference. The statutes of autumn punishment are daily brought before the court, and exhausted criminals are bound one after another within the prison walls. Those who are caught in the net of the law are already objects of pity; to pardon their faults and exalt mercy weighs only the more heavily upon Our heart. We ought to extend this gaitaku, this joyous bounty, and unburden and relieve their distress. A general amnesty should be proclaimed throughout the realm, though this shall not extend to those not covered by the ordinary pardon." On this day, the emperor's illness grew grave. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Kinoto-u, he died at the new hall. He was thirty-two years of age. He was buried at the Mahara mausoleum. The rites of temporary interment and burial all followed the precedent of Emperor Ninmyō, with the addition of the hōsōshi, the officiant who drove away evil spirits at the funeral. He was given the posthumous name Emperor Montoku. The name of his mausoleum was later changed to Tamura, and four households were assigned to guard it. He was known in the world as the Tamura Emperor (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

¶In the second year of Jōgan, the kokki, the memorial rite for the sovereign's death-day, was established at Saiji temple (Note: the account from "the name of his mausoleum was later changed" onward follows the Sandai Jitsuroku; "he was known as the Tamura Emperor" follows the Jinnō Shōtōki).

¶From the time of his accession, the emperor gave close attention to the affairs of government. He was by nature extremely perceptive, and readily saw through the wickedness and deceit of others. He thought only of the transforming influence of an age at peace, and cared little for progresses or excursions for pleasure. During the Ninju and Saikō eras, he frequently received auspicious signs, which he presented at the mausolea and ancestral shrines. Yet as the net of prohibition grew gradually finer, and the laws and institutions became considerably more severe, rumors of personnel changes were often heard within the offices of government, and officials came instead to live in constant anxiety over dismissal; the people of the realm compared him to Emperor Ming of the Han. But his sacred person was frail and often ill, so that he frequently set aside the affairs of government, and his reign was not long — a thing the people of his time deeply regretted.