Emperor Kōkō

Emperor Kōkō

¶Emperor Kōkō's personal name was Tokiyasu. He was the third son of Emperor Ninmyō. His mother was the Empress Dowager Fujiwara-shi, of the Fujiwara clan.

¶He was born in the seventh year of Tenchō, at the Rokujō residence (Note: as to the year, this work itself and the Fusō Ryakki both give it as the eighth year, but it is here corrected to the seventh year, following his age of fifty-eight at death as stated below, together with the back-notes of the Ōkagami, the Ichidai Yōki, and the Rekidai Kōki). From childhood he was intelligent, fond of reading the classics and histories, quiet and refined in his bearing, modest and respectful, generous and warm-hearted, affectionate toward his kin, and especially accomplished in the duties proper to a person of his station. The Grand Empress Dowager of the Ninju era cherished him deeply, and whenever there was a banquet she would always invite him as the guest of honor. An envoy from the kingdom of Balhae, Wang Wenju, once saw him among the other imperial princes and remarked privately to those around him, "That prince has a truly noble countenance. He is certain to rise to the highest rank." A man named Fujiwara-no-Munenao served at his princely residence. Munenao's elder brother, Nakanao, was skilled in physiognomy, and warned his younger brother, saying, "That lord bears the bones of a Son of Heaven. See that you serve him well."

¶At the beginning of the Jōwa era, he was made an imperial prince (Note: from Jōwa onward, this follows the back-notes of the Ōkagami). In the second month of the twelfth year, he underwent his genpuku at the Seiryōden. In the first month of the thirteenth year, he was granted Fourth Rank.

¶In the eleventh month of the first year of Kashō, he was granted Third Rank (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). In the first month of the sixth year of Jōgan, he was made concurrently Governor-General of Kōzuke. In the first month of the eighth year, he was made Dazai no Sochi, while remaining Nakatsukasa-kyō, the Minister of Central Affairs, as before. In the second month of the twelfth year, he was granted Second Rank. In the twelfth month of the eighteenth year, he was made Shikibu-kyō, the Minister of Ceremonial.

¶In the first month of the fourth year of Gangyō, he was again made concurrently Governor-General of Hitachi. In the first month of the sixth year, he was granted First Rank.

¶On the fourth day of the second month of the eighth year, the day Kinoto-hitsuji, Emperor Yōzei ceded the throne to the Nijō-in, and the civil and military officials attended him in procession. The Sangi, Fujiwara-no-Yamakage, Fujiwara-no-Morokazu, and Abe-no-Kiyoyuki remained behind to keep watch. The Daijō Daijin, Mototsune, together with the imperial princes and ministers, settled upon a plan, and, bearing the sacred jewel, mirror, and sword, urged the emperor to accept the throne. The emperor declined three times (Note: the Fusō Ryakki states that the emperor firmly declined, wishing to yield the throne to Imperial Prince Motoyasu, but that the Daijō Daijin and the others urged him to accept it). The Hyōbu-kyō, Imperial Prince Motoyasu, rose from his seat, knelt, and addressed him, saying, "The reckoning of Heaven's mandate lies here, and the hearts of the people likewise have turned here. Of old, Emperor Wen of Han was greatly praised for declining the throne three times, yet in the end he too followed the verdict of divination and answered the summons sent from the mansion of Dai. We humbly beg Your Highness to heed the wishes of the assembled ministers without further delay." On the fifth day, the day Hinoe-saru, the imperial princes and ministers, leading the civil and military officials, welcomed the emperor at the Higashi Nijō Palace. The Daijō Daijin, Mototsune, arrived afterward and came forward, removing his sword. Imperial Prince Motoyasu and the Minister of the Left, Minamoto-no-Tōru, had already taken their seats; on seeing him, they looked at one another in great astonishment, and they too removed their swords. On this day, the emperor rode in the phoenix carriage and entered the Tōgū, the Crown Prince's Palace. On the twenty-third day, the day Kinoe-tora, he ascended the throne at the Daigokuden. He was fifty-five years of age at the time (Note: his age follows this work's own statement below that he died at fifty-eight, together with the Rekidai Kōki, the back-notes of the Ōkagami, and the Gukanshō). His late mother, Fujiwara-shi, was posthumously honored as Empress Dowager, and the ministers were each advanced in rank according to their station. The Daijō Daijin, Mototsune; the Minister of the Left, Minamoto-no-Tōru; the Minister of the Right and concurrently Captain of the Left Palace Guards, Minamoto-no-Masaru; and the Major Counsellor and concurrently Captain of the Right Palace Guards, Fujiwara-no-Yoshiyo, all retained their posts unchanged (Note: the offices from Daijō Daijin downward follow the Kugyō Bunin. The Kugyō Bunin further states that on the twenty-third day of the second month, Mototsune was again made kanpaku, chancellor-regent. The Jinnō Shōtōki states that, upon Emperor Kōkō's accession, the title of sesshō, regent, was changed to kanpaku, and that this marks the beginning of the office of kanpaku. Yet on examining the text of this work below, the edict of the sixth month states: "When the hundred officials memorialize on matters of government, let them first consult the Daijō Daijin, and only thereafter submit their memorial to the throne." This is indeed the substance of the office of kanpaku, yet its name did not yet exist. The title of kanpaku first appears in the third year of Ninna. The edicts recorded in the Fusō Ryakki and the Gukanshō, together with the Ranshōshō, provide reliable grounds for this. The views of the Kugyō Bunin and the Jinnō Shōtōki are accordingly not adopted here). On the twenty-fifth day, the day Hinoe-tatsu, a great fog darkened even the daytime. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Tsuchinoto-hitsuji, the emperor moved his residence from the Tōgū to the Jijūden, and had a fire-hut lit at the head of the Left Guard Post. On the fifth day, the day Hinoe-tora (Note: the original gives no month for this entry, but by the sequence of dates it would appear to belong to the third month), he reviewed the fine horses of the toretsu, the ten-ranked files, at the Left and Right Bureaus of Horses. Yamashiro reported that a tree had formed renri. On the twenty-second day, the day Kinoto-hitsuji, the imperial princess Shigeko was chosen by divination as Ise Priestess. Relief was given to the starving people of the eastern and western capital. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Hinoto-i, frost fell. In summer, on the first day of the fourth month, the day Kanoto-u, Ban-shi, a princess of Junior Third Rank, was made consort, nyōgo. On the fourth day, the day Kinoe-uma, the emperor for the first time began reading the Wen Xuan, an anthology of Chinese literature. On the fifth day, the day Kinoto-hitsuji, hail fell. On the seventh day, the day Hinoto-tori, the Umenomiya festival was resumed. On the ninth day, the day Tsuchinoto-i, hail fell. On the tenth day, the day Kanoe-ne, frost fell despite the cold, and a shooting star appeared from the Big Dipper, encroaching upon the fifth star of the western flank of the Shibien, the Purple Tenuity enclosure; it was pale blue-white in color and about the size of a citron. On the eleventh day, the day Kanoto-ushi, frost fell. On the fourteenth day, the day Kinoe-tatsu, there was an earthquake. On the sixteenth day, the day Hinoe-uma, frost fell. On this day, there was an earthquake. On the seventeenth day, the day Hinoto-hitsuji, frost fell, withering the leaves of the grass and trees. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Kinoto-u, Owari and Mino provinces each reported two cases of trees forming renri. On the eleventh day of the fifth month, the day Kanoe-uma, Yamashiro reported that a tree had formed renri. On the twenty-ninth day, the day Tsuchinoto-ushi, an edict ordered the scholars to deliberate on the proper duties of the office of Daijō Daijin. A shooting star appeared from the great star of the North Pole asterism, about the size of a plum, white and radiant, and vanished upon reaching the Sankō, the Three Ducal asterism. On the first day of the sixth month, the day Kanoe-tora, there was a solar eclipse. On the fifth day, the day Kinoe-uma, an edict declared: "When the hundred officials memorialize on matters of government, let them first consult the Daijō Daijin, Mototsune, and only thereafter submit their memorial to the throne." On the nineteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-saru, an edict abolished the kokki, the death-day observance, of the Emperor of Kasuganomiya, and established instead the kokki of the Empress Dowager at Tōdaiji. On the twentieth day, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, Fujiwara-no-Kamiko, Junior Fourth Rank Lower, was made consort. On the thirtieth day, the day Tsuchinoe-uma, there was an earthquake. In autumn, on the first day of the eighth month, the day Tsuchinoto-ushi, a sound like thunder was heard in the southwestern sky. On the fourth day, the day Mizunoe-tatsu, an edict ordered Kazusa: "Apprehend the rōnin, the wandering and unregistered people, within the province, and return them to their original domicile. Those who wish to remain should be separately recorded and reported." That night, small stars scattered down like rain. On the fifth day, the day Mizunoto-mi, shooting stars appeared repeatedly, some passing in and out of the Shikyū, the Purple Palace, others in and out of the Big Dipper, encroaching upon countless stars. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Hinoe-tatsu, since Izumo and Nagato had suffered poor harvests the previous year, one hundred and ten thousand bundles of regular tax rice were distributed to them. On the thirtieth day, the day Hinoto-mi, Heitōshi was made consort. On the second day of the ninth month, the day Tsuchinoto-mi, Shinano reported two cases of trees forming renri. On the third day, the day Kanoe-saru, there was a great shooting star, more than one jō in length, which rose in the southeast and fell in the northwest, with a sound like thunder. On the twentieth day, the day Hinoto-ushi, Imperial Prince Tsunesada died. In winter, on the second day of the tenth month, the day Tsuchinoe-ne — earlier, Dewa had reported that a rain like arrowheads had fallen on Akita Castle, and a rain of stones had fallen in Akumi district, their shapes resembling arrowheads pointed southward; the Onmyōryō submitted that the divination showed this to portend military disturbance and epidemic. At this the court ordered Dewa to stand on guard. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Kinoto-u, a purification rite, gokei, was performed. On the fifth day of the eleventh month, the day Mizunoe-inu, Kai reported that an auspicious ear of grain, kaka, had grown. On the sixth day, the day Mizunoto-i, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-second day, the day Kinoto-u, the Daijōsai was performed. On the first day of the twelfth month, the day Hinoto-i, there was a solar eclipse. On the twentieth day, the day Hinoe-uma, ten imperial mausolea and five tombs were newly designated.

¶In the first year of Ninna, the year Kinoto-mi, in spring, on the twelfth day of the first month, the day Tsuchinoe-tatsu, Tensei, the planet Saturn, entered the moon. On the sixteenth day, the day Mizunoe-saru, an outward-facing haiki, a bowed halo, appeared about the sun, more than two jō in length. On the seventeenth day, the day Mizunoto-tori, it was first forbidden for those of Sangi rank and below to wear tenkyū, marten-fur robes. On the sixteenth day of the second month, the day Mizunoe-tora, there was an earthquake. On the twenty-first day, the day Hinoto-mi, the emperor held court at the Shishinden and proclaimed an edict: "From ancient times, those who have governed the jade chart and presided over the register of the throne have all taken the three subtle signs as their rule in spreading instruction, and have been careful of the five beginnings in establishing their norm. Indeed, the conduct of embodying the origin and dwelling in correctness can hardly be confined merely to the task of discarding the old and establishing the new. We, with a person of slight worth, have succeeded to this renewed glory, and go about as though mounted on a bolting horse without reins, filled with awe and apprehension. Day upon day We have redoubled Our caution, and already two more years have passed. The dragon star has again made its circuit, and the phoenix calendar has repeatedly changed. Were We to let the years accumulate under the old era name, We fear it would be said that We had forgotten the old statutes. Let the ninth year of Gangyō accordingly be renamed the first year of Ninna. Let the commoners of Ise and Bizen provinces be exempted from last year's yō, labor tax." On the fifteenth day of the third month, the day Kanoe-uma, there was an earthquake. On the twentieth day of the intercalary month, the day Kinoto-mi, there was a great windstorm with heavy rain. In summer, on the nineteenth day of the fourth month, the day Mizunoto-tori (Note: the original text reads "summer, the fourth day of the fourth month, the nineteenth day"; the characters for "the fourth day" are here taken as an interpolation in error and omitted from the translation), the Kamo festival was suspended on account of ritual impurity. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Kanoto-mi, an edict declared: "We, with a person of slight worth, have unworthily succeeded to the great imperial line. Bearing the charge of government is like driving a bolting horse, and having received the token of succeeding to this glory, We never forget that We tread as though upon thin ice. We have studied the conduct of the sovereigns of former ages as a whole, and sought out the institutions of old. We have striven only to dress before dawn to attend to government, and to take Our meal only once the sun has declined. We have practiced benevolence and frugality Ourself, hoping that the people might be made prosperous, yet the turning of the age has inherited a time of decline, and its customs have grown corrupt and troubled. The treasury stands empty, and expenditures are exceedingly great. The court officials and clerks who receive stipends are already numerous, and the imperial princes and those of the Minamoto clan who receive seasonal garments are likewise many. Reckon the revenue and expenditure as We may, it cannot meet the cost; adjust the prices as We may, they all but exceed their proper bound. Now the great treasure of the realm is a thing held in common for the realm. Though We search Our heart and trouble Ourself over it, We have not yet found how to resolve this. How could it be right that the hundred officials should lack their stipends and gifts, while one man alone retains his surplus wealth? As for the two kinds of silk and floss silk that We Ourself wear, let their quantity for a time be reduced. Together with this, following the old precedent, We wish to press forward the sincerity by which the one above bears the loss, so that the teaching by which the realm is governed may long endure." On the third day of the fifth month, the day Hinoto-i, an edict ordered the Nakatsukasa-shō to reduce the quantity of silk and floss silk in the emperor's own robes. On the fourteenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-inu, prayers for clear weather were offered at Niukawakami. On the twentieth day, the day Kinoe-tatsu, relief was given to the starving people of the capital on account of prolonged rain. On the twenty-second day, the day Hinoe-uma, the color of the sun turned black, and its light scattered as though shining through. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Kanoe-inu, there was an earthquake. On the third day of the sixth month, the day Hinoe-tatsu — earlier, the ministers had petitioned to reduce the stipends of those of Fifth Rank and above. At this the emperor proclaimed an edict: "The calendar turns in its course, and We newly hold the reins of this galloping charge. The treasury is already exhausted, and We already bear the labor of pounding out a meal of pounded greens. The pain of Our anxious brooding is hotter than a scorched stone carried a thousand leagues; the depth of Our sunken care is heavier than one who has borne a mountain for nine years. If even this gives Us no cause for grief, what then should grieve Us? That the offices of Heaven are well ordered and the earth lies settled as one is entirely owing to the management of the assembled ministers, and in no way to Our bounty alone. How could We take what is granted by the sovereign and divide it away from men of merit, only to deepen Our own fault, and make good a deficiency from men without virtue, only to lose the hearts of the people all the more? You, My ministers, are well content with your slender stipends; how could We alone find ease in coarse dress? The petition now submitted shall be declined and not granted." On the twentieth day, the day Kinoto-u, the Dazaifu reported that more than thirty envoys of Silla had arrived. An edict ordered that they be sent back. In autumn, on the thirteenth day of the seventh month, the day Kinoto-hitsuji, offerings were presented at Niukawakami in prayer for rain. On the fourteenth day, the day Hinoe-saru, Saiji presented a white sparrow as tribute. On the nineteenth day, the day Kanoto-ushi, there was an earthquake. On the thirtieth day, the day Mizunoe-ne, a blue cloud appeared in the northeast and extended to the southwest. This month, in Hizen a rain of powdery earth and sand fell, and in Satsuma a rain of sand and stone fell. On the fourth day of the eighth month, the day Hinoe-tatsu, a shooting star appeared from the south, yellow-white in color, and vanished upon reaching the Goseisha, the Five Chariots asterism. On the fifteenth day, the day Hinoto-u, the emperor made a progress to the Shinsen'en and viewed the fish. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Kinoto-u, Taihaku, the planet Venus, encroached upon Sashippō within the Taibien, and the moon entered the Right Eki Gate and left by the Left Eki Gate. On the thirteenth day of the ninth month, the day Kinoe-uma, there was an earthquake. On the fourteenth day, the day Kinoto-hitsuji, there was again an earthquake. On the eighteenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-u, a deer wandered into the Ōtoneri-ryō. On the twenty-second day, the day Mizunoe-tatsu, offerings were presented at the shrines of Kamo, Matsunoo, Inari, Sumiyoshi, Iwashimizu, Takagamo, Hirano, Kasuga, Ōharano, and Umenomiya, in advance to ward off ill omen. In winter, on the sixth day of the tenth month, the day Hinoto-mi, a rainbow appeared at the western eave of the Giyōden. On the twentieth day, the day Kanoto-mi, an edict forbade the Dazaifu to engage in the private trade of karamono, goods from China. On the twenty-first day, the day Mizunoe-saru, there was thunder. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Hinoe-ne, a shooting star passed to the northeast. On the first day of the eleventh month, the day Kanoto-mi, there was a solar eclipse. On the twentieth day, the day Kanoe-ne, a shooting star appeared from the front star of Shinshuku, the Heart lunar mansion, pierced the great star, and vanished upon reaching Tenkō. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Hinoe-uma, a great shooting star appeared from the Shikyū, the Purple Palace, as large as a great cauldron, red-white in color, and vanished upon reaching Tenshi, the Heavenly Market. On the seventh day of the twelfth month, the day Hinoto-mi, the emperor made a progress to the Shinsen'en and went hawking. On the twentieth day, the day Kanoe-uma, a sound like a collapsing tower was heard in the southeastern sky. That night there was an earthquake, with a sound like thunder. On the twenty-third day, the day Mizunoto-tori, the Daijōkan memorialized: "The crime of Fujiwara-no-Chikanari, Chikugo-jō, in killing the Governor of Chikugo, Miyako-no-Mitori, warrants beheading." An edict reduced the sentence by one degree and condemned him to distant exile.

¶In the second year, the year Hinoe-uma, in spring, on the twenty-eighth day of the first month, the day Tsuchinoe-saru, a ji, an ear-like arc, appeared to the right of the sun. On the fifth day of the second month, the day Kinoto-u, a crown-shaped halo appeared about the sun, with ji appearing on both its left and right. On the fourteenth day, the day Kinoe-ne, a yellow-white aura appeared outside the sun, shaped like the ribbons of a ceremonial cap. On the second day of the third month, the day Hinoto-ushi, the emperor's health was poor. On the third day, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, the special fasting and lamp offerings were suspended. On the fifth day, the day Kinoto-u, there was pain and illness. On the eighth day, the day Hinoe-tatsu, there was a great storm. On the thirteenth day, the day Mizunoto-mi, there was a violent windstorm with thunder and rain. On the twenty-first day, the day Kanoe-ne, there was an earthquake. In summer, on the seventh day of the fourth month, the day Hinoe-tatsu, a large bird gathered before the office of the Benkan, the Controllers, and was shot and captured. On the thirteenth day, the day Mizunoe-ushi, there was a great earthquake. On the first day of the fifth month, the day Tsuchinoto-u, there was a solar eclipse. On the tenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-ne, there was heavy rain, and the rivers overflowed. On the twelfth day, the day Kanoe-tora, the Governor of Iwami, Kamitsukeno-no-Ujinaga, and the Jō, Ōno-no-Yasuo, were found guilty, and both were sentenced to penal servitude. On the eighteenth day, the day Hinoe-saru, the Governor of Higo, Fujiwara-no-Tokinaga; the Governor of Settsu, Taji-no-Fujiyoshi; the Governor of Bungo, Tachibana-no-Nagashige; and the Governor of Kai, Fujiwara-no-Masaoki, had for years failed to proceed to their posts. An edict reduced each one rank and confiscated his appointment document. On the twenty-third day, the day Kanoto-ushi, a shooting star appeared from Kōchin, blue and radiant in color, and vanished upon reaching Bunshō, the Literary Glory asterism, by way of the Naikai. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Kinoe-tatsu, a sound like thunder was heard in the southeastern sky. At the Iwashimizu Hachiman Shrine there was a sound like drums, and the south tower resounded as though in a gale. On the seventh day of the sixth month, the day Kinoto-mi, on account of this disturbance at the Hachiman shrine, Mutsu, Dewa, and the Dazaifu were ordered to stand on guard. On the thirteenth day, the day Kanoto-tori, relief was given to the capital on account of prolonged rain. On the fifteenth day, the day Mizunoto-i, there was a great earthquake. On the eighteenth day, the day Hinoe-tora, at the petition of the Tenmon Hakase, the Doctor of Astronomy, envoys were sent to the nine temples of Tōdai, Gangō, Kōfuku, Yakushi, Enryaku, Saidai, Hokke, Daian, and Hōryū, to have the Daihannyakyō read by alternate recitation, to ward off ill omen. In autumn, on the third day of the seventh month, the day Kanoe-tatsu, the Geki, the Secretariat, was ordered to record those of Sangi rank and above who attended court to conduct business, and to submit the record to the Kurōdo-dokoro on the first and sixteenth of each month. On the twenty-fourth day, the day Kanoto-ushi, a shooting star appeared from the Tairyō asterism, blue in color, and vanished upon reaching Kagai, by way of Densha. On the thirtieth day, the day Hinoe-uma, at night a tall figure appeared before the Shishinden. At the post of the Left Palace Guards a sound was heard as of someone being strangled, and people of the time called it the "Onishibori," the demon-strangling. On the fourth day of the eighth month, the day Kanoe-inu — earlier, Awa had reported that in the fifth month there had been thunder, rain, and an earthquake, and a rain of sand, stone, and powdery earth; the rice seedlings had withered and cattle and horses had died. The Onmyōryō divined that this was the wrath of an angered spirit, and that military disturbance and epidemic would arise in the southeast. At this an edict ordered Awa, Kazusa, and Shimōsa to stand on strict guard in advance. On the seventh day, the day Mizunoto-ushi, there was a great windstorm with flooding. Offerings were presented at the shrines of Kamo, Matsunoo, Inari, Kibune, and Niukawakami, in prayer for clear weather. On the fifteenth day, the day Kanoto-tori, the emperor viewed the fishing at the Shinsen'en. On the eighteenth day, the day Kinoe-ne, his health was poor. Envoys were sent to the temples near the capital to have the merit of tennen, alternate sutra recitation, performed. On the third day of the ninth month, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, the god-lamp offerings were suspended. On the fourth day, the day Tsuchinoto-u, lightning struck the place of purification of the Ise Priestess, an imperial princess, at the Kadono river. On the eleventh day, the day Hinoe-tatsu, there was an earthquake. That night, a sound like a bell was heard above the Left Guard Post. In winter, on the first day of the tenth month, the day Hinoe-ne, there was a solar eclipse. On the second day, the day Hinoto-mi, a banquet was held at the Shishinden. The Daigaku-ryō presented a white turtle. On the fourth day, the day Tsuchinoe-saru, his health was poor. Envoys were sent to the temples near the capital to have merit performed. On the fifth day, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, each of the temple offices was further made to read sutras by alternate recitation. On the sixth day, the day Kanoe-inu, prisoners guilty of light offenses were pardoned. On the ninth day, the day Mizunoe-ne, the Onmyōryō was ordered to perform a rite at the Jōmei Gate, to ward off ill vapors. On the eleventh day, the day Kinoe-tora, the Tendai zasu of Enryakuji, Enchin, was summoned to the Shishinden and made to pray for the emperor's recovery for five days. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Tsuchinoto-tatsu, his illness healed, and he went to the Shishinden. On the twenty-sixth day, the day Kanoe-uma, there was thunder and a violent windstorm with rain. On the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, the day Tsuchinoto-uma, he enjoyed hunting at Serikawano. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Kinoto-mi, he made a progress to the Shinsen'en, viewed the fish, and went hawking. He proceeded to Kitano and had the Left and Right Bureaus of Horses run the imperial horses there.

¶In the third year, the year Hinoto-hitsuji, in spring, on the first day of the first month, the day Kinoto-i, the New Year's felicitations were cancelled on account of rain. On the thirtieth day, the day Kinoe-tatsu, thieves broke through the wall of the storehouse of the Ōkurashō, the Ministry of the Treasury, and stole government goods. On the fifth day of the second month, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, on account of the late arrival of kōchō, tribute goods, the rank-stipends and official allowances of the governors of Mino, Shimotsuke, Wakasa, Noto, Etchū, Echigo, Tango, Tajima, Inaba, Hōki, and Iwami were confiscated. On the sixteenth day, the day Kanoe-saru, Fujiwara-no-Motoyoshi, Junior Fifth Rank Upper, was made consort. On the fourteenth day of the third month, the day Tsuchinoe-ne, the moon had about it a halo like the ribbons of a ceremonial cap, with ji appearing on both its left and right. In summer, on the first day of the fourth month, the day Kinoe-tatsu, there was a solar eclipse. An edict ordered Kōzuke to present, in addition to its annual tribute of horses, fifty further horses. On the sixth day, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, the Sangi, Minamoto-no-Koretada, was sent to present offerings at the Daijingū, and envoys were separately dispatched to present offerings at the shrines of Iwashimizu, Tado, Hie, and Asama. On the thirteenth day, the day Hinoe-tatsu, at night countless crows flew above the Daigokuden, cawing. On the seventeenth day, the day Kanoe-saru, a rumor spread within the capital that three suns had appeared together. In the fifth month, on the nineteenth day, the day Mizunoe-tatsu, the Governor of Iwami reported that the criminal Ōno-no-Yasuo had broken his confinement and fled. On the twenty-eighth day, the day Kanoto-ushi, Ōharano was made the hunting ground of the Retired Emperor. On the twenty-ninth day, the day Mizunoe-tora, there was an earthquake. On the eleventh day of the sixth month, the day Mizunoto-ushi, since the prolonged rains since the fifth month had caused famine in both capitals, relief was given. On the twenty-seventh day, the day Tsuchinoto-mi, hail fell. On the thirtieth day, the day Kanoto-hitsuji, there was thunder, and the Minor Captain of the Right Palace Guards, Ariwara-no-Tōmi, was struck by lightning and died at his post. In autumn, on the second day of the seventh month, the day Mizunoto-tori, there was an earthquake. On the sixth day, the day Hinoto-ushi, a rainbow appeared over the Tōgū. A white turtle was found between the Ryōkiden and the Jijūden, and was released into the Shinsen'en. That night there was an earthquake. On the fifteenth day, the day Hinoe-inu, offerings were presented at Niukawakami in prayer for clear weather. On the thirtieth day, the day Kanoto-ushi, there was a great earthquake. The emperor left the Shishinden and took refuge in the south garden. Many government offices and private dwellings in both capitals collapsed, and many were crushed to death. On this same day, the sea overflowed in the five home provinces and seven circuits, and many people drowned, Settsu suffering especially severely. That night, a sound like thunder was heard in the east and west. After this, there were repeated earthquakes within the capital. On the fourth day of the eighth month, the day Kinoto-mi, a vapor arose above the Tatchimon gate, like smoke yet not smoke, like a rainbow yet not a rainbow, and gradually rose to the sky. On the eighth day, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, winged ants rose up from the Ōkurashō and reached as far as Funaoka, their mass resembling a rainbow in form. On the seventeenth day, the day Tsuchinoe-uma, there was an unexplained disturbance within the palace at night, and many strange occurrences took place within the capital. On the eighteenth day, the day Tsuchinoto-hitsuji, a hundred monks were made to read the Daihannyakyō by alternate recitation for three days at both the Shishinden and the Daigokuden, to ward off calamity and pray for a bountiful harvest. On the twentieth day, the day Kanoto-tori, there was a great windstorm with rain, which uprooted trees and tore off roofs. The Naizenshi, the Palace Table Office, collapsed, and many dwellings in both capitals fell, crushing many people to death. The Kamo and Kadono rivers overflowed. On the twenty-second day, the day Mizunoto-i, the Daijō Daijin, Mototsune; the Minister of the Left, Minamoto-no-Tōru; and the Minister of the Right, Minamoto-no-Masaru, submitted a memorial requesting that a crown prince be established. On the twenty-fifth day, the day Hinoe-tora, the imperial prince, Minamoto-no-Sadami, was made shinnō, a prince of the blood. An edict declared: "To all of Our children, We have given the surname of Ason. This was indeed a measure to economize the expenses of the state and spare the people hardship. Now, startled by the excellent counsel of the great ministers, and looking up with reverence to the weighty charge of the ancestral shrine, considering the peace of the myriad multitudes, We have sought in the records of Han for the example of the great rock of succession, and divined, for the firm defense of the realm, the song of the Zhou odes that binds the wall of state. Neither of the house of Liu nor of the house of Ji, We have at last found one who fits that choice. Our seventh son, Sadami, twenty-one years of age, has always attended Us closely, never yet having left Our household. Generous and warm-hearted, he has served his parent and siblings well, and is a child whom We deeply cherish. Though he once stood among the ranks of his brothers, he is now suddenly to be admitted into a single house of his own. Now, in handing down this weighty charge of Our ancestors, how could We refuse this request? Even setting aside Our own wish in the matter, who indeed would be loath to agree to it? Let his status as a subject be struck from the register, and let him be added to the ranks of the imperial princes. The star of Shinshuku may well suit the name of an imperial son, and how could Mount Tai decline the title of Heaven's grandson?" On the twenty-sixth day, the day Hinoto-u, the emperor's health was poor. Imperial Prince Sadami was made Crown Prince. On this day, the emperor died at the Jijūden. He was fifty-eight years of age. He was buried at the Tamura mausoleum in Kadono district (Note: the word "buried" follows the Fusō Ryakki), which is known as the Nochi no Tamura mausoleum, the Later Tamura mausoleum (Note: following the Engishiki. The Fusō Ryakki states that it is also called the Later Tamura mausoleum, or else the Komatsuyama mausoleum). He was given the posthumous name Kōkō, and was known to the world as the Komatsu Emperor (Note: following the Gukanshō, the Fusō Ryakki, and the Jinnō Shōtōki). A kokki, death-day observance, was established for him at Saiji temple (Note: following the Gōke Shidai and the Ninnaji Shoki-shō).

¶The emperor had a constant wish to restore ceremonies that had fallen into disuse (Note: following the Jinnō Shōtōki). He frequently held court in the outer hall to attend to government. Practices such as his own personal divination, the documents for selecting and appointing district officials, and the hunting excursions at Serikawano had long been allowed to lapse as matters of established ceremony, but from the time of his accession these were gradually revived.