Emperors Nintoku through Ingyō

Emperor Nintoku

¶Emperor Nintoku was the fourth son of Emperor Ōjin. His mother was Empress Nakatsuhime.

¶When the emperor was born, an owl, tsuku, flew into the birthing hall. On that same day a son was also born to the Ō-omi [grand minister], Takenouchi-no-Sukune, and a wren, sazaki, flew into the birthing chamber. Emperor Ōjin rejoiced at this as an auspicious sign, and said to Takenouchi-no-Sukune: "Now my son and the minister's son have been born on the same day, and both were accompanied by an auspicious omen. Let us each take the name of the bird that entered the room and exchange it in naming our sons, as a bond to be remembered in ages to come." The emperor was accordingly named Ōsazaki, "Great Wren."

¶In the fortieth year of Emperor Ōjin's reign, in the first month, Emperor Ōjin asked the prince and Prince Ōyamamori, "Do you cherish your children?" Both replied, "We cherish them very much." The emperor then asked, "Which do you cherish more, an elder child or a younger one?" Prince Ōyamamori answered, "The elder cannot compare to the younger." Emperor Ōjin had long favored his youngest son, Prince Uji-no-Wakiiratsuko, and intended to install him as crown prince, so on hearing this answer he was displeased. The prince, sensing the emperor's feelings, answered differently: "The elder child has already passed through many years and come into his own, and there is no longer any cause for concern over him. The younger child's growth is not yet certain, and so one feels all the more tenderly toward him." The emperor was greatly pleased and said, "This truly accords with my own heart," and at last installed Wakiiratsuko as crown prince, with the prince to assist him.

¶In the forty-first year, in the second month, Emperor Ōjin died. The crown prince sought to yield the throne to the prince and himself withdrew to Uji. The prince, holding that the order of precedence had already been fixed, would not accept this. Just at that time Prince Ōyamamori plotted rebellion; the prince, learning of the scheme, secretly informed the crown prince, had troops made ready, and crushed it. The crown prince still wished above all for the prince to take the throne, and the two of them went on yielding it to each other for three years, until the people no longer knew whom to follow. The prince's resolve only grew firmer, and the crown prince, realizing he could never move the prince's heart, at last took his own life. The prince, greatly shaken, hastened from Naniwa to Uji, put on mourning dress to show his grief, and wept bitterly.

¶In the first year, the year Mizunoto-tori, in spring, on the third day of the first month, the day Tsuchinoto-u, the emperor ascended the throne (Note: the Mizukagami and the Kōnendai Ryakki both give his age as twenty-four at this time, but this does not agree with this work's account; the matter is discussed further below). He was called Ōsazaki-no-sumeramikoto. He honored the empress with the title of empress dowager, and the Ō-omi, Takenouchi-no-Sukune, remained in office as before (Note: the passage from "Ō-omi" onward follows the Kugyō Bunin). He made his capital at Naniwa, at what was called the Takatsu Palace. The walls of the palace were left unpainted, the beams and pillars unadorned, in keeping with his devotion to frugality and thrift, and he took care not to interfere with the people's farming seasons.

¶In the second year, the year Kinoe-inu, in spring, on the eighth day of the third month, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, he installed Iwa-no-hime-no-mikoto as empress.

¶In the fourth year, the year Hinoe-ne, in spring, on the sixth day of the second month, the day Kinoe-ne, the emperor issued a decree to the assembled ministers, saying: "When I climbed a high tower and gazed into the distance, no smoke was rising from the hearths throughout the realm. I suspect the common people have already fallen into poverty, and that there is no one left in their homes to cook. I have heard that in the age of the sage kings of old, the people raised their voices in praise of their rulers' virtue, and every household had songs celebrating its peace and plenty. Now three years have passed since I came to preside over the myriad people, yet no such praise arises, and the smoke from the hearths grows ever more sparse. This can only mean that the five grains have failed to ripen and the common people are in distress. If even the home provinces are not yet satisfied, how much more must this be so in the provinces beyond." On the twenty-first day of the third month, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, he further decreed: "From this time for three years, let all levies and corvée be entirely remitted, to ease the people's hardship." Thereafter the emperor himself did not replace his embroidered robes or footwear until they were worn through, nor did he exchange his warm rice and soup until they had turned sour and spoiled. He disciplined his heart and restrained his will, turning wholly to non-action, letting matters take their natural course, in his governance. After this, when the palace fences crumbled he did not rebuild them, and when the thatched roofs decayed he did not re-thatch them. In time the wind and rain came in due season and in harmony, the five grains ripened abundantly, and within three years the people grew rich and prosperous, and voices of rejoicing filled the roads.

¶In the seventh year, the year Tsuchinoto-u, in summer, on the first day of the fourth month, the day Kanoto-hitsuji, the emperor climbed the high tower and saw that smoke was now rising thickly from the hearths. He said to the empress, "I am now rich indeed. What is there left for me to worry about?" The empress replied, "The palace itself still lies in ruin and decay, unable even to keep out the rain and dew. How can this be called riches?" The emperor said, "Heaven raises up a sovereign for the sake of the people; the sovereign therefore takes the people as his foundation. The sage kings of antiquity held themselves to blame even if but a single person suffered cold or hunger. If the people are poor, then I too am poor; if the people are rich, then I too am rich. There has never been a case of the people being rich while the sovereign alone remained poor" (Note: both the Mizukagami and the Jinnō Shōtōki state that the emperor, rejoicing at this, composed a poem likening the rising smoke to the people's new prosperity. On consideration, in the poetry contest held at the conclusion of the Nihongi lectures in the Engi era, Fujiwara no Tokihira composed a poem about this emperor in very similar words, and it is likely that a later hand reworked it and attributed it to the emperor himself. The poem is nonetheless included in the Shin Kokinshū and has long been widely known and recited; it is noted here for reference). On the ninth day of the eighth month, the day Hinoto-ushi, he established the Mibube guild for Prince Izahowake (Note: this work's Chronicle of Emperor Richū states that he was installed as crown prince in the thirty-first year of this reign, at the age of fifteen, and died at seventy; reckoning from this, Emperor Richū would not yet have been born at this time, and there may well be an error somewhere in the record. The matter is discussed further in the Chronicle of Emperor Richū). He established the Katsuragibe guild for the empress. In the ninth month, the various provinces petitioned: "It is now three years since the levies and corvée were remitted together. The people are now rich and prosperous; no one picks up what is dropped on the road, and every household has more than enough stored away. And yet the palace lies in ruin and decay, and the storehouses are not full. We beg that taxes and tribute be collected again, and the palace buildings repaired." The emperor would not grant this.

¶In the tenth year, the year Mizunoe-uma, in winter, in the tenth month, levies and corvée were imposed for the first time, and the palace buildings were constructed. The common people, helping the old and leading the young by the hand, rushed to the work each eager to be first. They carried timber, bore earth in baskets, and labored without pause by day or night. Before long the palace buildings were entirely completed.

¶In the eleventh year, the year Mizunoto-hitsuji, in summer, on the seventeenth day of the fourth month, the day Kinoe-uma, the emperor issued a decree: "Now that I survey this land, the marshes beyond the capital lie broad and empty while the cultivated fields are few. The river's waters spill out to the sides, and its lower reaches are sluggish and choked. Whenever the long rains come, the tide from the sea flows back upstream, so that one must travel the roads by boat. We should cut a channel to the sea and secure the fields and dwellings." In winter, in the tenth month, a channel was dug north of the palace, opening a way to the sea; this was named Horie, the "cut channel." The Manda embankment was also built, to hold back the river to the north. In this year, Silla sent tribute to the court.

¶In the twelfth year, the year Kinoe-saru, in autumn, on the third day of the seventh month, the day Mizunoto-tori, Koma presented an iron shield and an iron target in tribute. On the tenth day of the eighth month, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, a banquet was held for the Koma envoy, and the assembled ministers were ordered to shoot at the presented shield and target. In winter, in the tenth month, a great channel was dug in the district of Kurikuma in Yamashiro, drawing water to the fields. The people benefited greatly from it.

¶In the thirteenth year, the year Kinoto-tori, in autumn, in the ninth month, the Manda granary, miyake, was established for the first time, together with the Tsukishinebe guild. In winter, in the tenth month, the Wani Pond was made and the Yokono embankment built (Note: the Kojiki states that the Yosami Pond was made at the same time, the Obashi channel dug, and the harbor of Suminoe fixed. On consideration, the Yosami Pond was made in the reign of Emperor Sujin, and the Kojiki's account appears to duplicate this).

¶In the fourteenth year, the year Hinoe-inu, in winter, in the eleventh month, a bridge was built at Ikai-no-tsu. In this year, a great road was opened within the capital, running straight from the southern gate to the village of Tajihi. A great channel was also dug at Komuku, drawing the waters of the Ishikawa River to irrigate the plains beyond the capital at Kamitsu-Suzuka, Shimotsu-Suzuka, Kamitsu-Toyura, and Shimotsu-Toyura, and more than forty thousand kei of land were brought under cultivation.

¶In the seventeenth year, the year Tsuchinoto-ushi, Silla failed to pay tribute. In autumn, in the ninth month, Toda-no-Sukune and Sakata-no-Omi were sent to inquire into the matter. Silla, in fear, loaded silk and other goods onto eighty ships and presented them in tribute.

¶In the thirtieth year, the year Mizunoe-tora, in autumn, on the eleventh day of the ninth month, the day Kinoto-ushi, the empress made a progress to the land of Kii. On this day the emperor took Princess Yata as a consort. On her way back to the capital, the empress reached Yamashiro, built the Tsutsuki Palace, and took up residence there. In winter, on the seventh day of the tenth month, the day Kanoe-saru, the emperor made a progress to Yamashiro and went to the Tsutsuki Palace.

¶In the thirty-first year, the year Mizunoto-u, in spring, on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day Hinoto-u, Prince Izahowake-no-mikoto was installed as crown prince.

¶In the thirty-fifth year, the year Hinoto-hitsuji, in summer, in the sixth month, Empress Iwa-no-hime died at the Tsutsuki Palace.

¶In the thirty-seventh year, the year Tsuchinoto-tori, in winter, on the twelfth day of the eleventh month, the day Kinoto-tori, the empress was buried.

¶In the thirty-eighth year, the year Kanoe-inu, in spring, on the sixth day of the first month, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, his consort Princess Yata was installed as empress.

¶In the fortieth year, the year Mizunoe-ne, in spring, in the third month, Prince Hayabusawake and Princess Metori were found guilty of an offense, and both were put to death.

¶In the forty-first year, the year Mizunoto-ushi, in spring, in the third month, Ki-no-Tsuno was sent to Kudara, where for the first time he fixed the boundaries between the provinces and districts, and recorded in detail the products of the land.

¶In the forty-third year, the year Kinoto-u, in autumn, on the first day of the ninth month, the day Kanoe-ne, Yosami-no-Abiko caught a hawk and presented it to the emperor, who had Sake-no-kimi of Kudara train it. The emperor made a progress to Mozuno to hunt, and took several tens of pheasants. The Takakaibe guild, falconers, was established for the first time.

¶In the fiftieth year, the year Mizunoe-inu, in spring, on the fifth day of the third month, the day Hinoe-saru, a man of Kawachi reported that wild geese had hatched young on the Manda embankment (Note: the Kojiki states that the emperor, intending to hold a feast, toyonoakari, made a progress to the island of Himeshima, and that it was on that island that wild geese laid eggs).

¶In the fifty-third year, the year Kinoto-ushi, Silla failed to pay tribute. In summer, in the fifth month, Takahase was sent to call it to account. On his way, Takahase obtained a white deer, and on returning to the capital he presented it. The emperor decreed that Takahase's younger brother Taji be sent in addition. Silla having turned against the court, Taji attacked and defeated it, and brought back the people of four villages as captives.

¶In the fifty-fifth year, the year Hinoto-u, the Emishi rebelled. Taji was sent to subdue them, but Taji was defeated and died. In this year the Ō-omi, Takenouchi-no-Sukune, died (Note: the passage "in this year" follows the Mizukagami, the Kugyō Bunin, and the Kōnendai Ryakki. The Teiō Hennenki states that he died in the seventy-eighth year).

¶In the fifty-eighth year, the year Kanoe-uma, in summer, in the fifth month, on the road south of the pine grove at Arahaka, two sawtooth oaks, kunugi, suddenly grew up and their crowns met above the road. In winter, in the tenth month, Wu and Koma both sent tribute to the court.

¶In the sixty-second year, the year Kinoe-inu, in summer, in the fifth month, the governor of Tōtōmi reported: "There is a great tree forked in two, about ten armspans around, drifting in the Ōi River." Yamato-no-Agoko was sent to have it made into the imperial boat. In this year, an ice house, himuro, was established for the first time.

¶In the sixty-fifth year, the year Hinoto-ushi, Naniwa-no-Nekotakefurukuma was sent to put to death Sukuna, a brigand of Hida.

¶In the sixty-seventh year, the year Tsuchinoto-u, in winter, on the fifth day of the tenth month, the day Kinoe-saru, the emperor made a progress to Ishizu-no-hara in Kawachi and had his own tomb, built during his lifetime, juryō, constructed there.

¶In the eighty-seventh year, the year Tsuchinoto-i, in spring, on the sixteenth day of the first month, the day Mizunoto-u, the emperor died (Note: this work does not record his age at death. The Mizukagami, the Kōdaiki, the Kōnendai Ryakki, and the Jinnō Shōtōki all give his age as 110. Reckoning back from this, the emperor would have been born in the twenty-first year of Emperor Ōjin's reign. But this work states that the emperor was born on the same day as Heguri-no-Tsuku, and the Chronicle of Emperor Ōjin records, in its third year, that this Tsuku was sent as an envoy to Kudara, and, in its thirteenth year, that the emperor favored Kaminagahime; set against these records, it is clear that the various works' accounts contain an error, and they are therefore not adopted here. The Kojiki states that he died in the eighth month of the eighty-third year, the year Hinoto-u). He was buried at the Mozuno Misasagi (Note: the Engishiki calls it the Mozu-no-Mimihara-no-Naka-no-Misasagi).

¶From his earliest years the emperor was wise and perceptive, and his countenance was handsome. On reaching his prime he was magnanimous and deeply compassionate, and gave himself wholly to the affairs of government from early morning until late at night. He had channels and waterways opened, embankments built, and the plains beyond the capital brought under cultivation. Because of this the common people took joy in their occupations, the realm grew rich and prosperous, and the people acclaimed the emperor a sage ruler. Once, while avoiding the summer heat on a high tower together with Empress Yata, he heard the belling of the deer at Togano and took delight in it. But one evening the deer did not cry out. The next day a man of the Saekibe guild in the district of Ina took a deer and offered it at the emperor's table. When the emperor asked where it had been taken, the man answered, "At Togano." The emperor said to the empress, "Considering the day and the place where it was taken, this must surely be the very deer I so loved to hear. Though the one who took it meant no harm, I cannot bear it. I do not wish to keep that man of the Saekibe near the palace." He thereupon ordered the Saekibe moved to Nuta in Aki. In the emperor's later years, a great serpent appeared in the land of Kibi-no-Nakatsukuni and harmed the people, and around this time signs of unrest gradually spread, and some even turned against the court. But the emperor lightened the taxes and eased their collection, spreading his virtue and bestowing his favor widely, so that the transforming influence of his good government reached far and wide, and for more than twenty years the realm was once again at peace. He was posthumously given the title Emperor Nintoku.

Emperor Richū

¶Emperor Richū was the eldest son of Emperor Nintoku. His mother was Empress Iwa-no-hime.

¶In the thirty-first year of Emperor Nintoku's reign, he was installed as crown prince.

¶In the eighty-seventh year, in the first month, Emperor Nintoku died. The crown prince remained at the Naniwa palace. The period of mourning had already ended, but he had not yet ascended the throne. Prince Suminoe-no-Naka raised a rebellion, mustered troops, and surrounded the palace. The crown prince happened to be lying drunk with wine when Heguri-no-Tsuku, Mononobe-no-Ōmae, Achi-no-Omi, and others came in and told him what was happening. The crown prince did not believe them, but Tsuku and the others helped him up, set him on a horse, and made him flee (Note: one tradition in this work states that it was Ōmae-no-Sukune who took the crown prince up and set him on the horse. The Kojiki states that Achi-no-Atai secretly bore the crown prince away and set him on a horse to flee). Prince Naka then set fire to the palace. The crown prince, on reaching Hanyūzaka in Kawachi, came to his senses from his drunkenness (Note: the Kojiki calls Hanyūzaka Tajihino). Looking back and seeing the smoke and flames, he was greatly alarmed. He rode hard from Ōsaka, intending to enter Yamato. On reaching the foot of Mount Asuka, he met a young girl and asked her, "Are there men on the mountain?" She answered, "Men bearing arms fill the mountain. You would do best to take the Taima road." The crown prince thereupon raised troops from the district of Taima and crossed Mount Tatsuta, where he came upon several tens of armed men. Suspecting they might be rebels, the crown prince set an ambush in the mountains and sent a man to question them. They answered, "We are fishermen of Nojima in Awaji. By order of Azumi-no-Muraji-Hamako we are pursuing the crown prince." The crown prince released his ambush and captured every one of them. Yamato-no-Agoko had gathered troops intending to lie in wait for the crown prince, but on seeing how numerous his force was, he took fright and surrendered. The crown prince remained at the Furu Shrine at Isonokami, and Prince Mizuhawake put Prince Naka to death. On this same day, Azumi-no-Hamako was captured. On the seventh day of the tenth month, the day Tsuchinoto-ushi, Emperor Nintoku was buried.

¶In the first year, the year Kanoe-ne, in spring, on the first day of the second month, the day Mizunoe-uma, the emperor ascended the throne (Note: the Mizukagami and the Kōdaiki both give his age as sixty-two at this time, the Rekidai Kōki sixty-four, and the Teiō Hennenki sixty-five. The various accounts are in disarray, and none of them is adopted here; the matter is discussed further below. The Sendai Kuji Hongi states that he honored the empress with the title of empress dowager, but since this is recorded together with a mention of a grand empress dowager, it is not recorded here; the matter is discussed in the Chronicle of Emperor Keikō). He was called Izahowake-no-sumeramikoto. In summer, on the seventeenth day of the fourth month, the day Hinoto-tori, he summoned Azumi-no-Hamako, commuted his sentence of death, and had him branded instead. He pardoned the fishermen of Nojima, and set them to labor at the Komoshiro granary, miyake, in Yamato. In autumn, on the fourth day of the seventh month, the day Mizunoe-ne, he took Kurohime as a consort.

¶In the second year, the year Kanoto-ushi, in spring, on the fourth day of the first month, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, his younger brother, Prince Mizuhawake, was installed as crown prince. In winter, in the tenth month, the capital was moved to Iware, and Heguri-no-Tsuku, Soga-no-Machi, Mononobe-no-Ikofutsu, and Katsuragi-no-Tsubura together took charge of the affairs of government. In the eleventh month, the Iware Pond was made.

¶In the third year, the year Mizunoe-tora, in winter, on the sixth day of the eleventh month, the day Kanoto-hitsuji, the emperor, together with his consort, set out in a boat and held a banquet at the Ichishi Pond at Iware. Cherry blossoms fell and scattered into the emperor's cup, and the emperor took this as an auspicious sign. He accordingly named the palace the Iware-no-Wakazakura Palace, the "Young Cherry Palace of Iware" (Note: that this palace's name already appears in the entry for the first year of this work is probably because the name was added retrospectively at a later time).

¶In the fourth year, the year Mizunoto-u, in autumn, on the eighth day of the eighth month, the day Tsuchinoe-inu, scribes, fuhito, were established for the first time in the various provinces, to record words and events and convey the conditions of the four quarters. In winter, in the tenth month, a channel was dug at Isonokami.

¶In the fifth year, the year Kinoe-tatsu, in autumn, on the eighteenth day of the ninth month, the day Mizunoe-tora, the emperor hunted on the island of Awaji, and, remaining there, made those who had been tattooed into kaibe, keepers of horses. On the twenty-second day, the day Hinoe-uma, he returned to the capital from Awaji.

¶In the sixth year, the year Kinoto-mi, in spring, on the sixth day of the first month, the day Tsuchinoe-ne, Princess Kusaka-no-Hatahi was installed as empress. On the ninth day, the day Kanoto-u, the Office of the Treasury, kura-no-tsukasa, was established for the first time, together with the Kurabe guild (Note: the Kojiki states that after the rebellion of Prince Naka was put down, Achi-no-Atai was for the first time appointed to the Office of the Treasury; this was probably the occasion referred to here). On the first day of the second month, the day Mizunoto-ushi, Princesses Ōhime and Takatsuru were taken as consorts, hime. In the third month, the emperor fell ill. On the fifteenth day, the day Hinoe-saru, he died at the Wakazakura Palace (Note: this work states that he was fifteen when installed as crown prince and seventy at his death, and the Sendai Kuji Hongi agrees. On consideration, if the emperor was installed as crown prince at fifteen, he would have been born in the seventeenth year of Emperor Nintoku's reign, and his age at death would then be seventy-seven, which conflicts with the other figure. Measured against the record that the Mibube guild was established in the seventh year of Emperor Nintoku's reign, it is clear that this age contains an error. The Mizukagami gives his age as fifteen when installed as crown prince, sixty-two at his accession, and sixty-seven at his death. The Kojiki gives sixty-four at death, and states that he died on the third day of the first month of the year Mizunoe-saru. The Jinnō Shōtōki gives sixty-seven. The Rekidai Kōki gives sixty-four at accession and seventy at death. The various accounts do not agree, and the truth cannot be determined). He was buried at the Mozu-no-Mimihara Misasagi (Note: the Engishiki places the character "south" above the word "misasagi"). He was posthumously given the title Emperor Richū.

Emperor Hanzei

¶Emperor Hanzei was the younger brother of Emperor Richū by the same mother.

¶He was born at the Awaji palace, and from birth his teeth were joined together as a single bone (Note: the Kojiki states that his teeth were one sun in length and two bu in width, and, upper and lower alike, resembled a string of pierced jewels). As water was being drawn from the well for his birth-bath, blossoms of the tachibana tree happened to fall scattered into the well (Note: the Shinsen Shōjiroku states that the blossoms fell into the basin in which the bathwater had been drawn). Because of this the emperor was named Prince Tajihi-no-Mizuhawake (Note: the Kojiki writes his name with different characters, likewise read Tajihi-no-Mizuhawake-no-mikoto). Emperor Nintoku accordingly established the Tajihibe guild in the various provinces, as a yunomura, an estate set aside to provide for the prince's upbringing (Note: the passage from "established the Tajihibe" onward follows the Shinsen Shōjiroku. The Kojiki states that the Tajihibe guild was established as a namesake guild, na-no-shiro, in honor of Mizuhawake-no-mikoto). Tajihi was the plant now called itadori, the Japanese knotweed. As he grew, his features became handsome, and he stood nine shaku two sun five bu in height (Note: the passage from "he stood" onward follows the Kojiki).

¶When Emperor Richū had been crown prince, he had taken refuge from the rebellion of Prince Suminoe-no-Naka at the Furu Shrine at Isonokami. The prince, hearing of this, followed his tracks and went there. Emperor Richū, suspicious, would not see him, so the prince sent a messenger to report: "I harbor no ill intent. I was merely anxious for the crown prince's safety, and so I have hastened here." Emperor Richū sent back word: "I came here to escape the trouble caused by Prince Naka. How could I help but suspect you? If you truly have no ill intent, then go back to Naniwa and kill Prince Naka." The prince replied: "What does the crown prince have to fear? Prince Naka now acts without principle, and the assembled ministers and the common people alike resent and despise him. Those close to him, too, all harbor thoughts of turning against him, yet none dares to plot against him. Your servant knows of this treachery, but, not yet having received the crown prince's command, has only nursed his own indignation alone. Now that I have received your command, what difficulty could there be in putting him to death? I fear only that, once the matter is settled, I may still be suspected. I beg that you grant me one loyal man, to act together with me in this." Emperor Richū sent Heguri-no-Tsuku. The prince sighed and said: "Now, both the crown prince and Prince Naka are alike my elder brothers. Which should I follow, and which should I turn against? And yet, if I remove what lacks principle and side with what holds to principle, is this not my own proper path?" He thereupon went to Naniwa and enticed Sashihire, an attendant close to Prince Naka, saying: "If you will kill the prince for my sake, I shall surely reward you richly." He then took off his own brocade robe and trousers and gave them to him. Sashihire at last stabbed Prince Naka to death. The prince, acting on Tsuku's counsel, then put Sashihire to death (Note: the Kojiki states that Prince Mizuhawake-no-mikoto enticed Sobakari, a hayato in the service of Lord Suminoe-no-Naka, had him kill his lord, and promised that if the deed succeeded he would be given the rank of Ō-omi. Sobakari agreed, and, secretly watching for the lord to enter the privy, stabbed him to death. Prince Mizuhawake thought to himself, "Though he has done me a service, it was disloyal of him to kill his own lord; yet if I do not reward his service, I shall be false to my word." He therefore granted him the rank of Ō-omi, had the assembled ministers do obeisance to him, and even bestowed upon him a special banquet and showed him great favor. Sobakari, overjoyed and elated, grew careless during the feast, and the prince, seizing the chance, cut him down with his own hand). That same day the prince set out for Yamato, and at midnight reached Isonokami and reported what he had done. Emperor Richū summoned him, praised him highly, and granted him the Muraai granary, miyake. When Emperor Richū ascended the throne, the prince was installed as crown prince the following year. In the sixth year, in the third month, Emperor Richū died. On the fourth day of the tenth month, the day Mizunoe-ne, Emperor Richū was buried.

¶In the first year, the year Hinoe-uma, in spring, on the second day of the first month, the day Tsuchinoe-tora, the emperor ascended the throne (Note: the Mizukagami, the Teiō Hennenki, the Rekidai Kōki, and the Kōnendai Ryakki all give his age as fifty-five, but since this work does not record the emperor's age at death, that figure is not adopted here). He was called Mizuhawake-no-sumeramikoto. In autumn, on the sixth day of the eighth month, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, Princess Tsunu was installed as his consort, kisaki. In winter, in the tenth month, the capital was moved to Tajihi in Kawachi; this was called the Shibagaki Palace.

¶In the fifth year, the year Kanoe-inu, in spring, on the twenty-third day of the first month, the day Hinoe-uma (Note: this work gives the date as the first day of the first month of the sixth year, the year Kinoe-saru, the day Hinoe-uma, and the opening of the Chronicle of Emperor Ingyō likewise states that he died in the first month of the sixth year. But reckoning the sexagenary cycle, the first month of the sixth year begins on the day Tsuchinoe-saru, and there is no day Hinoe-uma within it. The Ruijū Kokushi gives the date as the day Hinoe-uma in the first month of the fifth year, and the Sendai Kuji Hongi gives it as the first day of the first month of the fifth year, the year Kinoe-saru, the day Hinoe-uma. On consideration, the fifth year corresponds to the cyclical year Kanoe-inu, and the first year of Emperor Ingyō's reign to Mizunoe-ne; if the emperor died in the fifth year, then the year Kanoto-i would be left without a reigning sovereign. These two sources corroborate the statement, found in the Chronicle of Emperor Ingyō, that the throne stood vacant for some time before he took it up, and so the fifth year is adopted here), the emperor died in the main hall of the palace (Note: this work does not record his age at death. The Kojiki, the Sendai Kuji Hongi, the Mizukagami, and the Jinnō Shōtōki all give his age as sixty. Reckoning from this, he would have been born in the fortieth year of Emperor Nintoku's reign; but his mother, Iwa-no-hime, died in the thirty-fifth year of Emperor Nintoku's reign, so these accounts cannot be trusted. The matter cannot now be verified. The Kojiki states that he died in the seventh month of the year Hinoto-ushi). He was buried at the Mozu-no-Mimihara Misasagi (Note: the Engishiki places the character "north" above the word "misasagi"). During his reign, the wind and rain came in due season and in harmony, the five grains ripened, the people grew rich and prosperous, and the realm was at peace. He was posthumously given the title Emperor Hanzei.

Emperor Ingyō

¶Emperor Ingyō was the younger brother of Emperor Hanzei by the same mother. From his earliest years he was deeply compassionate and humble.

¶In the fifth year, in the first month, Emperor Hanzei died. The assembled ministers took counsel together, saying: "Among the surviving sons of Emperor Ōsazaki, that is, Emperor Nintoku, only Prince Oasazuma-Wakugo-no-Sukune and Prince Ōkusaka remain. But Prince Oasazuma-Wakugo-no-Sukune is the elder, and moreover he is deeply compassionate and filial." They therefore chose an auspicious day and presented the imperial seal to him. The prince declined, saying: "I have had the misfortune of suffering from a grave illness for many years, and I am scarcely able to walk. I once had my skin cut open in an attempt to cure it, but it has still not healed. The late emperor once reproached me, saying, 'You have damaged your own body. There can be no greater lack of filial piety than this. Even should you live long, you could not carry on the imperial enterprise.' My two elder brothers likewise held me unfit, as you yourselves know well. The realm, after all, is a vessel of the greatest weight, and the throne an undertaking of the greatest magnitude. How could the father and mother of the people be entrusted to one so inadequate? I cannot possibly accept this. I beg you to choose anew a worthy man and set him up instead." The assembled ministers bowed twice and said: "The throne cannot be left vacant for long, nor can Heaven's mandate be humbly declined forever. If the proper title and rank are not now set right, we fear the people's hopes will be cut off. We beg that Your Highness ascend the throne." The emperor again declined, and would not consent.

¶In the first year, the year Mizunoe-ne, in winter, in the twelfth month, the assembled ministers again bowed twice, presented the imperial seal, and pressed their request for him to ascend the throne all the more urgently. The emperor said, "If the assembled ministers petition for the sake of the realm, how could I go on declining forever?" and thereupon ascended the throne (Note: the Mizukagami, the Teiō Hennenki, and the Kōnendai Ryakki all give his age as thirty-nine at this time, and the Rekidai Kōki as thirty-eight; none of these is adopted here, and the matter is discussed further below). He made his capital at the Tōtsu-Asuka Palace (Note: the passage "he made his capital" follows the Kojiki). He was called Oasazuma-Wakugo-no-Sukune-no-sumeramikoto.

¶In the second year, the year Mizunoto-ushi, in spring, on the fourteenth day of the second month, the day Tsuchinoto-tori, he installed Oshisaka-no-Ōnakatsuhime as empress. In connection with this, the Osakabe guild was established.

¶In the third year, the year Kinoe-tora, in spring, on the first day of the first month, the day Kanoto-tori, an envoy was sent to Silla to request a physician. In autumn, in the eighth month, the physician arrived and treated the emperor's illness. The illness was cured, and the emperor rewarded him generously before sending him home (Note: the Kojiki states that the Silla envoy Konpa-Chinkankimu was skilled in medicine, and it was he who cured the emperor's illness).

¶In the fourth year, the year Kinoto-u, in autumn, in the ninth month, the emperor issued a decree, saying, "Correct the false claims of lineage among the clans." The people of the various clans were gathered at Amakashi Hill, made to swear before the gods, and subjected to the ordeal of boiling water, kukatachi, a divine trial in which the hand is plunged into scalding water to determine truth from falsehood.

¶In the fifth year, the year Hinoe-tatsu, in autumn, on the fourteenth day of the seventh month, the day Tsuchinoto-ushi, there was an earthquake. Katsuragi-no-Tamada was found guilty of an offense and put to death. In winter, on the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the day Kinoe-saru, Emperor Hanzei was buried.

¶In the eighth year, the year Tsuchinoto-hitsuji, in spring, in the second month, the emperor made a progress to Fujiwara. For the empress's younger sister, Princess Sotoori, he established the Fujiwarabe guild, and had the Chinu Palace built in Kawachi. From this time on, the emperor often hunted at Hineno.

¶In the ninth year, the year Kanoe-saru, in spring, in the second month, he made a progress to the Chinu Palace. In autumn, in the eighth month, and again in winter, in the tenth month, he made further progresses there.

¶In the tenth year, the year Kanoto-tori, in spring, in the first month, he made a progress to the Chinu Palace.

¶In the eleventh year, the year Mizunoe-inu, in spring, on the fourth day of the third month, the day Hinoe-uma, he made a progress to the Chinu Palace.

¶In the fourteenth year, the year Kinoto-ushi, in autumn, on the twelfth day of the ninth month, the day Kinoe-ne, he hunted on the island of Awaji.

¶In the twenty-third year, the year Kinoe-inu, in spring, on the seventh day of the third month, the day Kanoe-ne, Prince Kinashi-no-Karu was installed as crown prince, and in connection with this the Karube guild was established (Note: the establishment of the Karube guild follows the Kojiki. The Sendai Kuji Hongi states that on this day Mononobe-no-Muguhito-no-Sukune and Mononobe-no-Ōmae-no-Sukune were both made Ō-muraji).

¶In the twenty-fourth year, the year Kinoto-i, in summer, in the sixth month, the thick soup, atsumono, prepared for the emperor's table froze. On divining the cause, it was found that "Princess Karu-no-Ōiratsume is at fault," and she was exiled to Iyo.

¶In the forty-second year, the year Mizunoto-mi, in spring, on the fourteenth day of the first month, the day Tsuchinoe-ne, the emperor died (Note: this work does not record his age at death. The Sendai Kuji Hongi gives his age as seventy-eight. The Kojiki likewise gives seventy-eight, and states that he died on the fifteenth day of the first month of the year Kinoe-uma. The Mizukagami, the Gukanshō, and the Jinnō Shōtōki all give his age as eighty. On consideration, the emperor was the younger brother of Emperor Hanzei by the same mother, and ninety-eight years had passed from their mother's death down to this year, so none of these accounts can be correct, and they are not adopted here). He was buried at the Nagano-no-hara Misasagi in Kawachi (Note: the Kojiki calls it Ega-no-Nagae. The Engishiki calls it the Ega-no-Naganokita Misasagi). He was posthumously given the title Emperor Ingyō.