Biographies XLVIII: Generals of the Mutsu and Dewa Frontier

Ōtomo-no-Tabito

¶Kose-no-Maro. His grandfather Ōama received the rank of Shōtoku-kan in the reign of Empress Suiko. His father Shini served as Kyōshiki, Governor of the Capital, in the reign of Emperor Jomei and was granted the rank of Jikidaisan (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi). In the reign of Empress Jitō, Maro was granted the rank of Jikikōshi (Note: following the Nihongi). In the Keiun era (704–708) he became Minbu-kyō, Minister of Popular Affairs; at this time his rank was Junior Fourth Rank Lower. In the Wadō era (708–715) he became Sadaiben, Senior Controller of the Left, and because he conducted affairs of government impartially he was granted Senior Fourth Rank Lower. When the Emishi of Mutsu and Echigo raided and disturbed the frontier, troops were levied from seven provinces, including Tōtōmi and Suruga, and Maro was made Mutsu Chintō Shōgun, General Pacifier of the East in Mutsu; he was given the sword of commission and issued military orders, and together with Saeki-no-Iwayu, Minbu-no-taifu, Assistant Minister of Popular Affairs, and Ki-no-Morohito, Kura-no-kami, Director of the Imperial Storehouse, he attacked from two routes and subdued the Emishi. He advanced to Senior Fourth Rank Upper. In the sixth year (713) he advanced to Junior Third Rank. In the first year of Reiki (715) he was appointed Chūnagon, Middle Counsellor, and memorialized as follows: "Several years have already passed since Dewa province was established. The land is fertile and the fields are wide, but officials and people are few, and the Emishi have not yet submitted. We beg that people from the neighboring provinces be moved there to fill it, so that the Emishi may be won over and, at the same time, the advantages of the land be secured." This was granted. In the first year of Yōrō (717) he died. Iwayu became Governor of Ise in the reign of Emperor Monmu and was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper; when the emperor made a progress to Ise, he was given a fief of ten households for the hot springs. In the reign of Empress Genmei he advanced to Senior Fifth Rank Lower, was appointed Minbu-no-taifu, and became Shogun for the Subjugation of the Echigo Emishi. When the matter was settled, he was appointed Right General (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi).

Ōtomo-no-Yakamochi

¶Ōtomo-no-Tabito (Note: some copies of the original text and of the Kugyō Bunin write 旅人 as 多比等. The Bunin and the Man'yōshū also write it 淡等. All of these agree in sound or in reading). He was a grandson of the Minister of the Right Nagatoko and the eldest son of the Dainagon, Chief Counsellor, Yasumaro. In the reign of Empress Genmei he was granted Senior Fifth Rank Upper and became Left General. In the Wadō era, when the Hayato and the Emishi came to court, Tabito, together with the Right General Saeki-no-Iwayu and the Deputy Generals Hozumi-no-Oyu and Ono-no-Umakai, led cavalry to guard the gates of the capital. Soon afterwards he advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Lower and again became Left General (Note: he must have been dismissed from the post of Left General before this, but the original text does not record it; probably a passage has dropped out). In the first year of Reiki (715) he advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Upper and became Nakatsukasa-kyō, Minister of the Center. In the second year of Yōrō (718) he was appointed Chūnagon. Soon afterwards he advanced to Senior Fourth Rank Lower and became Settsukan, Provisional Governor, of Yamashiro province. When the Hayato within the jurisdiction of the Dazaifu rebelled and killed Yakono-no-Maro, Governor of Ōsumi, Tabito was made Seihayato Jisetsu Daishōgun, Commander-in-Chief with the Sword of Commission for the Subjugation of the Hayato. Together with Kasa-no-Mimuro, Assistant Commander of the Sword-bearing Guard, and Kose-no-Mahito, Junior Assistant Minister of Popular Affairs, he subdued them. An edict said: "That barbarians do harm is a thing of ancient times. Han commanded five generals to bring the haughty Hu to submission, and Zhou toiled in two royal campaigns to bring the people of the borderlands to court. Now the rebels of the western corner, taking advantage of disorder, have defied our civilizing influence and have repeatedly harmed good people. We have therefore sent Ōtomo-no-Sukune Tabito, bearer of the sword of commission, of Senior Fourth Rank Lower, Chūnagon and Minister of the Center, to punish their crimes and overturn their lairs. He has drilled his troops, led the people, and cut down the vicious band. Their chieftains have bound their own hands and begged to surrender, and the rebel bands have knocked their heads on the ground and vied to yield to our civilizing influence. Yet the general has been exposed in the open fields and has long passed many days. The season is high summer; how could there be no hardship? We have especially sent an envoy to console him; let him keep in mind our appreciation of his loyalty." From the commander-in-chief down to the lowest soldiers, each received a reward according to his station. Soon afterwards Tabito was recalled, and the Deputy Generals and those below them were left to continue the garrison there. In the fifth year (721) he was granted Junior Third Rank and was given four sword-bearing attendants. In this year Empress Genmei died, and Tabito supervised the construction of her mausoleum. At the beginning of the Jinki era (724–729) he was granted Senior Third Rank and received increases in fief households and goods (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi). At the same time he took charge of the government of Yamashiro province (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi). Afterwards he left the capital as Dazai-no-sotsu, Governor-General of the Dazaifu. In the second year of Tenpyō (730) he was recalled (Note: following the Man'yōshū). He was appointed Dainagon. In the third year (731) he was granted Junior Second Rank, and soon afterwards he died (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi). He was sixty-seven. Tabito had literary talent (Note: following the Kaifūsō) and excelled at waka. He loved wine by nature, and composed more than ten poems extolling the virtues of wine to the utmost. Emperor Shōmu valued his character, and when Tabito lost his wife, the emperor sent Isonokami-no-Katauo, Shikibu-no-taifu, Assistant Minister of Ceremonial, to the Dazaifu with condolences and gifts. When Tabito fell gravely ill at his post, he petitioned that he wished to see his younger brother Inakimi, Assistant Director of the Right Arsenal, and his nephew Komaro, Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Administration, saying that he had something to leave in words. The emperor therefore sent the two to visit him. Soon afterwards Tabito recovered. Later, when his illness grew serious in the capital, the emperor sent Agata-no-Inukai-no-Hitokami, Director of the Bureau of Ceremony of the Inner Palace, to attend him. Such was the generosity with which he was treated (Note: following the Man'yōshū). His son was Yakamochi (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi).

Ōno-no-Azumahito

¶Ōtomo-no-Yakamochi. In the Tenpyō era (729–749) he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower and became Governor of Etchū. Gradually promoted, he held in turn the posts of Hyōbu-no-shōyū, Junior Assistant Minister of Military Affairs, Sanindō Junsatsushi, Inspector of the San'indō, Hyōbu-no-taifu, Shinbu-no-taifu, and Dazai-no-shōni, Junior Vice-Governor-General. In the Hōki era (770–781) he was appointed Sachūben, Middle Controller of the Left, concurrently serving as Nakatsukasa-no-taifu and as supernumerary Shikibu-no-taifu; he became Sakyō-daibu, Governor of the Left Capital, and was transferred to Emon-no-kami, Commander of the Gate Guards. Before this he had served as governor of five provinces in succession, Inaba, Satsuma, Sagami, Kazusa, and Ise, and had advanced to Senior Fourth Rank Lower. In the eleventh year (780) he was appointed Sangi, Councillor, concurrently serving as Udaiben, Senior Controller of the Right. In the first year of Ten'ō (781) he became Tōgū-daibu, Master of the Crown Prince's Household, advanced to Senior Fourth Rank Upper, was transferred to Sadaiben, and was granted Junior Third Rank. In the first year of Enryaku (782) he was implicated in the affair of Hikami-no-Kawatsugu, was stripped of his offices, and was driven out of the capital. Soon he was restored as Sangi and Tōgū-daibu, and concurrently served as Mutsu Anzatsushi, Inspector of Mutsu, and Chinju Shōgun, General Commanding the Garrison. In the second year (783) he was appointed Chūnagon, with his other offices unchanged. In the third year (784) he became Jisetsu Seitō Shōgun, General Pacifier of the East with the Sword of Commission. In the fourth year (785) he submitted the following proposal: "The fourteen districts south of Natori lie in remote country of mountains and sea, far removed from the frontier, so that even when troops are levied they cannot arrive in time. We have therefore provisionally established the two districts of Taga and Kaijō, recruited commoners, strengthened the provincial headquarters, and defended east and west. But there is only the name of their having been opened; no officials to govern them have yet been appointed, and the commoners merely watch how matters turn out and have nothing to rely upon. We beg that these be established as districts and furnished with officials. Then the people will know that there are those who govern them, and the rebels will have no opening to exploit." This was granted. In this year he died (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi). Soon afterwards, his kinsman Tsuguhito, Sashōben, Junior Controller of the Left, and others, acting on the command of the Crown Prince, killed Fujiwara-no-Tanetsugu, Chūnagon. When the affair was discovered and they were arrested, they stated in their confessions, "Yakamochi was the instigator." Yakamochi was posthumously struck from the register, and his son Naganushi was exiled to Oki (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi; the Nihon Kiryaku should also be consulted). Later Naganushi received an amnesty and returned to the capital. By the dying edict of Emperor Kanmu, Yakamochi's original offices and ranks were restored (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi). Yakamochi excelled at waka and compiled the Man'yōshū in twenty volumes. From the reign of Emperor Yūryaku above to the time of the Deposed Emperor (Emperor Junnin) below, the poems it contains number more than four thousand in all; the collection is wide-ranging and sufficient to observe the customs of the people. Before this, no book collecting waka had yet been completed, and later persons who spoke of waka took it as their model (Note: opinions on the compiler of the Man'yōshū are confused and unsettled. Here, having examined the collection itself and following the view of Fujiwara-no-Teika recorded in the Shūgaishō, we hold it to be Yakamochi's compilation).

Tanaka-no-Tadamaro

¶Ōno-no-Azumahito was a son of Hata-yasu, Tadasu-shiki-no-daibu, Master of the Bureau of Inspection. In the reign of Empress Genmei he was granted Senior Rank Upper. In the Wadō era, when an envoy from Silla came to court, Azumahito, together with Fuse-no-Hito, of Junior Sixth Rank Lower, led cavalry to meet him at Misaki (Note: some copies of the original write "saki" with a different character). In the Yōrō era (717–724) he advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Lower. At the beginning of Jinki (724), the Emishi of Mutsu rebelled, and he followed Fujiwara-no-Umakai, Shikibu-kyō, Minister of Ceremonial, in attacking them (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi). Azumahito proposed, "Taga Castle should be built to prevent Emishi incursions" (Note: following the Taga Castle Stele). For his merit he was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower and the Fourth Class of Merit, became Mutsu Chinju Shōgun, and concurrently served as Anzatsushi. In the Tenpyō era he memorialized: "As for the soldiers at the garrison posts, their merits should be recorded and ranks granted to them, so as to encourage those who come after." This was granted. Soon afterwards he was granted Junior Fourth Rank Upper. He also memorialized: "To go from Mutsu to the Dewa stockade, the road passes through Ogachi, so that the journey is roundabout. We beg that the Emishi of Ogachi be subdued, so that a direct road may be opened." By edict Fujiwara-no-Maro, Hyōbu-kyō, Minister of Military Affairs, and others were sent to attack them. Maro, together with Azumahito, led the troops of the provinces, advanced, and defeated them. The Emishi all surrendered. Much of this was due to Azumahito's planning, and the details are in the biography of Maro. Maro memorialized and made Azumahito commander of the Taga stockade and concurrently Governor of Yamato. In the eleventh year (739) he was appointed Sangi. When Fujiwara-no-Hirotsugu, Dazai-no-daini, Senior Vice-Governor-General, raised troops, the court made Azumahito Daishōgun, gave him the sword of commission, and had him attack. Ki-no-Iimaro, of Junior Fifth Rank Upper, was made Deputy General. Seventeen thousand troops were levied from the five circuits of Tōkai, Tōsan, San'in, San'yō, and Nankai, and Hayato were also summoned, given ranks and clothing, and made to accompany the army. As an envoy ship bound for Silla happened to be anchored at Nagato, an imperial order directed that its cargo be used for military supplies. Among the envoys, those with talent were to be employed each according to his ability. Azumahito fought the rebels, killed the rebel officers Ohatsuse-no-Tsunehito, Ōshikōchi-no-Tamichi, and others, and brought about the surrender of 1,767 rebel soldiers in the three camps of Tomi, Itabitsu, and Kyōto, and also captured a great quantity of weapons and the like. He also dispatched Nukatabe-no-Hiromaro, Shōryō, Junior District Governor of Toyoura district in Nagato, to lead picked troops across Itabitsu first. He sent Saeki-no-Tsunehito, of Junior Fifth Rank Upper, and Abe-no-Mushimaro, of Junior Fifth Rank Lower, with four thousand troops and Hayato to pacify the Itabitsu camp, and himself led the following troops and caught up. The rebel officers Shimotoda-no-Semaro, Kashiwade-no-Azumahito, Isayama-no-Kimimaro, Saeki-no-Toyoiwa, and others all surrendered. An edict said: "We have our reasons, and at the end of this month we shall go for a time to the Kantō. It is not timely, but circumstances leave us no alternative. Let the general understand this and not doubt it." Hirotsugu met him at the Itabitsu River, but his army collapsed, and Hirotsugu and his younger brother Tsunade were killed. In the thirteenth year (741), for his merit, he was granted Junior Third Rank. When the emperor made a progress to Kuni-kyō, Azumahito remained behind to guard Heijō-kyō. In the fourteenth year (742) he died (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi).

Sakanoue-no-Karitamaro

¶Tanaka-no-Tadamaro, in the Tenpyō-hōji era (757–765), was appointed supernumerary Shōshō, Junior General of the Middle Guard, concurrently supernumerary Assistant Governor of Kazusa, was granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper, and became Tōkaidō Setsudo Fukushi, Deputy Military Commissioner of the Tōkaidō, and Governor of Mutsu, concurrently Deputy General Commanding the Garrison; soon afterwards he was appointed Chinju Shōgun. In the Keiun era (Jingo-keiun, 767–770), when Iji Castle (Ijijō) was completed, an imperial order said: "We have seen the report from Mutsu province announcing the completion of Ijijō. We are told that the building of the castle was finished in less than thirty days. We are greatly pleased. Where a man faces danger without regard for his own safety, loyalty and courage are revealed, and it is because he received his orders and applied himself to the task that the achievement was accomplished so swiftly. This is not merely to build a castle and restrain outside enemies; it is truly enough to reduce the garrisons and give peace to the borderlands. If we do not reward and promote, how can we encourage those who follow? Let rewards be added, and let their loyal diligence be recognized. To Tanaka-no-Ason Tadamaro, of Junior Fourth Rank Lower, we grant Senior Fourth Rank Lower. Michishima-no-Sukune Miyama, of Outer Junior Fifth Rank Lower, was the first to lay this plan, and now, honoring his merit, we especially grant him Junior Fifth Rank Upper. Kimikobe-no-Mamaro, of Outer Junior Fifth Rank Lower, took the lead in serving the country and won over and subdued the Emishi, and we grant him Outer Senior Fifth Rank Lower. As for the military officers of the rank of Gunki and above, and the soldiers of the provinces and the captive Emishi, those who rendered merit in this affair and ought to be granted ranks, let the General Commanding the Garrison examine them carefully, fix their grades, and report." Tadamaro memorialized as follows: "Soldiers are established for emergencies. Only when they are accustomed to battle, make light of life and death, and eagerly vie to be first are they of any use. But in recent years the frontier guards levied from the provinces have run away along the road. In this province, to carry provisions to the garrison posts requires 360,000 bundles of rice, which needlessly consumes government goods and impoverishes the people. Kudara-no-Kyōfuku, who was formerly governor, exempted the frontier guards from other provinces and replaced them with people of this province. We beg that, following this precedent, four thousand men be required of this province and the frontier guards be reduced by 2,500. Moreover, this land is bitterly cold and the fallen snow hardly melts. To carry the tribute of cloth and labor taxes, the people set out in early summer and return home in late autumn; the hardship of crossing mountains and seas is no small matter, and nothing hinders the people's livelihood more. We beg that the tribute be kept within the province and be carried all at once to the capital storehouses once every ten years." This was granted. He further memorialized: "The frontier guards from other provinces now stationed here number more than three thousand. Of these, 2,500 have already been released by order. As for the remaining five hundred or more, we wish to keep them in the various forts as guards. By an order of the third year of Tenpyō-hōji (759), a thousand vagrant commoners were required and settled at the Momonoo stockade households, but all of them harbored thoughts of flight and hiding, and being people of no fixed abode who drifted about, by the time they reached the foot of the castle they ran away one after another. The present remedy is to recruit two hundred households with three or more adult males from the neighboring provinces, settle them within the castle walls, and make them permanent guards of the frontier. When they are settled, the frontier guards should be gradually reduced." The Council of State deliberated and reported: "That people are reluctant to leave the land they are used to is the ordinary feeling of mankind. If innocent people are now moved and posted to guard the frontier, their hearts will not be satisfied and flight will never cease. If there are those who wish to move to the fertile land of the two castles and seek the profit of farming, then without regard to whether they are of this province or another, let them be settled as they wish. Let taxes be remitted beyond the limits of the law, so that people may be glad to move there and make it a defense for the frontier." This was approved. Afterwards he entered the capital and became Kunai-no-taifu, Assistant Minister of the Imperial Household. In the Hōki era he served in turn as Minbu-no-taifu, concurrently Governor of Mino, was changed to Udaiben, and concurrently served as Governor of Izumo. In the ninth year (778) he died (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi).

Sakanoue-no-Inukai

¶Sakanoue-no-Karitamaro was a descendant of Achi-no-Omi. His grandfather Ōkuni was Ukonoe-no-daijō, Senior Lieutenant of the Right Gate Guard. His father Inukai was known for martial valor from his youth, was deeply favored by Emperor Shōmu, and rose to Junior Fourth Rank Lower and Sa-eji-no-kami, Commander of the Left Gate Guard. When the emperor died, Inukai, because he had been treated with special favor, petitioned, together with Kamo-no-Mushimaro, Commander of the Right Hyōe Guard, to guard the mausoleum. Empress Kōken took pity on his sincerity and especially granted his wish, issued an edict praising him, granted him Senior Fourth Rank Upper, and gave him a fief of one hundred households. At the beginning of Tenpyō-hōji (757) he served in turn as Governor of Harima and of Yamato. In the eighth year (764) he died, at the age of eighty-three.

¶Karitamaro, in the Tenpyō-hōji era, became Juntō Shōi, Junior Lieutenant of the Sword-bearing Guard. When Emi-no-Nakamaro rebelled, he sent his son Kusumaro to seize the bell and seal. Karitamaro, receiving an edict, together with Oshika-no-Shimatari, Shōsō, Secretary of the Generals, shot Kusumaro dead; for this merit he was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower, was given the surname Ō-imiki, was appointed Chūe Shōshō, Junior General of the Middle Guard, and concurrently served as Governor of Kai. In the Jingo era (765–767) he was granted the Second Class of Merit and was given twenty chō of merit-land, with permission to pass it on to his son. In the Hōki era, for secretly reporting Dōkyō's plot, he was granted Senior Fourth Rank Lower, became Mutsu Chinju Shōgun, was appointed Chūe Chūjō, Middle General of the Middle Guard (Note: the entries for the third year of Hōki and the fifth year of Enryaku in the original text give "supernumerary Middle General of the Konoe"), and concurrently served as Governor of Aki. He memorialized: "Achi-no-Omi, the ancestor of the Hinokuma-no-Imiki, led the people of seventeen districts and came over to settle in the reign of the sovereign who ruled the realm from the Karushima Toyoakira Palace. By edict he was granted Hinokuma village in Takechi district of Yamato province, and settled there. Persons of other surnames there are no more than one or two in ten. We beg that the Hinokuma-no-Imiki be appointed district officials." This was granted (Note: the original text says "Achi-no-Omi, the ancestor of the Hinokuma-no-Imiki," and below it again says "we are descendants of Achi-no-Omi." From this, the Hinokuma and Sakanoue clans share the same ancestor, and so he petitioned in this way). Some years later he concurrently served as Governor of Tanba. In the first year of Ten'ō (781) he concurrently served as Ukon'e-no-kami, Commander of the Right Gate Guard. In the Enryaku era (782–806) he was implicated in the affair of Hikami-no-Kawatsugu and was stripped of his offices. A few months later he was restored as Commander of the Right Gate Guard and held in turn the governorships of Iyo, Bizen, and other provinces. The Sakanoue clan was renowned for generations for martial valor; Karitamaro excelled at mounted archery, served long in guarding the palace, served several sovereigns, enjoyed exceptional favor, and was separately granted a fief of fifty households. In the fourth year (785) he concurrently served as Governor of Shimōsa and was granted Junior Third Rank. He submitted a memorial: "We are by origin descendants of King Achi, a great-grandson of Emperor Ling of the Later Han, but having lost the royal blood of our ancestors, we have borne a lowly surname. We beg that the surname 'Imiki' be changed and that 'Sukune' be granted to us. We ask that Your Majesty's favor take pity on us and grant this petition. This is what is called 'cold ashes warmed again, a withered tree flourishing again.'" Thereupon sixteen persons of ten surnames, including Sakanoue, Kura, Hirata, Ōkura, Fumi-no-shirabe, Fumibe, Tanitami, Sata, and Yamaguchi, were all granted the surname "Sukune." In this year he became Sakyō-daibu, with his other offices unchanged. In the fifth year (786) he died, at the age of fifty-nine (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi. The genealogies record seven sons, Ishitsumaro, Hirondo, Tamuramaro, Takanushi, Mayumi, Takakai, and Oyumi, but except for Tamuramaro they do not appear in other books, so they are not adopted here). His son Tamuramaro has a separate biography.

Michishima-no-Shimatari

¶Michishima-no-Shimatari was a man of Oshika district in Mutsu province. His build was powerful and sturdy, his temperament fierce, and he excelled at mounted archery. His original surname was Mariko, but in the fifth year of Tenpyō-shōhō (753) he was granted the surname Oshika-no-Muraji. In the Tenpyō-hōji era he became Juntō Shōsō, Secretary of the Sword-bearing Guard, and, receiving an edict, together with Sakanoue-no-Karitamaro, shot Emi-no-Kusumaro dead; for this merit he was raised to Junior Fourth Rank Lower, was granted the surname Sukune, was appointed Juntō Shōshō, Junior General of the Sword-bearing Guard, and concurrently served as Governor of Sagami. In the Jingo era he was granted the Second Class of Merit, was promoted to supernumerary Middle General of the Konoe, was given the surname Michishima-no-Sukune, and rose as far as Senior Fourth Rank Upper. At the beginning of Keiun (Jingo-keiun, 767) he became Mutsu Ōkuninomiyatsuko, Great Provincial Governor of Mutsu. In the Hōki era he concurrently served as Governor of Shimōsa, entered the capital as Uchi-no-umaya-no-kami, Director of the Inner Stables, and concurrently served as Governor of Harima. In the second year of Enryaku (783) he died (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi).

Ōtomo-no-Surugamaro

¶Ōtomo-no-Surugamaro (Note: the Man'yōshū says that Ōtomo-no-Surugamaro was a grandson of Takechi-no-Daikyō, the Great Minister of Takechi. Some genealogies make him a son of the Sangi Michitari. The Shoku Nihongi and the Kugyō Bunin do not record his father or grandfather. For the present there is no way to verify this). In the Tenpyō era he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower and became Governor of Echizen. At the beginning of Tenpyō-hōji (757) he was demoted for having associated himself with Tachibana-no-Naramaro. Later he was recalled and granted Junior Fifth Rank Upper. In the Hōki era he served in succession as Governor of Izumo and of Higo, was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower, and became Mutsu Anzatsushi. When he declined on grounds of old age, an edict said: "We have heard that you, Surugamaro-no-Sukune, being old, are unable to take up the post. But for the charge of Mutsu, the proper man must be chosen. Only you accord with our wishes, and therefore we grant you your present office." On that very day he was granted Senior Fourth Rank Lower. Soon afterwards he concurrently became Mutsu Chinju Shōgun. As the Emishi raided the frontier, Surugamaro reported the situation and asked for instructions. An order said: "According to what the general recently reported on the question of whether to attack the Emishi, 'in one respect they ought not to be attacked, in another they certainly ought to be attacked.' Out of concern for the toil of the people, we have on every occasion taken a lenient attitude. But now, according to the general's report, those foolish Emishi have not mended their wild ambitions, have repeatedly raided the frontier, and have dared to defy the royal command. Circumstances leave us no alternative. Let everything be as in the earlier report. Let the army be dispatched without delay and the rebels be destroyed as the occasion allows." At that time the Emishi of the sea route burned the bridges and roads and attacked Momonoo Castle, breaking its western outer wall. The garrison could not hold, and the provincial officials sent reinforcements and at the same time sent a courier on horseback to report it (Note: the original text does not record the outcome, and a passage has probably dropped out. Compared with the memorial of Kudara-no-Shuntetsu below, the breaking out of the encirclement may refer to this occasion, but for the present there is no way to verify it). Thereupon an order was given to the eight provinces of Bandō: "If urgent word comes from Mutsu, send auxiliary troops according to the size of your province and take care not to miss the moment." Surugamaro further memorialized: "In our estimation of the rebels' condition, they are no more than sneak-thieves who steal like dogs and like rats; they sometimes raid, but do no great harm. If we attack now, when the plants and trees are thick, we fear that regret will follow later." The emperor rebuked Surugamaro for speaking lightly of military matters and for contradicting himself from beginning to end, and Surugamaro, in fear, advanced his troops, defeated the rebels, and pursued them as far as Tōyama village. That place was precipitous and was where the Emishi placed their trust. The generals of past generations had never yet attacked it thoroughly. Now their lairs were overturned and those who surrendered followed one another. In praise of his merit and in recognition of his labor, he was granted imperial robes and colored silks. In the sixth year (775) he was appointed Sangi, and an envoy was sent to proclaim the following edict: "Earlier the Emishi plotted rebellion and attacked Momonoo Castle. The Chinju Shōgun Ōtomo-no-Sukune Surugamaro, entrusted by the court, disregarded his own life, attacked the rebellious bandits, spared some, and won them over to submission. The weight of his toil is truly worthy of praise. We grant him Senior Fourth Rank Upper and bestow the Third Class of Merit. The officers and others who followed in the campaign, more than 1,790 men, are likewise each to be granted ranks according to their merit." In the seventh year (776) he died. He was posthumously granted Junior Third Rank and was given thirty bolts of coarse silk and one hundred tan of cloth (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi).

Kudara-no-Shuntetsu

¶Kudara-no-Shuntetsu, in the Hōki era, when the Emishi rebelled, achieved merit and was granted the Sixth Class of Merit, and soon afterwards the Fifth Class. Gradually promoted, he reached Junior Fifth Rank Upper and became Mutsu Chinju Fuku-shōgun, Deputy General Commanding the Garrison. He memorialized: "While I was surrounded by the rebels, my soldiers were exhausted and our arrows were spent. When I prayed to eleven gods, including those of Momonoo and Shirakawa, I was able to break through the encirclement and escape. Had it not been for the protection of the gods, how could we have escaped annihilation? We beg that these eleven shrines be treated on a par with shrines that receive offerings of heihaku." This was granted. In the first year of Ten'ō (781), for his service in the campaign against the Emishi, he was granted Senior Fifth Rank Upper and the Fourth Class of Merit. In the Enryaku era he was implicated in an affair and demoted to Provisional Assistant Governor of Hyūga. After remaining there four years, he received an amnesty and returned to the capital. As the emperor wished to campaign against the Emishi, he sent him together with Sakanoue-no-Tamuramaro to the Tōkaidō to inspect soldiers and weapons, and made him Seii Fukushi, Deputy Commissioner for the Subjugation of the Eastern Barbarians, and Governor of Shimotsuke, concurrently Mutsu Chinju Shōgun (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi). Soon afterwards he was granted the Third Class of Merit and rose as far as Junior Fourth Rank Lower (Note: following the entry for the first year of Jōwa (834) in the Shoku Nihon Kōki). In the fourteenth year (795) he died (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku).

Ki-no-Hirozumi

¶Ki-no-Hirozumi was a grandson of the Dainagon Maro and a son of Umi, Sa-eji-no-kami, Commander of the Left Gate Guard. In the Tenpyō-hōji era he was sent as an envoy to the Hokurikudō to inquire into the sufferings of the people. Soon he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower and became Dazai-no-shōni. He served in succession as Governor of Satsuma and of Chikugo. In the Hōki era he was transferred to Assistant Governor of Mino, advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Upper, and was changed to Governor of Kawachi. When the Silla envoy Kin Sangen and others came to the Dazaifu, Hirozumi, by imperial order, inspected and questioned them. As the Emishi of Mutsu raided the frontier, Hirozumi concurrently served as Deputy General Commanding the Garrison and attacked them. Soon he was transferred to Assistant Governor of Mutsu, advanced to Senior Fifth Rank Lower, and was granted the Fifth Class of Merit. At this time the Emishi had not yet been pacified, and as the Anzatsushi Ōtomo-no-Surugamaro happened to die, Hirozumi became Governor of Mutsu. Soon he concurrently became Anzatsushi and Chinju Shōgun. Soon he was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower and the Fourth Class of Merit. Before this, Hirozumi had reported: "The rebels of Shiwa village in Dewa swarm like ants and do harm. The soldiers of Dewa are defeated every time they fight." Thereupon Saeki-no-Kuramaro, Assistant Governor of Ōmi, was made Provisional Deputy General Commanding the Garrison and sent to pacify Dewa. In the eleventh year (780) Hirozumi was appointed Sangi. He proposed: "I wish to attack the rebels by the waterways, but in recent years the cold has been severe and the river water has frozen, so boats cannot pass. The rebels take advantage of this and invade repeatedly. We beg that three thousand troops first be sent to block the roads by which the rebels invade. When the snow melts in the third and fourth months and the rain waters overflow, let us enter the rebel land directly, build Kakubetsu Castle, and garrison it." An order said: "The mountain rebels are near and watch for openings to invade. It is well to build Kakubetsu Castle and guard against the rebels of Isawa." Before the written order had arrived, he again reported: "The rebels have invaded Nagaoka, and the government army fought to defend against them, with casualties on both sides. Unless they are attacked quickly, the raids will not cease. We beg that troops be sent in the middle of the third month to advance and attack, and that a castle be built and a garrison placed." An order said: "Wolf cubs harbor wild ambitions, disregard kindness, dare to rely upon difficult terrain, and have repeatedly offended the frontier. Arms are instruments of ill omen, but circumstances leave us no alternative. Three thousand troops have already been dispatched; let them cut down the evil sprouts and extinguish the remaining embers. In general, as to military movements, deal with them as the occasion demands." When the Kakubetsu stockade was completed, Hirozumi himself led an army of captive Emishi and entered Ijijō. Michishima-no-Ōtate, Dairyō, Senior District Governor of Oshika district, Koreharu-no-Azamaro, Dairyō of Jōji district, and others followed him. Azamaro was originally from a family of captive Emishi and had long harbored resentment against Hirozumi, but outwardly served him with flattery. Hirozumi trusted him, but Ōtate on every occasion looked down on Azamaro and treated him as a captive Emishi, so Azamaro deeply resented it. At this time he stirred up the army of captives, himself acted as an inside collaborator, first killed Ōtate, and then surrounded and attacked Hirozumi's residence and killed him. Ōtomo-no-Matsuna, the Assistant Governor, broke out through one corner of the encirclement and reached Taga Castle. Inside the castle were stored weapons and supplies beyond counting, and the commoners vied to flee into it. But Matsuna and Ishikawa-no-Kiyotari, the Jō, Third-ranking Provincial Official, secretly slipped out through the back gate. The commoners, having no one to rely upon, all scattered and fled. A few days later the rebels arrived, smashed the storehouses, and plundered the goods as they pleased. What remained was set on fire and burned entirely (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi).

Fujiwara-no-Tsugutada

¶Fujiwara-no-Tsugutada was the eldest son of the Minister of the Right Toyonari (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Kugyō Bunin). He was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower and held in turn the governorships of Shinano and Echizen. In the first year of Jingo (765), gradually promoted, he reached Junior Fourth Rank Lower. In the second year he was appointed Udaiben and Sangi. In the Keiun era he became Gaie Taishō, Commander-in-Chief of the Outer Guard. In the Hōki era he was granted Junior Third Rank and held in turn the posts of Ōkura-kyō, Minister of the Treasury, and Kunai-kyō, Minister of the Imperial Household, was transferred to Hyōbu-kyō, and concurrently served as Sahyōe-no-kami, Commander of the Left Hyōe Guard. In the eleventh year (780) he was appointed Chūnagon. Just then, as the captive Emishi of Mutsu had killed the Anzatsushi Ki-no-Hirozumi, Tsugutada became Seitō Taishi, Grand Envoy for the Subjugation of the East, and with the Deputy Envoys Ōtomo-no-Masutate, Ki-no-Kosami, and others he attacked them. Abe-no-Ieamaro, of Junior Fifth Rank Upper, was made Dewa Chintekishōgun, General Pacifying the Barbarians of Dewa, and attacked by a different route. In the fifth month an order was given to the provinces of Bandō and to Noto, Etchū, and Echigo: "Prepare thirty thousand koku of dried rice as provisions for the army of the east." An order was also given to the provinces of Bandō: "Mad rebels have thrown the land into disorder and are raiding and disturbing the frontier. The beacon forts are in confusion and the scouts cannot perform their duties. We now send generals for the subjugation of the east and the pacification of the barbarians, to campaign separately by different roads. Fix the dates, gather the troops, and let civil and military officers plan together; let the generals exert their utmost strength, cut down the evil bands of rebels, and execute their ringleaders. Recruit warriors widely and send them quickly to the army. If there are any who wish to take this opportunity to achieve merit, record their names and report them. After the pacification we shall promote them, without regard to the usual order." In the seventh month Tsugutada requested one thousand suits of armor and four thousand aō, padded coats, and ordered five provinces, including Owari and Mikawa, to transport the armor. The provinces of Tōkai and Tōsan were ordered to make the padded coats and send them. An order said: "We are now levying the soldiers of Bandō in order to attack the rebels. By the fifth day of the ninth month, all are to assemble at Taga Castle in Mutsu province. As for the military provisions required, let them be requested from the offices and sent. The assembly of troops has a deadline, but the transport of provisions is hard to keep up; taking the nearness of the roads into account, let six thousand koku of dried rice of Shimōsa and ten thousand of Hitachi be allotted and delivered to the army's camp by the twentieth day of the eighth month." But Tsugutada and the others kept the army encamped and did not advance. When this became known at court, Fujiwara-no-Oguromaro was sent with the sword of commission to urge on the officers and men. In the tenth month Tsugutada and the others again memorialized that troops should not be sent out this year. An order said: "Having seen the memorial of the twenty-second of this month, we know that the envoys have dawdled and already lost the opportunity. A hundred days have already passed since the generals took the field, and the infantry and cavalry assembled number tens of thousands; you have many times reported the time for entering the rebel land. We had supposed that you had already penetrated deeply and pacified the mad rebels. Yet you now report again that no campaign should be made this year, saying that in summer the grass is thick and in winter the padded coats are short, and offering one excuse after another, so that you have finally come to linger. To raise troops and gather provisions is the general's duty, yet at your encampment you made no preparations and instead say that the provisions in the castle are still insufficient. If so, on what month and day will you execute the rebels and recover the castle? We suspect that the generals have been tricked by the rebels and have thus brought about this delay. It is not yet the month of Ne, and you should still be able to advance. Yet you go against the imperial will and have not carried out an attack. Men and horses are altogether exhausted; how could they withstand the enemy? Is this what the plan of an excellent general looks like? Let the units be taught and admonished, and let your spirits be roused for the campaign. If you cannot enter the rebel land within this month, stay in Taga, Tamatsukuri, and the other castles, keep strict defenses, and at the same time train for battle." In the first year of Ten'ō (781) he concurrently became Nakatsukasa-kyō, was transferred to Sakyō-daibu, and was granted Senior Third Rank. In the second year of Enryaku (783) he was appointed Dainagon, soon afterwards concurrently became Dazai-no-sotsu and Kōtaishi-no-fu, Tutor of the Crown Prince, advanced to Junior Second Rank, and concurrently became Minbu-kyō. In the sixth year (787) the emperor's carriage made a progress to Takahashi-no-tsu, and on the return stopped at Tsugutada's residence. His wife, Kudara-no-Myōshin, of Senior Fourth Rank Upper, was granted Junior Third Rank. The emperor also hunted at Katano and used Tsugutada's villa as a temporary palace (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi). Afterwards he visited many times (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi and the Nihon Kiryaku). At the Crown Prince's coming-of-age ceremony, Tsugutada and Ki-no-Funamori were ordered to place the cap on him. In the eighth year (789) he concurrently became Chūe Taishō, Commander-in-Chief of the Middle Guard. In the ninth year (790) he was appointed Minister of the Right (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi). In the thirteenth year (794) the emperor's carriage toured the new capital and on the return visited Tsugutada's residence at Takahashi, where a banquet was held and was greatly enjoyed (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi). Soon afterwards he was granted Senior Second Rank. In the fifteenth year (796) he died, at the age of seventy (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Kugyō Bunin). He was called the Minister of the Right of Momozono. By edict the Sangi Fujiwara-no-Tsugue and others were sent to supervise the funeral, and gifts were bestowed. The Chūnagon Prince Ishino went to the residence and proclaimed the edict (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin), and he was posthumously granted Junior First Rank. Tsugutada held pure civil and military posts in succession, and though he held the weighty post of Minister of the Right, he was modest and prudent, preserved himself, and was able to escape the censure of the world (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Kugyō Bunin). He once received an edict to compile and fix the national history from Tenpyō-hōji to Hōki (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

¶His son Takatoshi, in the Enryaku era, rose to Junior Third Rank and Chūnagon, and concurrently served as Chūe Taishō. His mother, of the Usai family, had once served Emperor Kanmu as Naishi-no-kami, Principal Handmaid, and for this reason Takatoshi was exceptionally favored by the emperor (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Kugyō Bunin). When the emperor made progresses in the capital, he visited his residence many times and enjoyed banquets there all day (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi). When Emperor Heizei was Crown Prince, Takatoshi behaved disrespectfully at a banquet. The Crown Prince resented it. In the second year of Daidō (807), he was at last implicated in the affair of Prince Iyo, was dismissed from his offices, and shut himself up in his residence. The next year, grieving over this, he died, at the age of forty-eight. Takatoshi was stubborn and haughty by nature, kept many villas, and whenever he went out to amuse himself he always took women with him (Note: following the Nihon Kōki and the Kugyō Bunin). His great-grandson Yasunori was the most renowned, and has a separate biography.

Fujiwara-no-Takatoshi

¶Ōtomo-no-Masutate was at first granted Junior Sixth Rank Upper. In the Tenpyō-hōji era, when the Chinju Shōgun Emi-no-Asakari built Momonoo Castle, Masutate was Gunkan, Military Inspector, and, having achieved merit, advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: the original text says "his rank was advanced in recognition of his toil in the two campaigns," but no such fact is found elsewhere, and probably a passage has dropped out). Kara-no-Enteitsu, Gunsō, Military Clerk, because he was first to climb the castle, was advanced three ranks. Soon Masutate became Mutsu Chinju Fuku-shōgun and concurrently Assistant Governor of Mutsu. In the Keiun era, in recognition of his merit, he advanced to Senior Fifth Rank Upper and held in turn the posts of Hyōbu-no-taifu and Shikibu-no-taifu. In the Hōki era he became Governor of Higo and was changed to Dazai-no-shōni. In the sixth year (775) he became Deputy Envoy to Tang. In the eighth month of the following year he set out to sea, but the wind was unfavorable and he could not proceed, so he returned to Hakata, and the Grand Envoy Saeki-no-Imaemishi went back to the capital. Masutate remained at the Dazaifu awaiting the time of departure, and the people of the time praised him for it. But in the end he did not make the voyage. Soon he held in turn the posts of provisional Sachūben and Commander of the Left and Right Hyōe Guards. In the eleventh year (780) he became Seitō Fukushi, Deputy Envoy for the Subjugation of the East, and concurrently Governor of Mutsu. On his departure he was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower. An order said: "From the generals' memorial of the eighth day of the fifth month we see that you wrote: 'While preparing provisions and awaiting the opportunity, we shall advance into the provincial headquarters in the last ten days of this month, and thereafter, watching for the chance and acting as the occasion requires, carry out Heaven's punishment.' Two months have already passed. Reckoning the days and the distance, it is about time to await news of captives presented. To send out an army and attack rebels is a great affair of state. As for advances, retreats, and movements, they should be reported one by one. How is it that for tens of days there has been no word at all? Report the details. If you say that a document cannot convey the meaning, then send one articulate man from among the military inspectors and below and have him come by post-horse to report." Someone slandered Masutate, saying: "Masutate has come up to the enemy's front, yet has repeatedly postponed the date of the campaign, lingered without advancing, uselessly consumed military provisions, and wasted many months." Thereupon the Anzatsushi Fujiwara-no-Oguromaro was sent to attack them. The next year, when the rebels were pacified, an edict censured Masutate's timidity and stripped him of his original rank. In the Enryaku era he became Hyōbu-no-taifu (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi. The statement that someone slandered Masutate is from the Shoku Nihon Kōki). His son Notsugu became Echigo Dai-jō, Senior Third-ranking Provincial Official, in the reign of Emperor Ninmyō. In the Jōwa era (834–848) he submitted a memorial pleading his father's innocence. By edict his original rank was restored (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki).

Ōtomo-no-Masutate

¶Fujiwara-no-Oguromaro was a grandson of Fusasaki, Chūe Taishō, and a son of Umakai, of Junior Fifth Rank Lower (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). At the end of Tenpyō-hōji he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower and became Governor of Ise. In the Keiun era he held in turn the posts of Shikibu-no-shō, Junior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial, and Governor of Aki. In the Hōki era he was appointed Chūe Shōshō and changed to Ukon'e-no-kami, concurrently served as governor of Mino, Kōzuke, Izumo, and Hitachi, and by gradual promotion reached Junior Fourth Rank Upper. In the tenth year (779) he was appointed Sangi. In the eleventh year (780), when the Emishi of Mutsu rebelled, he was granted Senior Fourth Rank Lower and became Jisetsu Seitō Taishi, Grand Envoy for the Subjugation of the East with the Sword of Commission. He memorialized: "These foolish Emishi are truly numerous in their bands. Some form plots with cunning words, and some watch for openings and release their poison. We have therefore sent two thousand troops to open and survey five roads, namely Washikura, Tatekura, Tateishizawa, Ōsugeya, and Yanagizawa, to cut down trees and block the paths, deepen the ditches and establish difficult ground, and cut off the strategic points where the rebels rush hither and thither." An order said: "We hear that Ōmuro Fort in Dewa and others are also strategic points of the rebels. Let the general and the provincial governor take positions on the difficult ground, set up forts, and prevent any breakthrough." In the first year of Ten'ō (781) he concurrently became Mutsu Anzatsushi and was given the additional post of Hyōbu-kyō. When Emperor Kanmu took the throne, Oguromaro reported on the state of the rebels. An order said: "Having received your memorial, we know the circumstances in detail. The nature of those Emishi and captives is to swarm and gather like bees and ants. If attacked, they flee and hide in mountains and thickets; if we relax, they invade castles and forts. Isaseko, Morosime, Yasoshima, Otoshiro, and others are the ringleaders among the rebels, each said to equal a thousand men. They hide in the mountains and fields and watch for their chance. Fearing the might of our army, they have not yet dared to release their poison. Yet now the generals, before cutting off a single head, have first disbanded the army. The matter has already been done and can no longer be undone. But from the earlier and later memorials that arrived, the rebel force was more than four thousand while the heads cut off were only a little over seventy, so the rebels remaining must still be many. Why do you press so urgently to be allowed to return in triumph? Even if there were precedents, we shall not approve it. Send one of the Deputy Envoys Kura-no-Matanari, Ō-no-Inukai, and the others, and have him come up to the capital by post-horse. Let him first report the detailed circumstances in the army, and wait for later disposition in other matters." At this time the Deputy Envoy for the East Ōtomo-no-Masutate lingered and did not advance, and therefore Oguromaro was ordered to advance the army and attack the Emishi. On arrival he recovered all the forts in every quarter, and for this merit was granted the post of Minbu-kyō. When the rebels were pacified and he returned to the capital, he was granted Senior Third Rank for his merit. At the beginning of Enryaku (782) he again concurrently served as Mutsu Anzatsushi. Soon he was changed to concurrent Sakyō-daibu, appointed Chūnagon, and soon transferred to Dainagon (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi). In the thirteenth year (794) he died, at the age of sixty-two. He was posthumously granted Junior Second Rank (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). His son Kadonomaro has a separate biography. Michio rose to Junior Fourth Rank Upper and Sangi (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin and the Sonpi Bunmyaku).