Biographies XLIX: Commanders of the Emishi Campaigns

Ki-no-Kosami

¶Ki-no-Kosami was a grandson of Ki-no-Maro, Dainagon, Major Counsellor, and a son of Ki-no-Sukunamaro, of Senior Sixth Rank Upper (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). At the end of the Tenpyō-hōji era he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower and became Governor of Tango. During the Hōki era he successively held the posts of Hyōbu-shōyū, Junior Assistant Vice-Minister of Military Affairs, Shikibu-shōyū, Junior Assistant Vice-Minister of Ceremonial, Ise-no-suke, Assistant Governor of Ise, and Sa-shōben, Junior Controller of the Left, and advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Upper. It happened that the Emishi rose in revolt and killed Ki-no-Hirozumi. Kosami became Vice-Envoy for the Subjugation of the East and, serving under the Envoy, Fujiwara-no-Tsugutada, put down the rising. In the first year of Ten'ō (781) he became Governor of Mutsu and was granted Junior Fourth Rank Lower. In the early years of Enryaku he was transferred to be Sa-hyōe-no-kami, Captain of the Left Gate Guards, concurrently Governor of Tajima, and passed through the posts of Sa-chūben, Middle Controller of the Left, Shikibu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial, and Chūe-no-chūjō, Middle Captain of the Inner Palace Guards, before being appointed Sangi, Counsellor. He then held in turn the posts of Tōgū-daibu, Master of the Crown Prince's Household, Sa-daiben, Senior Controller of the Left, and U-daiben, Senior Controller of the Right, and gradually rose as far as Senior Fourth Rank Lower. In the seventh year of Enryaku (788) he became Commander-in-Chief for the Subjugation of the East, concurrently Governor of Yamato, and was given the task of subduing the Emishi of Mutsu. When he took his leave of the emperor on setting out, he was granted the Sessetsu, the sword of command, in the palace hall by imperial order, and received the following rescript: "To choose an auspicious day and appoint a general is surely done by the word of the Son of Heaven. We push the hub of the chariot and order the army out, entrusting the matter entirely to the general. We have heard that in the past the separate commanders were not careful of military discipline and committed many faults. When we consider the cause, the harm lay in making light of the law. If a vice-general commits a capital offense, detain him and report to us. As for those of the rank of army inspector and below, behead them in accordance with the law. The safety or peril of Bandō rests on this single undertaking. General, exert yourself." He was then given two imperial quilts, thirty bolts of colored silk, and three hundred tun of floss silk, and infantry and cavalry numbering more than fifty thousand from the Tōkaidō, the Tōsandō, and the provinces of Bandō were assembled at Taga Castle and sent forward in separate columns into the territory of the rebels. In the eighth year (789) Kosami reached the Koromo River, but halted his army and would not advance. In the fourth month he submitted a memorial reporting the situation. In the fifth month an edict came down: "We have examined your report and learn that on the twenty-eighth day of the third month the imperial army crossed the river and set up camps in three places, in the manner of the three legs of a tripod. More than thirty days have passed since then, and for what reason you linger and waste the days, making no advance at all, we cannot see the advantage. In the use of arms, it is clumsiness with speed that is prized; we have never heard of cleverness that drags on. Moreover, the sixth and seventh months are the time when the heat is at its height. If you do not strike now, we fear that you will lose the moment. Once the moment is lost, regret will be of no avail. The general should advance or withdraw as he sees the opportunity, and we have no objection to that. But that you have remained so long in one place is something we find puzzling. Write down in detail the reason for it and the condition of the naval force, and send it to us by post-horse." At this time the Vice-Envoy, Minbu-shōyū, Junior Assistant Vice-Minister of Popular Affairs, Saeki-no-Katsuragi, was leading his troops forward in the attack and fell ill and died on the way. By edict he was posthumously granted Senior Fifth Rank Lower. Kosami then submitted a further report: "The vice-general Iruma-no-Hironari and the Sa-chūgun-betsushō, Separate Commander of the Left Middle Army, Ikeda-no-Mahira, conferred with the Separate Commanders of the Forward Army, Abe-no-Sarushima and Sumitsuna, and others, and resolved that the three armies should advance together, cross the river, and attack the rebels. When the appointed day came, two thousand men were chosen from each of the middle and rear armies and sent across the river. The rebel leader, the Emishi Ateru, came out to meet them with some three hundred men, but the imperial army's momentum was keen and the rebels fell back. Fighting as they went, the imperial troops burned the rebel villages and advanced as far as Subushi village, intending to join the forward army. But the forward army had been blocked by the rebels and was unable to advance. At that point some eight hundred rebels came and offered battle, and the imperial army fell back somewhat. Then another four hundred or so rebels appeared from the eastern hills and cut off the imperial army's rear, and caught it between front and back. The imperial army broke and fled, and the Separate Commander Hasetsukabe-no-Yoshimasa and the Shinshi, Candidates for Office, Takada-no-Michinari, Aizu-no-Masumaro, Asukabe-no-Yoshitari, and Ōtomo-no-Iotsugu, and others were killed in battle. In the course of this, the rebel villages we burned numbered fourteen, with eight hundred households, and the weapons and miscellaneous goods seized are as recorded separately. Of our side, twenty-five were killed in action, two hundred forty-five were wounded by arrows, one thousand thirty-six drowned, and one thousand two hundred fifty-seven swam the river, were carried off by the current, and made their way back. The Separate Commanders Izumo-no-Morokami, Michishima-no-Mitate, and others led the remaining troops back." In the sixth month an edict came down: "Having examined the earlier report, we find it said that 'the rebels of Isawa have all gathered on the east bank of the river. We shall first attack this place and afterwards plan an advance into the interior. Thus if officers of the rank of army inspector and above lead the troops and draw up the formation, keeping a stern and awe-inspiring bearing, and attack one after another in succession, we can subdue them. But because our troops were few and our commanders of low standing, defeat was brought upon us.' This is nothing other than an error in the plans of the vice-generals. That Yoshimasa and others fell in battle and that many soldiers drowned grieves us deeply." Kosami then submitted another report: "The land of Isawa is the deep interior that forms the rebels' base. Now, although we have attacked it with a great army and driven out the rebel villages, the remnant rebels lie hidden and kill and plunder people and goods. Moreover, Shiwa and Waga lie in still deeper and more remote country. We, your servants, wish to advance further and subdue them, but there is a difficulty in the transport of provisions. From the Tamatsukuri barrier to the camp at the Koromo River is a march of four days, and the handing over of the baggage trains takes two days. From the Koromo River to the land of Shiwa is a march of six days, and the handing over of the baggage trains takes two days. Therefore from the Tamatsukuri barrier to the land of Shiwa and back takes twenty-four days, and if we meet rebels or are held up by rain, it will not fit within this schedule. Using both water and land routes, we required twenty-two thousand four hundred forty men for carrying baggage, and they transported and supplied six thousand two hundred fifteen koku. The daily provisions for the expeditionary army of twenty-seven thousand four hundred seventy men are five hundred forty-nine koku. Reckoned on this basis, what can be carried at one time will sustain us for only eleven days. We, your servants, have examined the matter and find that for an advance toward the land of Shiwa our preparations fall short. If we were to divide the expeditionary troops in order to increase the baggage trains, the army would become too small to suffice for the subjugation. Furthermore, since we raised the army we have passed through spring and summer, and both troops and baggage are utterly worn out; to advance further would be dangerous, and there would be no gain in holding out. To remain long in rebel territory and to bring provisions from a hundred ri away is not a sound plan. Though they are mere petty rebels of no account, they have still escaped Heaven's punishment, and the paddy and dry fields cannot be tilled, so that the busy farming season has already been lost. If we do not destroy them, what are we waiting for? The best plan for today is to disband the army, save on provisions, and be ready for an emergency. The army's provisions are two thousand koku a day (Note: the earlier text says that the daily provisions were five hundred forty-nine koku, but here the army's provisions are given as two thousand koku a day. Probably this gives the total for the whole main army. It cannot be examined further now). We feared that if we were to report and await your decision, even more would be wasted. Therefore on the tenth of this month we notified all the armies of our earlier decision to disband. Though it is our poor and humble judgment, we put it into effect at the same time as we report it." An edict came down: "Having examined the reports up to now, we find it said that 'the rebels have gathered on the east bank of the river and are resisting the imperial army. We shall first attack this place and afterwards plan an advance into the interior.' Now, if you judged that a deep advance was disadvantageous and wished to disband the army, it would not have been too late to report the circumstances in detail and act after awaiting our reply. That, having once drawn back your troops without completing the subjugation, you should have made such an arrangement, what reasoning is that? It is plain that the generals, fearing the rebels, have behaved in this way. And yet to cleverly dress up your words and try to escape guilt is disloyalty of the gravest kind, than which none is greater. Hironari and Sumitsuna had long been in rebel territory and were practiced in warfare, and therefore we entrusted them with the post of vice-general and looked for the fruits of hard fighting. Yet they were content to sit in their camp and look on as the outcome of the battle was decided, and when they sent out a subordinate vice-commander, it brought only defeat. How can this be the way to serve one's lord? To send out an army and achieve nothing is a thing a good general counts as his shame. Now that the army has been lost and provisions wasted, it is a great harm to the state, and of those who held the duty of this distant expedition, who is to bear the blame?" In the seventh month Kosami and the others submitted a memorial falsely reporting a great victory. An edict came down: "We have received your report of the tenth of this month. It said: 'Isawa, as it is called, was a vast land, as far as the eye could see by water and by land, and a place where the Emishi were gathered; but once the great army descended on it, it at once became a ruined waste, and the surviving rebels barely cling to life, their danger like that of the morning dew. The army's boats cast off their cables and stretched in a line of a hundred ri, and wherever the Son of Heaven's army advanced there was no strong enemy before it. The lairs by the sea no longer show any sign of men, and in the hidden recesses of the mountains and valleys only ghost-fires can be seen. We cannot contain our supreme joy and send this report by express courier.' But when we compare your earlier and later reports, the heads of rebels taken do not reach a hundred, while our own dead and wounded come to nearly three thousand. How can this be called a cause for joy? Moreover, when a great army is about to withdraw, the fierce rebels attacking its rear has happened more than once. Yet you say that 'once the great army descended, it at once became a ruined waste'; if one weighs the true state of affairs, this is no better than empty embellishment. Mahira, Sumitsuna, and the others did not personally spur on their troops, but sent a vice-commander to the east bank of the river; the army was defeated and fled, and the drowned numbered more than a thousand. And yet you say that 'having crossed once, they fought and burned as they went, searched out the rebels' lairs, and returned to the main camp,' and you conceal these drowned soldiers and do not discuss them. Only Tajihi-no-Hamanari, Vice-Envoy for the Subjugation of the East, and his men attacked the rebels and took ground, and they alone are somewhat better than the rest. Yet now you say that 'wherever the Son of Heaven's army advanced there was no strong enemy before it, and in the hidden recesses of the mountains and valleys only ghost-fires could be seen,' and this is language exaggerated beyond the facts. A memorial announcing victory ought to be submitted only after the rebels have been pacified and merit achieved. Now you have not been able to find the rebels' lairs, nor to destroy their kin, yet you send an express courier to offer congratulations. Have the generals no shame?" In the ninth month Kosami and the others at last returned to the capital and gave back the Sessetsu. The Dainagon Fujiwara-no-Tsugutada and the Chūnagon Fujiwara-no-Oguromaro and others were ordered to investigate the matter at the Sōshi, the offices of the Council of State. Kosami, Hironari, Mahira, Sumitsuna, and the rest all admitted their guilt. An edict came down: "Kosami was unable to pacify the rebels' land, defeated the army, and wasted provisions. By rights he should be severely punished according to the law, but in consideration of his past services we leave the matter entirely unpunished. Mahira, Sumitsuna, and the others were foolish and cowardly, misjudged when to advance and when to withdraw, and each time arrived late for the army's appointed days. According to the law, Sumitsuna should be beheaded and Mahira should be dismissed from office and have his court rank confiscated. But since Sumitsuna had long served on the frontier and applied himself diligently to his duties, we spare him the penalty and take away only his office and rank. Since Mahira, at the Hikami harbor, helped to rescue drowning soldiers, we only dismiss him from office and do not confiscate his rank. As for the others who performed small services, each is to be rewarded as befits them. Those with minor faults are to be left unquestioned. Hasetsukabe-no-Yoshimasa, when the imperial army was defeated in the battle at Isawa, fought bravely and died in battle, and is posthumously granted Outer Junior Fifth Rank Lower." Not long afterwards Kosami was advanced to Senior Fourth Rank Upper (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi), concurrently Governor of Tajima, and transferred to be Saemon-no-kami, Captain of the Left Gate Guards. In the thirteenth year of Enryaku (794) he was appointed Chūnagon, Middle Counsellor, and at the same time was granted Senior Third Rank, skipping the intervening rank. Soon he was made concurrently Shikibu-kyō, Minister of Ceremonial. In the fifteenth year (796) he was transferred to be Dainagon. In the sixteenth year (797) he was made concurrently Kōtaishi-no-fu, Tutor to the Crown Prince. Soon afterwards he died, at the age of sixty-five. Kudara-no-Eison, of Junior Fourth Rank Lower, and others were sent to his residence to convey an edict, and he was posthumously granted Junior Second Rank. He had sons, Hirohama and Suenari. Hirohama became Sangi of Senior Fourth Rank Lower (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin; for Suenari, the Ruijū Kokushi is followed). From childhood Suenari was intelligent and widely read. During the Enryaku era he was appointed Shikibu-no-jō, Secretary of Ceremonial. At that time the recommendation of men of known integrity was permitted, and he went out to the provinces as Iyo-no-suke, Assistant Governor of Iyo. During the Daidō and Kōnin eras he served successively as governor of Izumo, Hitachi, Yamato, and Echizen, and in each post he was reputed to be excellent in administration. He rose to Junior Fourth Rank Lower. He died in the second year of Tenchō (825), at the age of forty-five, and was posthumously granted Senior Fourth Rank Upper (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

Ōtomo-no-Otomaro

¶Ōtomo-no-Otomaro was a great-grandson of Ōtomo-no-Fukei (Note: according to the Shoku Nihongi, "Koshibi was a grandson of Fukei"). His father Koshibi (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin) had talent from his youth, was reasonably versed in the learning of the scribe, and at first entered service as Daigaku-no-daijō, Senior Secretary of the University. Fujiwara-no-Fuhito gave him his daughter in marriage. During the Tenpyō-shōhō era he gradually advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Upper and Emon-no-kami, Captain of the Gate Guards, but was suddenly sent out as Governor of Izumo, and being shunned and pushed aside he was constantly gloomy. In the eighth year of Tenpyō-shōhō (756) Fujiwara-no-Nakamaro slandered him, saying, "Koshibi and Ōmi-no-Mifune slander the government of the court and lack the propriety due from subjects," and he was confined in the Eji-fu, Headquarters of the Guards, and demoted to Governor of Tosa. At the beginning of Tenpyō-hōji he was counted among the followers of Tachibana-no-Naramaro and was again found guilty. At the beginning of Hōki he was recalled, restored to his former rank, made Governor of Yamato, and granted Senior Fourth Rank Lower. In the sixth year of Hōki (775), in consideration of his old age, he was granted Junior Third Rank. In the eighth year (777) he died, at the age of eighty-three (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi. From "his father Koshibi" down to this point is the record concerning Koshibi).

¶Otomaro became Emon-no-suke, Assistant Captain of the Gate Guards, at the end of Hōki. In the first year of Ten'ō (781) he was made concurrently Chūgū-no-suke, Assistant Master of the Empress's Household, and gradually rose to be Saeji-no-suke, Assistant Captain of the Left Guards. In the early years of Enryaku he was appointed Hitachi-no-suke, Assistant Governor of Hitachi, and became Vice-General for the Subjugation of the East; after that he entered the capital, was appointed U-chūben, Middle Controller of the Right, transferred to Sa-chūben, Middle Controller of the Left, and served concurrently as Kōgōgū-no-suke, Assistant Master of the Empress's Household, and Governor of Kawachi. In the tenth year of Enryaku (791) he reached Junior Fourth Rank Lower and, as Great Envoy for the Subjugation of the Barbarians (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi), went to Mutsu. In the thirteenth year (794) he was granted the Sessetsu. Otomaro dispatched the Vice-Envoy Sakanoue-no-Tamuramaro and others to attack the Emishi, and they won a great victory, taking four hundred fifty-seven heads, one hundred fifty prisoners, and eighty-five horses. In the following year he led his army back in triumph (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi and the Nihon Kiryaku). In recognition of his merit he was granted Junior Third Rank and the Order of Merit, Second Class (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi). Soon he became Kōtaishi-no-fu, Tutor to the Crown Prince, but asked to resign on grounds of age, and at his residence, through the Chūnagon Fujiwara-no-Uchimaro, the request was granted. In the fourth year of Daidō (809) he died, at the age of seventy-nine. He had a son, Katsuo.

Ōtomo-no-Koshibi

¶Ōtomo-no-Katsuo became Governor of Mutsu and concurrently Azechi, Inspector, during the Tenchō era, and rose to Junior Fourth Rank Lower and U-hyōe-no-kami, Captain of the Right Gate Guards, concurrently Provisional Governor of Sanuki. He was by nature easygoing and tolerant, and never exposed other people's secrets. The tradition of his house was one of integrity, and he never approached wealth or profit. Away from the capital he commanded the military; in the capital he commanded the imperial guards. The common verdict of the time was: "Katsuo is poor in scholarly talent, but he has the stature of a commander." He died in the eighth year of Tenchō (831), at the age of fifty-six (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi).

Ōtomo-no-Katsuo

¶Sakanoue-no-Tamuramaro (Note: "mura" is also written with another character, 邑) was a son of Sakanoue-no-Karitamaro, Sakyō-daibu, Master of the Left Capital Office (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). He stood five shaku eight sun tall, his chest was one shaku two sun thick, and he weighed two hundred and one kin, or sixty-four kin when lean; his eyes were as keen as a blue falcon's, his beard was like threads of gold, and he was superior in strength of arm (Note: following the Mizukagami and the Tamuramaro Denki). During the Enryaku era he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, became Konoe-no-shōgen, Lieutenant of the Inner Palace Guards, concurrently Takumi-no-suke, Assistant Director of the Bureau of Craftsmen, and advanced to Konoe-no-shōshō, Lesser Captain of the Inner Palace Guards (Note: according to the Kokon Chomonjū, in the reign of Emperor Saga there was a man who watched for an opening to harm the emperor, but was deterred by the fact that Tamuramaro, as Konoe-no-shōgen, was constantly at the emperor's side, and so waited for his post to change; Tamuramaro afterwards passed through the posts of Lesser Captain, Middle Captain, and Commander, and as the emperor's favor for him was exceptional, the plot was in the end never carried out. But Tamuramaro held the posts of Lesser Captain and Middle Captain under Emperor Kanmu, was made Commander under Emperor Heizei, and died in the second year of Kōnin (811) in the reign of Emperor Saga, so the account in the Chomonjū conflicts with the facts. Therefore it is not adopted here). He served concurrently as Governor of Echigo. When the emperor planned the subjugation of the Emishi, Tamuramaro, together with Kudara-no-Shuntetsu, of Junior Fifth Rank Upper, went to the Tōkaidō to inspect the soldiers and horses and to examine their arms, and soon afterwards became Vice-Envoy for the Subjugation of the Barbarians (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi). He followed the Great General Ōtomo-no-Otomaro in attacking the Emishi, killing and capturing many (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). For this service he was advanced to Junior Fourth Rank Lower, served concurrently as Mokunokami, Director of the Bureau of Woodwork, and was appointed Azechi, Inspector, of Mutsu and Dewa, concurrently Governor of Mutsu and Chinju-shōgun, General in Command of the Garrison. Soon he received the appointment of Seii Taishōgun, Great General for the Subjugation of the Barbarians (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin), and, receiving an edict, inspected the Ifu, submitted barbarians, of the provinces. In the twentieth year of Enryaku (801), because the Emishi of Mutsu had risen in revolt again, he was granted the Sessetsu and put them down. On his triumphant return he was granted Junior Third Rank (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku. The biography of the monk Enchin in the Genkō Shakusho records a story of Tamuramaro, on receiving an edict, attacking the rebel Takamaru of Mutsu. Takamaru had already taken Suruga and advanced as far as the Kiyomigaseki barrier, but on hearing that Tamuramaro had set out he withdrew to Mutsu and held it. When the imperial army fought the rebels and its arrows ran out, a young monk and a boy picked up arrows and gave them to Tamuramaro. Tamuramaro shot Takamaru dead at Kagura-ga-oka and sent his head to the capital. The Azuma Kagami says that the Takokunoiwaya cave in Ōshū was where the rebel leaders Akuro-ō and Akagashira and others built their stronghold, and that on the day Tamuramaro attacked the rebels, he built a temple in front of that cave, modeled on Kurama-dera, enshrined an image of Tamonten, named it Saikōji, and donated some rice fields to it. The two stories of Takamaru and Akuro-ō do not appear elsewhere, but they are added here for reference). He was transferred to be Konoe-gon-no-chūjō, Provisional Middle Captain of the Inner Palace Guards (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). In the twenty-first year of Enryaku (802) he built Isawa Castle in Mutsu and subdued the Emishi. The barbarian chieftains Tamono-no-kimi Aterui and Iwagu-no-kimi More surrendered, leading more than five hundred of their people. When the mission was finished, Tamuramaro returned to the capital with the two chieftains, but they begged to be sent back to their home territory so that they might summon their followers. The court nobles deliberated and said: "Their wild nature is like that of beasts; whether they submit or rebel is not settled. Now, through the awe of the court, we have been able to seize these fierce leaders. If we were to do as they petition, it would be what is called rearing a tiger and leaving a calamity behind." They were put to death at Ueyama in Kawachi. In the twenty-second year (803) he went again to Mutsu and built Shiwa Castle. When he took his leave of the emperor on setting out, he was granted fifty bolts of colored silk and three hundred tun of floss silk (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). On returning to the capital he became Gyōbu-kyō, Minister of Justice (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). In the twenty-third year (804) he again became Seii Taishōgun (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin and the Nihon Kiryaku). In the following year he was appointed Sangi. At the beginning of Daidō he was appointed Chūnagon and served concurrently as Chūe-no-taishō, Commander of the Middle Guards, with his other offices unchanged (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). Tamuramaro submitted a memorial: "In Mutsu and Dewa, the number of persons who may be appointed as district magistrates is limited. But conditions in the key border regions differ considerably from those of the inner provinces. We beg that capable and decisive men be appointed even beyond the fixed number, so as to provide for defense and guard duty." An edict thereupon permitted district magistrates to be appointed for military service beyond the regular number (Note: following the Ruijū Sandai Kyaku). In the second year of Daidō (807) the Chūe-fu, Middle Guards, was renamed the U-konoe-fu, Right Inner Palace Guards, but Tamuramaro remained in that office as before, concurrently serving as Jijū, Chamberlain, and Hyōbu-kyō, Minister of Military Affairs, and advanced to Senior Third Rank (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). When the disturbance of Fujiwara-no-Kusuko, the Naishi-no-kami, Principal Handmaid, occurred, an edict came down ordering him to secure the Three Barriers. Tamuramaro, in the Konoe-fu, already had great prestige. The emperor feared that he might be employed by the Retired Emperor, and hastily advanced him to Dainagon to bind his loyalty (Note: following the Mizukagami). When the Retired Emperor tried to set out for the eastern provinces, Tamuramaro was made to lead picked troops and meet him on the Mino road (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi). At this time Fun'ya-no-Watamaro was confined in the Saeji-fu, Left Guards Headquarters, on the ground that he had attended the Retired Emperor closely. Tamuramaro, knowing that his abilities were worth employing, petitioned for his release. When they were sent out together, the affair was soon settled (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi and the Nihon Kiryaku). In the second year of Kōnin (811) he died at his villa at Awata, at the age of fifty-four (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku). He was granted coarse silk, cloth, and rice, and two hundred laborers. The emperor did not conduct government that day. Fujiwara-no-Katsuramaro, Ōtoneri-no-kami, Director of the Palace Attendants, and Akishino-no-Matsugu, Jibu-shōyū, Junior Assistant Vice-Minister of Civil Administration, were sent to his residence to convey the imperial pronouncement (Note: following the Tamuramaro Denki), and he was posthumously granted Junior Second Rank; three chō of paddy, dry fields, and forest in Kurusu village, Uji district, Yamashiro province, were granted as his burial ground (Note: following the Nihon Kiryaku, with reference also to the Tamuramaro Denki). His body was made to stand upright in the coffin and was buried facing the capital of Heian. Armor, a sword, a spear, a bow and arrows, dried rice, and salt were buried with him, and the government supervised the matter. It is said that after this, whenever some disturbance arose in the state, his tomb would sound and shake. It is also said that whenever a general set out on campaign, he first visited the tomb to pray (Note: following the Tamuramaro Denki). The sword he had worn was placed in the Imperial Treasury and was called the Sakanoue Hōken, the Sakanoue Treasure Sword (Note: following the Kojidan and the Masukagami). The emperor himself is said to have written an inscription of praise on his portrait and to have mourned his death deeply (Note: following the Sakanoue Keizu). Once, when Tamuramaro had gone out hunting, he met the monk Enchin and praised his pure and austere practice. He therefore founded the Kiyomizu-dera temple in Otagi district. At the beginning of Kōnin he petitioned that Kiyomizu-dera be made an official temple (Note: following Fujiwara-no-Akihira's Kiyomizu-dera Shinzō Gammon, the Konjaku Monogatari, and the Tamuramaro Denki). He had sons, Hirono (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi) and Kiyono (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku).

Sakanoue-no-Tamuramaro

¶Sakanoue-no-Hirono. From his youth Hirono was known for martial courage, and was upright, firm of will, and valued integrity. During the Kōnin era he served successively as U-konoe-shōshō, Lesser Captain of the Right Inner Palace Guards, concurrently Governor of Ise, and afterwards went out as Governor of Mutsu. When his term was complete he was appointed U-hyōe-no-kami, Captain of the Right Gate Guards, and rose to Junior Fourth Rank Lower and the Order of Merit, Seventh Class. He died in the fifth year of Tenchō (828), at the age of forty-one (Note: following the Ruijū Kokushi). Hirono's son was Masamichi (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Sakanoue-no-Hirono

¶Sakanoue-no-Kiyono inherited the tradition of his house from his youth and excelled in the martial arts. When Emperor Heizei held an appearance at the Butokuden, among the twenty mounted archers chosen from throughout the realm, Kiyono was selected as Tōgū-shōjō, Junior Secretary of the Crown Prince's Household, and when he competed in skill with the foot archers Sami-no-Kakashimaro and Iitaka-no-Tsunehimaro, Kiyono proved the best. During the Kōnin era he became Mutsu Chinju-shōgun, General in Command of the Garrison of Mutsu. At that time he was twenty-seven years old. Soon he served concurrently as Mutsu-no-suke, Assistant Governor of Mutsu, and became U-konoe-shōshō. At the beginning of Tenchō he was demoted to Governor of Satsuma, and soon was transferred to Provisional Governor of Tosa. On returning to the capital he was granted Senior Fifth Rank Lower and became Azechi, Inspector, of Mutsu and Dewa (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). During the Jōwa era, having received a dispatch from Sōsa-no-Suemori, Chinju-shōgun, he submitted this memorial: "From last spring to this spring, strange rumors have spread among the common people, and the disturbance has not subsided. The people of the interior are abandoning their dwellings and fleeing. It is necessary to send out additional garrison troops, and to call the people back and set them to farming. Moreover, in the two districts of Kurihara (Note: the source reads "Awahara," evidently a slip for Kurihara) and Kami, many common people are fleeing, and the government is unable to hold them. We, your servant, consider that, to guard against calamity and quell unrest, caution must be exercised before the event. Also, the Fushū, submitted barbarians, north of Kurihara and Monou have a great many who can draw the bow, and though they seem to follow the court's civilizing influence, their attitude is not constant. Now it is high summer, the grass grows thick, the horses are fat and the rebels are bold, and if an emergency arose it would be hard to withstand. We humbly beg that a reinforcement of one thousand men be dispatched, to serve in rotation, going on and off duty in the fourth and fifth months, to guard for the time being against a rebel incursion. As for their provisions, we ask that they be supplied from local grain according to precedent. We fear that to report and await your decision would cost us the opportunity, so we send them out and report at the same time." This was permitted by edict (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). During his several years in office he kept up friendly relations with the barbarian peoples, and the barriers were untroubled. On returning to the capital he became Uma-no-kami, Director of the Right Bureau of Horses, was transferred to U-hyōe-no-kami, and then served concurrently as Governor of Inaba and of Sagami, rising to Senior Fourth Rank Lower. He died in the third year of Kashō (850), at the age of sixty-two (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). His son was Masamune (Note: following the Sakanoue Keizu).

Sakanoue-no-Kiyono

¶Sakanoue-no-Masamune (Note: following the Sakanoue Keizu) became Konoe-no-shōgen, Lieutenant of the Inner Palace Guards, during the Jōwa era. At that time bandits of Ise had gathered in the mountains of Nabari district and were secretly minting private coins. Masamune led the Ifu, submitted barbarians, of the Konoe guards to search them out and seize them, and presented the minting tools and the coins as well. He rose to Junior Fifth Rank Lower, was appointed Chinju-shōgun, and served concurrently as Mutsu-no-suke (Note: following the Shoku Nihon Kōki). During the Ninju and Saikō eras he became Kamon-no-kami, Director of the Bureau of Housekeeping, and was transferred to Sa-hyōe-gon-no-suke, Provisional Assistant Captain of the Left Gate Guards (Note: following the Montoku Jitsuroku). Hirono's son was Masamichi (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Sakanoue-no-Masamune

¶Sakanoue-no-Masamichi loved military affairs from his youth, was skilled in archery and horsemanship, and also had intelligence and talent. During the Jōwa era he became Uchitoneri, Palace Attendant. At the Daisha, the Great Archery ceremony of the first month, the number of persons of Fifth Rank and above fell short of the quota, so by edict Masamichi was added to their number. He served in turn as U-konoe-no-shōgen, Sa-hyōe, and Saemon-no-daijō, Senior Secretary of the Left Gate Guards. In the second year of Saikō (855) he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, appointed U-emon-gon-no-suke, Provisional Assistant Captain of the Right Gate Guards, and put in charge of the Kebiishi, the police commissioners. His administration of the law was impartial and he did not bend to those in power. At the beginning of Ten'an he was transferred to Sa-konoe-shōshō, Lesser Captain of the Left Inner Palace Guards. In the first year of Jōgan (859) he went out as Governor of Mutsu, concurrently Provisional Assistant Governor of Hitachi, and advanced to Junior Fifth Rank Upper. When his term was over no successor came, and after waiting four years he died at his post, at the age of fifty-five. Masamichi was said to have made light of wealth and valued righteousness, and to have governed with integrity throughout his tenure. The province was orderly and quiet, and both the people and the Ifu were at peace. He lived in poverty and left no savings, and when the time came to lay him in his coffin there was nothing but a single quilt; yet it is said that the memory of his virtue long remained among the people of that place (Note: following the Sandai Jitsuroku).

Sakanoue-no-Masamichi

¶Kose-no-Nutari was a grandson of Kose-no-Sakaimaro, Sangi, Counsellor, and a son of Kose-no-Naemaro, Shikibu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Ceremonial (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin). During the Enryaku era he was granted Junior Fifth Rank Lower, became Mutsu Chinju-fuku-shōgun, Vice-General in Command of the Garrison of Mutsu, and was then transferred to Vice-Envoy for the Subjugation of the Barbarians. He followed Ōtomo-no-Otomaro in subduing the Emishi (Note: following the Shoku Nihongi), served concurrently as Mutsu-no-suke, and advanced to Senior Fifth Rank Lower. Soon he was made concurrently Governor of Shimotsuke, entered the capital, and became Hyōbu-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Military Affairs. He was transferred to Saemon-no-kami, Captain of the Left Gate Guards. During the Daidō era he was appointed Sa-hyōe-no-kami, Captain of the Left Gate Guards, served concurrently as Jijū, Chamberlain, and became Sa-konoe-chūjō, Middle Captain of the Left Inner Palace Guards. At the beginning of Kōnin he was appointed Kurōdo-no-tō, Head Chamberlain, serving concurrently as Nakatsukasa-no-taifu, Senior Assistant Minister of Central Affairs, was appointed Sangi concurrently Governor of Bitchū, and in due course was granted Junior Third Rank and the Order of Merit, Third Class, and served concurrently as U-konoe-taishō, Commander of the Right Inner Palace Guards, and Governor of Bizen. In the third year of Kōnin (812) he was appointed Chūnagon. In the sixth year (815) he served concurrently as Azechi, Inspector, of Mutsu and Dewa (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin), and submitted this memorial: "For the purposes of the army corps, nothing surpasses horses. Yet the envoys of the powerful and wealthy commoners go back and forth to one another without end, seeking horses. As a result, officials and people are troubled, and horses are even forcibly taken from the Ifu. That the province is not at peace is due precisely to this. Not only has the price of horses risen, but war horses themselves have become hard to obtain. In the sixth year of Enryaku (787) an imperial order was issued and rules were specially laid down, but as the years have passed and the age has changed, laxity has set in and they are not observed. We beg that a new and strict regulation be issued and the prohibition made stronger still." This was permitted by edict. The province of Dewa was likewise to follow it (Note: following the Ruijū Sandai Kyaku). In the following year he was granted Senior Third Rank and relieved of his post as Commander of the Right Inner Palace Guards. Soon afterwards he died, at the age of sixty-eight (Note: following the Kugyō Bunin).