Imperial Consorts I

Empress Himetatara-Isuzu-hime

¶Within the institutions of the inner palace, the ranks standing below the Empress were those of hi (consort), bunin (lady) and hin (concubine), all of which were fixed by the Ritsuryō statutes (ryō). The offices of nyōgo (lady-in-waiting consort), kōi (dressing-room consort) and mikushigedono (keeper of the imperial wardrobe) were all established in later ages. The nyōgo was held in the highest esteem, and a nyōgo who had won the sovereign's favor came to be raised to the rank of Empress. That kōgō (Empress) and chūgū (Consort of the Middle Palace) now stand side by side, with no particular distinction between them, is by no means an ancient arrangement. Kitabatake Chikafusa has already discussed this point and examined the circumstances in detail. The title Chūgū was anciently a name applied collectively to the three Palaces, namely the Grand Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager and the Empress; from the middle period onward it became an alternative designation for the Empress alone. When Emperor Ichijō raised a Chūgū, the Palaces of the Grand Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager were already both occupied, and so the consort who had been Chūgū to Emperor En'yū had her designation changed to Kōgō. This, however, was a measure of temporary convenience, a device to distinguish the honorific titles, and so the title of Empress came to diverge from the reality it denoted. Before long, the lady-in-waiting consort Shōshi was formally installed as Chūgū, and the one who had until then been Chūgū had her designation changed to Kōgō. The courtesies shown to a Chūgū became wholly equal to those shown to an Empress, and from this time the two ceased to differ. The dignity of rank and title lay with the Empress, but the sovereign's actual and deeper affection came to rest with the Chūgū. This practice was thereafter handed down and finally became established usage. The granting of in-gō (cloistered-palace titles) to Empresses and Chūgū also began around this time. As for other cases in which a woman who was not one of the three Palaces was granted an in-gō, or was treated as ranking with the three Palaces, these arose because in later ages those raised to Empress came invariably from the Fujiwara house, and persons of other surnames could no longer share in the honor. The Fujiwara assisted infant emperors and held the real power of government; their influence as maternal relatives grew heavier with each passing day, and their standing in the inner palace flourished all the more. Such figures as Empress Nukatabe (Emperor Suiko), Empress Takara (Empress Kōgyoku) and Empress Uno (Empress Jitō) were all of imperial blood and took up the conduct of government in person; they laid aside the itēki (the Empress's ceremonial robes) and put on the kon-ben (the ceremonial robes of the Son of Heaven). Their deeds are recorded in detail in the Annals (Hongi) and can be learned by comparing the two. Accordingly, the Biographies of Imperial Consorts are composed here.

¶[Emperor Jinmu]

Ahiratsu-hime

¶Empress Himetatara-Isuzu-hime, the consort of Emperor Jinmu, was the eldest daughter of Kotoshironushi-no-mikoto. Her mother was named Tamakushi-hime. In the eighth month of the year Kanoe-saru, the emperor, wishing to establish a principal consort, sought widely among the daughters of distinguished families. Someone reported to him, "That lady is of a beauty without equal in the whole land," and the emperor was pleased. In the ninth month he summoned her to the palace and made her his principal consort. (Note: according to the Kojiki, when the emperor was seeking one fit to be made Empress, Ōkume-no-mikoto recommended this lady. She happened to be at play with other women at Takasajino, and Ōkume, by means of a song, hinted that the emperor should make his own choice. The lady stood at the head of the women. The emperor answered with a song of his own, entrusting to it his feeling of favor toward her. When Ōkume conveyed this intention to the lady, she consented. At that time the lady dwelt beside the Sai River, and the emperor went in person to her house, passed a single night there, and returned. Afterward, when the lady entered the palace, the emperor composed a song, in which he recalled the night they had spent together on freshly spread, clean sedge mats in her humble, rough-thatched dwelling.) In the first month of the first year of his reign, the emperor installed her as Empress. She bore Hikoyai-mimi-no-mikoto, Kamuyai-mimi-no-mikoto and Emperor Suizei. (Note: Hikoyai-mimi-no-mikoto is given following the Kojiki.) On the accession of Emperor Suizei she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Empress Isuzuyori-hime

¶The consort Ahiratsu-hime was the younger sister of Obashi-no-kimi of Ata in Hyūga. (Note: Obashi-no-kimi is given following the Kojiki.) While the emperor was still Crown Prince, he summoned her and made her a consort. She bore Tagishi-mimi-no-mikoto and Kisumi-mimi-no-mikoto. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Kisumi-mimi-no-mikoto is given following the Kojiki.)

¶[Emperor Suizei]

Empress Nunasoko-naka-tsu-hime

¶Empress Isuzuyori-hime, the consort of Emperor Suizei, was the second daughter of Kotoshironushi-no-mikoto, and a younger sister of the Empress Dowager Himetatara-Isuzu-hime. In the first month of the second year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. (Note: one account given in the notes of this work holds that Kawamata-hime, daughter of the Shiki no Agatanushi, was made Empress; another says that it was Itoori-hime, daughter of Ōhimoro, Agatanushi of Kasuga. The Kojiki likewise states that he took Kawamata-hime to wife and that she bore Emperor Annei.) She bore Emperor Annei. On the accession of Emperor Annei she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

¶[Emperor Annei]

Empress Amatoyotsu-hime

¶Empress Nunasoko-naka-tsu-hime, the consort of Emperor Annei, was also called Nunaso-hime. She was a granddaughter of Kotoshironushi-no-mikoto and a daughter of Kamo-no-kimi. (Note: Kamo-no-kimi appears as Kamotama in both the Sendai Kuji Hongi and the Kōin Shōunroku.) She bore Okisomimi-no-mikoto, Emperor Itoku and Shikitsuhiko-no-mikoto. In the first month of the third year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. (Note: one account given in the notes of this work holds that Kawatsu-hime, daughter of Hae, Agatanushi of Shiki, was made Empress; another says that it was Itoi-hime, daughter of Ōma-no-sukune. The Kojiki gives Akuto-hime, daughter of Hae, the Agatanushi who was elder brother of Kawamata-hime.) On the accession of Emperor Itoku she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

¶[Emperor Itoku]

Empress Yosotarashi-hime

¶Empress Amatoyotsu-hime, the consort of Emperor Itoku, was a daughter of Okisomimi-no-mikoto. In the second month of the second year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. (Note: one account given in the notes of this work holds that Izumi-hime, daughter of Ide, younger brother of Hae, Agatanushi of Shiki, was made Empress; another says that it was Iihi-hime, daughter of Futomawakahiko, Agatanushi of Shiki.) She bore Emperor Kōshō and Takeshihiko-kiutosete-no-mikoto. On the accession of Emperor Kōshō she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

¶[Emperor Kōshō]

Empress Oshi-hime

¶Empress Yosotarashi-hime, the consort of Emperor Kōshō, was also called Hioki-hime. She was a daughter of Ame-no-oshio-no-mikoto (Note: the alternative name and what follows are given following the Sendai Kuji Hongi) and a younger sister of Okitsu-yoso. In the first month of the twenty-ninth year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. (Note: one account given in the notes of this work holds that Nunakitsu-hime, daughter of Hae, Agatanushi of Shiki, was made Empress; another says that it was Ōi-hime, daughter of Yamato-no-kuni Toyoakisata-hime.) She bore Amatarashihiko-kunioshihito-no-mikoto and Emperor Kōan. On the accession of Emperor Kōan she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

¶[Emperor Kōan]

Empress Kuwashi-hime

¶Empress Oshi-hime, the consort of Emperor Kōan (Note: the Kojiki gives Oshika-hime), was a daughter of Amatarashihiko-kunioshihito-no-mikoto. In the second month of the twenty-sixth year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. (Note: one account given in the notes of this work holds that Naga-hime, daughter of Hae, Agatanushi of Shiki, was made Empress; another says that it was Isaka-hime, daughter of Isakahiko, Agatanushi of Tōchi.) She bore Ōkibi-morosusumi-no-mikoto and Emperor Kōrei. (Note: Ōkibi-morosusumi-no-mikoto is given following the Kojiki.) On the accession of Emperor Kōrei she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Note: according to the entry for the second month of the eighth year in the Kōgen annals of the Sendai Kuji Hongi, the title of Grand Empress Dowager was conferred posthumously. From this point on, the annals of every emperor invariably record a Grand Empress Dowager title; but since it does not appear in the Nihon Shoki, it is not adopted here.)

¶[Emperor Kōrei]

Yamato-no-kuni-ka-hime

¶Empress Kuwashi-hime, the consort of Emperor Kōrei, was a daughter of Ōme, Agatanushi of Shiki. (Note: where the Kojiki has Tōchi, the present text has Shiki.) In the second month of the second year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. (Note: one account given in the notes of this work holds that Kasuga-no-Chichihayamaka-hime was made Empress; another says that it was Mashita-hime, daughter of the ancestor of the Agatanushi of Tōchi and others.) She bore Emperor Kōgen. On the accession of Emperor Kōgen she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager.

Hae-irodo

¶The consort Yamato-no-kuni-ka-hime was also called Hae-irone. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Note: the Kojiki gives Ōyamatokuni-are-hime.) She was a daughter of Wachitsumi-no-mikoto. (Following the Kojiki.) She bore Yamato-totohi-momoso-hime-no-mikoto, Hikosashikata-wake-no-mikoto, Hikoisaserihiko-no-mikoto and Yamato-toto-wakaya-hime-no-mikoto. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Hikosashikata-wake-no-mikoto is given following the Kojiki.)

Kasuga-no-Chichihayamawakahime

¶The consort Hae-irodo was a younger sister of Yamato-no-kuni-ka-hime. She bore Hikosashima-no-mikoto and Wakatakehiko-no-mikoto. (Following the Nihon Shoki. That she was a younger sister of Yamato-no-kuni-ka-hime is given following the Kojiki.)

Empress Utsushikome

¶Kasuga-no-Chichihayamawakahime bore Chichihaya-hime. (Following the Kojiki.)

¶[Emperor Kōgen]

Haniyasu-hime

¶Empress Utsushikome, the consort of Emperor Kōgen, was a younger sister of Utsushikoo-no-mikoto. In the second month of the seventh year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. She bore Ōhiko-no-mikoto, Sukunahikotake-igokoro-no-mikoto, Emperor Kaika and Yamato-totohime-no-mikoto. (Note: Sukunahikotake-igokoro-no-mikoto is given following the Kojiki.) On the accession of Emperor Kaika she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Empress Ikagashikome

¶The consort Haniyasu-hime was a daughter of Aotamakake of Kawachi. She bore Takehaniyasuhiko-no-mikoto. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

¶[Emperor Kaika]

Tanba-no-Takano-hime

¶Empress Ikagashikome, the consort of Emperor Kaika, was a daughter of Ōheso-ki. (Note: the Kojiki makes her a daughter of Utsushikoo-no-mikoto.) The Empress had at first been a consort of Emperor Kōgen and bore Hikofutsuoshi-no-makoto-no-mikoto. Later Emperor Kaika took this consort to wife (following the ancient custom of taking the consort of a former sovereign), and she bore Emperor Sujin and Mimatsu-hime. In the first month of the sixth year of Emperor Kaika's reign she was installed as Empress. On the accession of Emperor Sujin she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Mimatsu-hime is given following the Kojiki.)

Hahatsu-hime

¶The consort Tanba-no-Takano-hime was a daughter of Yugori, the Great Agatanushi of Tanba. She bore Hikoyumusumi-no-mikoto. (Following the Nihon Shoki. The father's name is given following the Kojiki.)

Hashitaka-hime

¶The consort Hahatsu-hime was a daughter of Amatarashihiko-kunioshihito-no-mikoto and a younger sister of Hahatsu-no-mikoto. She bore Prince Hikoimasu. (Following the Nihon Shoki. The father's name is given following the Shinsen Shōjiroku.)

Empress Mimaki-hime

¶Hashitaka-hime was a daughter of Katsuragi-no-Tarumi-no-sukune. She bore Takeyohazurawake-no-mikoto. (Following the Kojiki.)

¶[Emperor Sujin]

Tōtsu-Ayume-Makuwashi-hime

¶Empress Mimaki-hime, the consort of Emperor Sujin, was a daughter of Ōhiko-no-mikoto. He had summoned her before his accession, and she bore Emperor Suinin, Hikoisachi-no-mikoto, Kunikata-hime-no-mikoto, Chijitsuku-Yamato-hime-no-mikoto, Yamatohiko-no-mikoto and Ikatsuruhiko-no-mikoto. (Note: the Kojiki does not have Ikatsuruhiko-no-mikoto, but has Itsutsuru-hime in his place.) In the second month of the first year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. On the accession of Emperor Suinin she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Owari-no-Ōami-hime

¶The consort Tōtsu-Ayume-Makuwashi-hime was a daughter of Arakawatobe, a man of Kii. (Note: where the present text has "a man of Kii," the Kojiki has Kinokuni-no-miyatsuko. One account given in the notes of this work says she was also Yasaka-furu-ame-no-izube, daughter of Ōami-no-sukune.) She bore Toyokiirihiko-no-mikoto and Toyosukiiri-hime-no-mikoto. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Empress Sahohime

¶The consort Owari-no-Ōami-hime (Note: the Sendai Kuji Hongi writes the character for "sea" in her name as "Yamato," which is an error) was also called Katsuragi-no-Takana-hime, and was a younger sister of Takemorozumi. (Note: the alternative name and what follows are given following the Sendai Kuji Hongi.) She bore Ōiriki-no-mikoto, Yasakairihiko-no-mikoto, Nunakiiri-hime and Tōchi-Niiri-hime-no-mikoto. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Ōiriki-no-mikoto is given following the Kojiki.)

¶[Emperor Suinin]

Empress Hibasu-hime

¶Empress Sahohime, the consort of Emperor Suinin, was also called Sawaji-hime. She was a daughter of Prince Hikoimasu. (Note: the alternative name and what follows are given following the Kojiki.) In the second month of the second year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress, and bore Homutsuwake-no-mikoto. In the fourth year, her elder brother Sahohiko plotted rebellion and, watching for an opportunity, asked the Empress, "Which is dearer to you, your elder brother or your husband?" The Empress, not perceiving his intent, answered without thinking, "My elder brother is dearer." Sahohiko then tempted her, saying: "Those who serve others by their beauty find that when their beauty fades, favor grows thin. Now there are many beautiful women in the realm, and they will come forward one after another to seek the emperor's favor. Do you suppose you can keep his favor forever? If you will grant my wish, I shall rule the realm together with you, and would that not be a pleasure too?" He then took up a dagger (aikuchi) and gave it to her (Note: where the present text has "dagger," the Kojiki has yashiori-no-himo-no-kogatana, a small sword with a cord of many foldings), and told her to strike the emperor while he slept. The Empress was greatly startled and afraid, but judged that it was not something she could possibly carry out; yet neither could she remonstrate with him, and for the time being she took the dagger and hid it in her robe. In the fifth year, the emperor was at the Kume no Takamiya and took a noon nap with his head on the Empress's knee. The Empress, thinking of Sahohiko's words, could not bear her grief and wept, and her tears fell upon the emperor's face. (Note: according to the Kojiki, the Empress tried to stab the emperor and three times raised the blade, but could not bring herself to do it, and her tears fell upon his face. This differs somewhat from the present text.) The emperor awoke and said to the Empress, "In a dream I saw a small snake of brocade color coil about my neck, and a great rain rise from the direction of Saho and strike my face. What omen could this be?" The Empress, overcome with dread, prostrated herself on the ground, told him of Sahohiko's rebellious plot, and said, weeping: "If I speak, I shall destroy my elder brother; if I do not speak, I shall bring the state to ruin. In fear and grief, I have sobbed day and night. Now Your Majesty has lain with his head upon my knee, and this was precisely the moment in which my brother's wish could have been fulfilled. I cannot go against my brother, nor can I betray Your Majesty's kindness. That is why I grieved and wept. The snake was the dagger, and the rain was my tears." The emperor said, "This is no fault of yours." He then ordered Yatsunada to raise troops with all haste and attack Sahohiko. Sahohiko too raised troops to resist, and at once piled up rice sheaves to build a stronghold. It was firm and could not be breached, and at that time it was called an inaki (rice-sheaf fortress). The assault went on for more than a month without his submitting. The Empress wept and said, "Though I am Empress, if my elder brother is destroyed, with what face shall I live on hereafter?" She then took Homutsuwake in her arms and ran into the rice-sheaf fortress. The emperor increased his troops and surrounded the fortress, and called into it, urging that the Empress and the prince be sent out, but they would not comply. Yatsunada set fire to the fortress and burned it. The Empress had someone carry the prince out of the fortress, and then said: "When I entered the fortress just now, it was because I hoped to buy my brother's pardon at the price of myself and the prince. Since that cannot now be, I know that I too am guilty. Rather than be captured and bound, I would sooner end my own life. Even in death, I shall never forget Your Majesty's kindness. The five daughters of Prince Tanba-no-Michinushi are all virtuous; I beg that you summon them into the inner palace." So the Empress died in the fortress together with Sahohiko. (Note: according to the Kojiki, when the army surrounded Sahohiko's fortress, the Empress ran into it. She was with child at the time, and the emperor, unable to bear pressing her, ordered the army to slacken the attack. In due course the Empress gave birth to a boy, showed him outside the fortress, and said, "The prince has just been born; pray inform the emperor and take him in." The emperor selected men of strength and agility to receive the prince, and ordered them, "Be sure to bring his mother out with him." The Empress too understood the emperor's intent, and, fearing capture, shaved her hair, tied it up and wore it on her head. She wrapped herself in decayed cords and jewel-strings, having first soaked them in rice wine to rot them. Then the Empress herself came out of the fortress carrying the prince. The soldiers vied with one another to seize the prince. When they tried to seize the Empress, the hair they grasped came away, the robe they pulled tore, and the cords and jewel-strings all broke in their hands, so that in the end they could not take her.) Later the emperor remembered the Empress's last words and summoned the five daughters of Prince Tanba-no-Michinushi. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Nubatani-iri-hime

¶Empress Hibasu-hime (Note: also written Hibasune) was the eldest daughter of Prince Tanba-no-Michinushi. In accordance with the last words of Empress Sahohime, in the second month of the fifteenth year of Emperor Suinin she was summoned into the palace, together with her younger sisters Nubatani-iri-hime, Matono-hime and Azaminiiri-hime (Note: the present text miscopies the character for "azami" as the character for "sinew." The Sendai Kuji Hongi writes it with another character; this is the same as the first, and both are read azami. It is corrected here according to the Kojiki's phonetic reading), and Takano-hime, four younger sisters in all. (Note: the Kojiki gives three younger sisters of the Empress as Otohime, then Utagori-hime, then Mato-hime; and also gives, as younger sisters of the Empress, Nubata-no-iri-hime-no-mikoto, and then Azami-no-iribi-me-no-mikoto.) In the eighth month Hibasu-hime was installed as Empress, and the three younger sisters all became consorts. Only Takano-hime was sent back to her family, because her appearance was unattractive. Takano-hime was deeply ashamed, and on the way home, at Kadono, she threw herself from her palanquin and died. For this reason the place was named Ochikuni. (Note: according to the Kojiki, Utagori-hime and Mato-hime were sent back to their family because their appearance was unattractive. Mato-hime was deeply ashamed, and on reaching Sagaraka in Yamashiro Province, she tried to hang herself from a tree. She went on as far as Otokuni, and there finally threw herself into a pool and died. For this reason the place was named Ochikuni.) In the seventh month of the thirty-second year, the Empress died. Before this, the emperor had forbidden the burial of living persons with the dead, and on this occasion for the first time he had clay figures (haniwa) made to take the place of such sacrifices. (Following the Nihon Shoki.) At this time Takemarine-no-mikoto presented a stone coffin (following the Shinsen Shōjiroku), and she was buried at the Saki no Teramano Misasagi. (Following the Kojiki.) The Empress bore Inishikiiri-hiko-no-mikoto, Emperor Keikō, Ōnaka-hime-no-mikoto, Ōnakatsuhiko-no-mikoto, Yamato-hime-no-mikoto and Wakakiniirihiko-no-mikoto. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Ōnakatsuhiko-no-mikoto is given following the Kojiki.)

Matono-hime

¶The consort Nubatani-iri-hime bore Nudeshiwake-no-mikoto and Ikatarashi-hime-no-mikoto. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Azaminiiri-hime

¶The consort was Matono-hime. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Note: the Sendai Kuji Hongi states that she bore Iwatsukuwake-no-mikoto, but this is not adopted here.)

Kaguya-hime

¶The consort Azaminiiri-hime bore Ikehayawake-no-mikoto and Wakaasatsu-hime-no-mikoto. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Note: according to the Sendai Kuji Hongi, there is no Wakaasatsu-hime-no-mikoto, but Iwayaishiwake-no-mikoto and Ikatarashihiko-no-mikoto are listed.)

Karihata-tobe

¶Kaguya-hime was a daughter of Prince Ōtsutsuki-no-Tarine. She bore Prince Ozabe. (Following the Kojiki.)

Oto-Karihata-tobe

¶Karihata-tobe (Note: the present text writes the name in other characters as Karihata-tobe; here the Nihon Shoki is followed) was a daughter of Yamashiro-no-Ōkunibuchi. (Following the Kojiki.) She bore Mioyawake-no-mikoto, Ikatarashihiko-no-mikoto and Itakeruwake-no-mikoto. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Empress Harima-no-Inabi-no-Ōiratsume

¶Oto-Karihata-tobe was a younger sister of Karihata-tobe. She bore Iwatsukuwake-no-mikoto and Futaji-iri-hime-no-mikoto. (Following the Kojiki. Note: according to the Nihon Shoki, Kanihata-tobe was a daughter of Ōkuni-no-Fuchi of Yamashiro. In the third month of the thirty-fourth year of the emperor's reign, when he made a progress to Yamashiro, an attendant reported, "There is a beautiful person in this province. Her name is Kanihata-tobe, and her appearance is extraordinarily fine." The emperor wished to obtain her, and, reciting a hunting invocation, said, "If I am to win a fair lady, a sign of it will appear along the way." When he reached the temporary palace, a great turtle floated on the water; the emperor thrust at it with his halberd, and it was transformed into a white stone. The emperor, pleased, said, "This must surely be a response," and so obtained Kanihata-tobe and summoned her into the palace, where she bore Iwatsukuwake-no-mikoto. Before this, he had summoned Karihata-tobe of Yamashiro and she had borne him three sons. Judging from this, Karihata-tobe and Kanihata-tobe would seem to be of different families. On consideration: karihata and kanihata are close in their readings, and fuchi is read "fuchi"; the Nihon Shoki has mistaken "chi" for "he" and so treated them as different families. Moreover, the single character "oto" (younger) has probably dropped out above the character for "kanihata." Here the Kojiki is followed.)

¶[Emperor Keikō]

Empress Yasakairi-hime

¶Empress Harima-no-Inabi-no-Ōiratsume, the consort of Emperor Keikō, was a daughter of Wakatakehiko. (Following the Kojiki. Note: Wakatakehiko was a son of Emperor Kōrei. Counting from the death of Emperor Kōrei to the second year of Emperor Keikō gives two hundred and eighty-six years; the dates are very far apart, and the matter is not free of doubt. It cannot now be investigated.) In the third month of the second year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. (Note: one account given in the notes of this work holds that Inabi-no-Wakairatsume was made Empress.) She bore Prince Kushitsunowake, Prince Ōusu and Prince Ousu-no-mikoto (Yamato Takeru-no-mikoto). (Note: one account given in the notes of this work lists Yamatoneko-no-mikoto as the third child. The Kojiki likewise lists Wakayamatoneko-no-mikoto and Prince Kamukushi, making five children in all, but none of these is adopted here.) She died in the fifth month of the fifty-second year. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Prince Kushitsunowake is given following the Kojiki.)

Mizuha-irotsume

¶Empress Yasakairi-hime, the consort, was the eldest daughter of Yasakairihiko-no-mikoto. Her younger sister was named Otohime. When the emperor made a progress to Mino, he heard that Otohime was beautiful and wished to obtain her, and went to her house. Otohime, hearing of this, hid herself and did not appear. The emperor, wishing to draw Otohime out, stayed at the Kukuri no Miya and released carp into a pond, and passed the mornings and evenings watching them. Otohime secretly came to peep at them, and the emperor, detaining her on the spot, formed a union with her. Otohime was not at ease in her heart, and said to the emperor: "By nature I do not like the company of men, and my appearance is also unsightly, so I am not fit to join the inner palace. I have an elder sister named Yasakairi-hime. She is of fair and lovely appearance, and her character too is virtuous. I beg that you summon her to the inner palace." The emperor accordingly summoned Yasakairi-hime and made her a consort. She bore Emperor Seimu, Prince Iokiirihiko, Prince Oshinowake, Prince Wakayamatoneko, Prince Ōsuwake, Princess Nunoshi, Princess Nunaki, Princess Iokiirihime, Princess Kagoyori-hime, Prince Isakihiko, Prince Kibino-Masehiko, Princess Takakiirihime and Princess Otohime. When Empress Inabi-no-Ōiratsume died, she was installed as Empress. On the accession of Emperor Seimu she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Ikawa-hime

¶The consort Mizuha-irotsume, of the Mio clan, was a younger sister of Iwakiwake. She bore Princess Iono. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Takata-hime

¶The consort Ikawa-hime bore Prince Kamukushi and Prince Inaseirihiko. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Hyūga-no-Kaminaga-Ōtane

¶The consort Takata-hime was a daughter of Kogoto of the Abe clan. She bore Prince Takekunikori-wake. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Sonotake-hime

¶The consort Hyūga-no-Kaminaga-Ōtane bore Prince Hyūga-no-Sotsuhiko. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Mihakashi-hime

¶The consort Sonotake-hime bore Prince Kunichiwake, Prince Kuni-sowake and Prince Toyotowake. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Ikoto-hime

¶The consort Mihakashi-hime lived in Hyūga. In the thirteenth year of the emperor's reign, on the return journey after he had pacified the Kumaso, he stayed at the Takaya no Miya, heard of her beauty, and summoned her to be a consort. She bore Prince Toyokuniwake. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Inabi-no-Wakairatsume

¶The consort Ikoto-hime was a daughter of Mononobe-no-Ikui. In the thirty-sixth year of the emperor's reign he summoned her to be a consort. She bore Ikohiko-no-mikoto. (Following the Sendai Kuji Hongi.)

Kaguro-hime

¶Inabi-no-Wakairatsume was a younger sister of Empress Ōiratsume. She bore Prince Mawaka and Prince Hikohito-no-Ōe. (Following the Kojiki.)

Empress Jingū

¶Kaguro-hime (Note: the present text makes her a daughter of Sumeiro-no-Ōnakatsuhiko, a great-grandson of Yamato Takeru-no-mikoto, but this is not adopted because the dates do not agree. Among the consorts of Emperor Ōjin there is Kaguro-hime, who was probably the great-granddaughter of Yamato Takeru-no-mikoto) bore Prince Ōe. (Following the Kojiki.)

¶[Emperor Chūai]

Ōnaka-hime

¶Empress Jingū, the consort of Emperor Chūai, was a daughter of Okinaga-no-sukune-no-miko. Her mother was named Katsuragi-no-Takanuka-hime. From childhood she was intelligent, and her appearance was majestic, so that Prince Sukune thought her no ordinary child. In the first month of the second year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. When the emperor died, the Empress took charge of the aftermath herself, drove her armies on, and campaigned against the Three Kingdoms of Korea (Samkan). As a result foreign lands submitted, and her prestige spread widely. After she bore Emperor Ōjin, the Empress herself came to the court and conducted government, and the assembled ministers honored her with the title of Empress Dowager. She served as Regent for some seventy years, and her deeds are set out in detail in the Annals. (Note: at the death of Emperor Chūai the realm was without a ruler, and the Empress, upholding the unborn child she carried, gave commands to the four seas, and he was called "the emperor in the womb." Yet once Ōjin had been born, he ought properly to have been set on the throne as Son of Heaven; that he was instead established as Crown Prince leaves name and reality not rightly in accord. The Empress presumably hesitated to make herself the Son of Heaven in her own person. Later generations, seeing only the outward traces, have listed her in the succession of the imperial line, greatly damaging the intention of the old histories. In recording the order in which successive sovereigns ruled the realm, the Kojiki connects Ōjin directly to Chūai and does not count the Empress. The Nihon Shoki, for its part, takes particular care to write "the first year of the Regency," and its manner of writing is likewise strict. Furthermore, among women who truly ascended the throne, such as Suiko and Jitō, all are styled Tennō, whereas the Empress (Jingū) is not so styled. When posthumous names were later fixed, she was likewise called Jingū Kōgō and was not given the title of Tennō. In view of these facts, it is clear that it is not appropriate to list the Empress in the Imperial Annals. Nevertheless, it is a fact that between Chūai and Ōjin the Empress, as Regent, in practice carried out the government of the Son of Heaven; therefore, so as not to bury that fact, her deeds are recorded in full in the Annals of the two reigns of Chūai and Ōjin, and no separate Annals of the Empress are composed.) In the year Tsuchinoto-ushi she died at the Wakasakura no Miya, at the age of one hundred, and was buried at the Saki no Tatanami no Ikenoe no Misasagi. (Note: the two characters "Ikenoe" are given following the Engishiki.) Emperor Ōjin posthumously honored her as Okinagatarashi-hime-no-mikoto, and in later ages she was given the posthumous name Jingū Kōgō. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Otohime

¶The consort Ōnaka-hime was a daughter of Prince Hikohito-no-Ōe. She bore Prince Kagosaka and Prince Oshikuma. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Empress Nakatsu-hime

¶The consort Otohime was a daughter of Ōsakanushi. She bore Prince Homuyawake. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

¶[Emperor Ōjin]

Takaki-iri-hime

¶Empress Nakatsu-hime, the consort of Emperor Ōjin, was a granddaughter of Prince Iokiirihiko and a daughter of Prince Homuda-no-Mawaka. (Note: her father's name is given following the Kojiki.) In the third month of the second year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. She bore Princess Arata, Emperor Nintoku and Prince Netori. On the accession of Emperor Nintoku she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Otohime

¶The consort Takaki-iri-hime was the Empress's elder sister. She bore Prince Nukata-no-Ōnakatsuhiko, Prince Ōyamamori, Prince Izanomawaka, Princess Ōhara and Princess Komukuta. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Miyanushi-yakae-hime

¶The consort Otohime was the Empress's younger sister. She bore Princess Abe, Princess Awaji-no-Mihara, Princess Kinou and Mino-no-iratsume. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Mino-no-iratsume is given following the Kojiki.)

Konabe-hime

¶The consort Miyanushi-yakae-hime (Note: the Kojiki has Miyanushi-yakawae-hime. The Sendai Kuji Hongi makes her Kamuro-hime, daughter of Mononobe-no-Tajima, and also gives Yamanashi-hime) was a daughter of Wani-no-Hifure-no-omi. (Following the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki.) When the emperor made a progress to Ōmi and, along the road, reached the village of Kohata, he saw this lady and his heart was drawn to her. The emperor asked, "Whose daughter are you?" and she gave her father's name. The emperor said, "Tomorrow I shall visit your house." The lady returned and told her father, and Hifure purified his residence and waited. The next day, when the emperor came, Hifure set out a banquet to entertain him, and the lady presented the cup. The emperor, pleased, composed a song. (Following the Kojiki.) So he finally summoned her to be a consort, and she bore the Crown Prince Uji-no-Wakiiratsuko, Princess Yata and Princess Medori. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Otohime

¶The consort Konabe-hime was a younger sister of Yakae-hime. She bore Princess Uji-no-Wakairatsume. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Ito-hime

¶The consort Otohime was a daughter of Kawamata-no-Nakatsuhiko. (Note: the Kojiki gives Okinaga-no-Mawakanaka-tsu-hime, daughter of Prince Kuimata-no-Nagahiko.) She bore Prince Wakanuke-no-Futamata. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Hyūga-no-Izumi-no-Naga-hime

¶The consort Ito-hime (Note: the Kojiki has Itoi-hime) was a younger sister of Sakurai-no-Tabe-no-muraji Osuki. (Note: the Kojiki makes her a daughter of Shimatarine.) She bore Prince Hayabusawake. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Ehime

¶The consort Hyūga-no-Izumi-no-Naga-hime bore Prince Ōbae, Prince Obae and Hatahi-no-wakairatsume. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Hatahi-no-wakairatsume is given following the Kojiki.)

Kaguro-hime

¶The consort Ehime was a daughter of Kibi-no-Takehiko-no-mikoto. (Note: the present text does not give her father's name, but that account appears in the biographies of the princes.) In the third month of the twenty-second year of the emperor's reign, he made a progress to Naniwa and stayed at the Ōsumi no Miya, and one day chanced to climb a high terrace. Ehime attended at his side, gazed toward the west and sighed long. The emperor asked, "What are you sighing over?" She answered, "Lately I have been thinking of my father and mother, and so I sighed. I should like to return home for a while." The emperor, moved by her wish, gave his permission. He then had eighty seafarers of Mihara in Awaji prepare boats and escort her. In the fourth month she set out from Ōtsu and returned to Kibi. The emperor climbed the high terrace and watched her boats far into the distance, and composed a song, in which he lamented the pleasant islands of Awaji and Azuki lying side by side, and wondered who had parted him from the lady in Kibi, whom he had so recently seen. In the ninth month the emperor went hunting on Awaji Island and then proceeded to Kibi. When he reached the Ashimori no Miya, Mitomowake, the consort's elder brother, presented a meal, and his brothers and descendants all served as kashiwade (table attendants). The emperor praised this very highly, and so divided the province of Kibi, enfeoffing Mitomowake's son Inahayawake in Kawashima no Agata, Nakatsuhiko in Kamitsumichi no Agata, Otohiko in Mino no Agata, his elder brother Urakoriwake in Sono no Agata, and his younger brother Kamowake in Hakugi no Agata, while to Ehime in particular he gave Oribe no Agata. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Empress Iwa-no-hime

¶Kaguro-hime (Note: that there was also a Kaguro-hime among the consorts of Emperor Keikō has been discussed above) bore Kawarada-no-iratsume, Tama-no-iratsume, Oshisaka-no-Ōnakatsu-hime, Tohoshi-no-iratsume and Prince Katashiwa. (Following the Kojiki.)

¶[Emperor Nintoku]

Empress Yata

¶Empress Iwa-no-hime, the consort of Emperor Nintoku, was a daughter of Katsuragi-no-Sotsuhiko. In the third month of the second year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. In the seventh year the emperor established the Katsuragibe. In the twenty-second year the emperor wished to take Princess Yata as a consort, and conveyed his intention to the Empress through a song. The Empress answered with a song and refused. In the ninth month of the thirtieth year, the Empress, wishing to hold a banquet for the Niinamesai (harvest festival) (Note: the phrase "wishing to hold a Toyonoakari" is given following the Kojiki), made a journey to Kumano-no-misaki in Kii Province and gathered mitsunakashiwa (oak-leaf cups). Taking advantage of her absence, the emperor summoned Princess Yata and brought her into the palace. On her way back to Naniwa the Empress heard of this and was greatly angered; she threw the mitsunakashiwa into the sea and would not disembark from her boat. For that reason the place was named Kashiwa no Watari. (Note: the Kojiki has Mitsu no Saki.) The emperor, not yet knowing the circumstances, made a progress to Ōtsu to meet the Empress. But the Empress went straight on upriver, passing through Yamashiro to Yamato. (Note: according to the Kojiki, before the Empress Dowager had returned from Ki, a laborer assigned to draw water arrived at the Great Crossing (Ōwatari) of Naniwa, met a woman official of the storehouse, and said, "The emperor has taken Yata-no-wakiiratsume as a wife. Does the Empress Dowager not yet know?" The woman of the storehouse told the Empress Dowager, who was furiously angry and bitter, would not return to the palace, and went up the Horie canal to Yamashiro. The Kojiki calls the Empress "Empress Dowager" (Taigō), probably because in high antiquity the designations Kōgō and Taigō were not yet fixed. For this reason, in the Kojiki's usage, when the legitimate consort of the Son of Heaven is spoken of with honor, she is generally called Taigō.) The emperor sent the toneri (palace attendant) Toriyama to persuade the Empress to return to the palace, but she did not comply. She therefore built a palace south of the Tsutsuki hill in Yamashiro and lived there. The emperor sent Kuchimochi-no-omi to persuade her, but the Empress remained silent and gave no answer. Kuchimochi-no-omi lay prostrate before the hall day and night, and would not leave in rain or in snow. His younger sister Kuniyori-hime, who served the Empress, saw this and wept. When the Empress asked why, she answered, "The one who now lies in the courtyard awaiting your command is my elder brother. He does not mind the rain and snow, and so I weep." The Empress said, "Tell your brother to go back quickly. My mind is already made up." In the eleventh month the emperor, wishing to meet the Empress, made a progress to Yamashiro, reached the Tsutsuki no Miya and called for the Empress, but she did not come out. The emperor composed a song to persuade her. The Empress sent a messenger to say, "Your Majesty has taken Princess Yata as a consort. I do not wish to serve together with that consort, and so I dare not see you." The emperor returned in disappointment. In the sixth month of the thirty-fifth year the Empress died at the Tsutsuki no Miya. In the eleventh month of the thirty-seventh year she was buried on Mount Nara. The Empress bore Emperor Richū, Prince Sumi-no-e-no-Nakatsu, Emperor Hanzei and Emperor Ingyō. The emperor had at first favored the palace woman Kuwata-no-Kuga-hime, but out of regard for the Empress's jealousy could not summon her. When he tried to give the lady to his attendant Hayamachi, Kuga-hime refused Hayamachi, saying, "I shall end my life alone. How could I become your wife?" The emperor sent the lady and Hayamachi back to Kuwata, but she fell ill and died on the way. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Hyūga-no-Kaminaga-hime

¶Empress Yata (Note: the Kojiki has Yata-no-wakiiratsume) was a daughter of Miyanushiyakae-hime. Prince Uji-no-Wakiiratsuko, the Crown Prince, who was the Empress's elder half-brother on the maternal side, had at the time of his death left a will that she be received into the emperor's palace. In the twenty-second year the emperor summoned her, wishing to fulfill the Crown Prince's intention, and consulted Empress Iwa-no-hime, who was displeased. Taking advantage of the Empress's journey to Kii Province, the emperor summoned her and made her a consort. In the thirty-fifth year Empress Iwa-no-hime died. In the first month of the thirty-eighth year Yata was installed as Empress. (Following the Nihon Shoki.) The emperor established the Yatabe. (Following the Kojiki.) Because the Empress had no children, he commanded his attendant Mononobe-no-Ōwake-no-muraji-kimi to establish a group of hereditary retainers to take the place of imperial sons, and the Empress's name was bestowed as their clan name, making them uji-no-miyatsuko; their kabane was changed to Yatabe-no-muraji-kimi. On the accession of Emperor Richū she was honored with the title of Empress Dowager. (Following the Sendai Kuji Hongi. Note: the Kojiki states that the emperor took Yata-no-wakiiratsume and also took Uji-no-wakiiratsume, but that neither bore children. Other books do not record this, and so it is not adopted here.)

Empress Kusaka-no-Hatabi

¶The consort Hyūga-no-Kaminaga-hime was a daughter of Moroagata-no-kimi Ushimoroi. In the time of Emperor Ōjin, someone reported, "In Hyūga Province there is a woman named Kaminaga-hime, of a beauty without equal in the whole land." Emperor Ōjin sent a messenger to summon her and had her live in the village of Kuwatsu. The emperor (Nintoku), who was then a prince, saw her beauty and his heart was drawn to her. Emperor Ōjin, knowing his feeling, thought to give her to him. One day he held a banquet in the inner palace, called Kaminaga-hime to the gathering and showed her to the prince, conveying his intention by a song. The prince was overjoyed and answered with a song. So he obtained Kaminaga-hime and his favor toward her was exceptionally deep. She bore Prince Ōkusaka and Empress Hatabi. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Note: according to one account in the Ōjin annals of the present work, when Ushi, Kimi of Moroagata in Hyūga, resigned his office and returned to his home country, he meant to present his daughter Kaminaga-hime to the emperor. When he reached Harima, the emperor Homuda (Ōjin) happened to be hunting on Awaji Island, and several tens of large deer crossed the sea toward him. The emperor found this strange and sent men to look, and they were all people, who all cast off their deerskins. When asked the reason, they answered, "Kaminaga-hime has come from Hyūga and has arrived at Naniwa-no-tsu." Ōsazaki-no-mikoto (Nintoku) heard of her beauty and said to Takeuchi-no-sukune, "I wish to obtain Kaminaga-hime. Please speak to the emperor about it." Takeuchi-no-sukune reported it. On the day of the Toyo-no-akari banquet, the emperor had Kaminaga-hime present the oak-leaf cup of the great sacred wine. He then composed a song and bestowed her on Ōsazaki-no-mikoto.)

¶[Emperor Richū]

Kuro-hime

¶Empress Kusaka-no-Hatabi, the consort of Emperor Richū, was also called Tachibana-hime. (Following the Nihon Shoki.) She was also called Naga-hime-no-mikoto, and again Wakakusakabe-no-mikoto. Emperor Nintoku established the Wakakusakabe. (Following the Nihon Shoki.) The emperor summoned her and made her a consort, and she bore Empress Nakashi. In the first month of the sixth year of the emperor's reign she was installed as Empress. After the emperor's death she became Empress to Emperor Yūryaku once more. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Ōiratsume

¶The consort Kuro-hime was a daughter of Ashida-no-sukune. In the seventh month of the first year of the emperor's reign she became an imperial consort. She bore Prince Ichinobe-no-Oshiha, Prince Mima and Princess Aomi. In the ninth month of the fifth year she died. At that time the emperor happened to be hunting on Awaji Island, and a voice from the air was heard saying that the Crown Prince was a prince of the sword and blade; and again, a voice bidding that she be buried at Hasama and left; and again, a voice addressing the lord of Sanakita-komotsu, likewise bidding him bury her at Hasama and depart. Before long news of the death arrived, and the emperor, greatly alarmed, turned his carriage back that very day. In the tenth month she was buried. (Note: according to the present text, when the mourning period was over but he had not yet taken the throne, the emperor wished to take as a consort Kuro-hime, daughter of Hata-no-Yashiro-no-sukune, and sent Prince Sumi-no-e-no-Nakatsu as his envoy. Prince Nakatsu violated this Kuro-hime. The matter came to light, and Prince Nakatsu was put to death. In the first year, Kuro-hime, daughter of Ashida-no-sukune, was installed as imperial consort. These two Kuro-hime merely happen to share a name. Yet the phrase in the voice from the air, "my younger sister of Hata," seems close to an allusion to the connection with Hata-no-Yashiro. Yashiro-no-sukune was a son of Takeuchi-no-sukune. Ashida-no-sukune was a son of Katsuragi-no-Sotsuhiko and so a grandson of Takeuchi-no-sukune. The origins of the two are not very distant. Moreover, the Mizukagami makes the Kuro-hime violated by Prince Nakatsu a daughter of Ashida-no-sukune, so that it is suspected the two may be one and the same person.) The emperor took the death of the consort to be a divine curse and had its cause investigated. Someone reported, "Kurumamochi-no-kimi, who is in Tsukushi, has examined all the Kurumamochibe and is taking away the dependents belonging to the kanbe (shrine households)." On inquiry this proved true, and he was charged with the offense and dismissed from his post. (Following the Nihon Shoki.)

Takatsuru-no-iratsume

¶The hin (concubines) Ōiratsume and Takatsuru-no-iratsume were both daughters of Hata-no-Isowake. In the second month of the sixth year of the emperor's reign both were summoned as concubines. Ever since the two concubines entered the palace they were constantly grieving and sighing. The emperor heard of this and asked, "What do you grieve over?" They answered, "Our elder brother, Prince Washizumi, is very strong and agile, so much so that he can leap over a roof eight hiro high. Yet he has been away for many days and we cannot see him. That is why we grieve." The emperor, pleased by his great strength, sent messengers twice to summon him, but Prince Washizumi would not comply and always lived in the village of Sumi-no-e. This man is said to be the founding ancestor of the two houses of the Sanuki no Kuni no Miyatsuko and the Awa no Ashikui-wake. (Following the Nihon Shoki. Note: according to the Keikō annals of the present work, Prince Kamukushi was the founding ancestor of the Sanuki no Kuni no Miyatsuko. The Shinsen Shōjiroku agrees. If so, Prince Hata-no-Isowake was probably a descendant of Prince Kamukushi. But as to the generational order, there is no means of investigation, and the matter is appended here for the time being.)