Emperor Tenji

Emperor Tenji (天智天皇, Tenji Tennō), born in 626 and died in 672, also known as Prince Naka no Ōe (中大兄皇子, Naka no Ōe no Ōji) and Emperor Tenchi, was the thirty-eighth emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from 661 until his death.

Biography of Emperor Tenji

Tenji was the son of Emperor Jomei and Empress Kōgyoku. He had many wives and children.

Upon the death of his father emperor Jomei in 642, his mother became empress under the name Kōgyoku.

During this first reign, the Soga clan acquired almost total power over the court. In 644, the one who was still only Prince Naka no Ōe planned a coup with Nakatomi no Kamatari and Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro.

The following year, he assassinated Soga no Iruka at court, in front of the throne of Kōgyoku (Isshi incident). Although the assassination did not go as planned, Iruka was killed, and his father and predecessor Soga no Emishi committed suicide soon after.

Following the incident, Iruka's followers disperse without a fight, and Naka no Ōe is named crown prince. He also marries the daughter of his ally Soga no Kurayamada, thus securing the support of a significant portion of the Soga clan's power.

Shocked, Kōgyoku abdicated in favor of her son, but he refused and had Kōgyoku's brother put on the throne, who became emperor Kōtoku on July 12, 645. During his reign, it was in fact Naka no Ōe who de facto ruled Japan.

Together with the emperor and Nakatomi no Kamatari, they set up the Taika reform in 646.

After Kōtoku's death in 655, he again refused to ascend the throne and his mother became empress again under the name Saimei. However, as under the reign of Kōtoku, it is the crown prince who reigns in effect.

In 660, the Korean kingdom of Paekche was attacked and nearly destroyed by the neighboring kingdom of Silla, and Japan came to the aid of the Paekche loyalists in an attempt to recover their territory. Saimei leaves with an army to the west coast of Japan, but dies in 661 as she is about to embark for Korea.

Naka no Ōe succeeded his mother as Emperor Tenji. During his reign, he compiles the first code of laws of Japan known to modern historians in 662.

He sent the support army to Korea in 663 led by Abe no Hirafu, but it was defeated by the combined armies of the Silla and Tang China in the battle of Hakusukinoe.

In 667, he moved his capital from Naniwa to Ōtsu on Lake Biwa, where he compiled the Ōmi code in 668. In 671, he first announced the time by the hydraulic clock.

After his death in 672, a succession dispute broke out between his fourteen children (from several different mothers). In the end, he was succeeded by his son Prince Ōtomo, who became Emperor Kōbun. Among his children, two of his daughters would also become empresses, Jitō and Genmei.

Emperor Tenji's Empress and consorts

• Princess Yamato-hime, daughter of prince Furuhito no Ohoye; raised to the rank of empress in 668;
• Soga Ochi no Iratsume, daughter of Soga no Ishikawamaro; imperial wife; died c. 651; of whom he had three children:
• princess Ohota (Ōta), born 643, died 667, married to emperor Tenmu, her uncle;
• princess Unosarara, born 645, married to emperor Tenmu, her uncle; raised to empress in 672; acceded to the throne in 686 as empress Jitō, died 702.
• Prince Takeru, born 651 died 658;
• Soga Mei no Iratsume, daughter of Soga Ishikawamaro; imperial wife; of whom he had two children:
• princess Minabe, born c. 658; married to her cousin prince Takechi, eldest son of emperor Tenmu and Munakata no Amako no Iratsume (654-696);
• princess Abe, born in 661, married to prince Kusakabe, her cousin and nephew, son of emperor Tenmu and empress Unosarara; acceded to the throne in 707 under the name of Genmei; abdicated in 715; died in 721;
• Abe Tachibana no Iratsume, daughter of Abe no Kurahashi Maro; imperial wife; died in 681; of whom he had two children:
• princess Asuka; died in 700; married to her cousin prince Osakabe (died in 705), son of emperor Tenmu and Shishihito no Kajihime no Iratsume ;
• princess Niitabe, died in 699; married to emperor Tenmu, her uncle;
• Soga Hitachi no Iratsume, daughter of Soga no Akae; imperial wife; of whom he had one child:
• Princess Yamabe, died 686; married to his cousin-nephew Prince Ohotsu (663-686), son of Emperor Tenmu and Princess Ohota;
• Yakako Iga no Uneme, imperial concubine; of whom he had one child:
• Prince Ōtomo, born 648 (future emperor Kōbun);
• Oshinumi no Shikobuko no Iratsume, daughter of Wotatsu Oshinumi no Miyakko, imperial concubine; from whom he had three children:
• princess Ohoye (Oe), died in 699; married to her uncle emperor Tenmu ;
• prince Kahajima, born in 659 and died in 691; married to his cousin princess Hatsusebe, daughter of emperor Tenmu and Shishihito no Kajihime no Hiratsume;
• Princess Izumi, died 706; vestal princess of the Ise-jingū from 701 to 706 ;
• Kurikuma no Kurohime no Iratsume, daughter of Tokoma Kurikuma no Obito; imperial concubine; of whom he had one child:
• Princess Minushi, died in 737;
• Koshi no Mishi no Iratsume, imperial concubine; of whom he had one child:
• Prince Shiki, died 716; married Princess Taki (died 751), daughter of Emperor Tenmu and Shishihito no Kajihime no Iratsume; later married Ki no Tochihime, daughter of Ki no Morohito, from whom he had Emperor Kōnin.