was the 45th

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')
聖武天皇 (45)
/ref> according to the traditional

order of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.Nara period The of the history of Japan covers the years from CE 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the c ...

Traditional narrative

Before his ascension to the

Chrysanthemum Throne The is the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term also can refer to very specific seating, such as the throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace. Various other thrones or seats that are used by the Emperor during official functions ...

, his personal name (''

imina in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, in that order. Nevertheless, when a Japanese name is written in the Roman alphabet, ever since the Meiji era, the official policy has been to cater to Western expecta ...

'') is not clearly known, but he was known as Oshi-hiraki Toyosakura-hiko-no-mikoto. Shōmu was the son of Emperor Monmu and Fujiwara no Miyako, a daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito.Varley, p. 141. Shōmu had four Empresses and six Imperial sons and daughters.Brown, p. 272.

Events of Shōmu's reign

Shōmu was still a child at the time of his father's death; thus, his grandmother,

Empress Gemmei , also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd monarch of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 元明天皇 (43) retrieved August 22, 2013. according to the traditional order of succession. Genmei's reign spanned the years 707 through ...

, and aunt,

Empress Gensho An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...

, occupied the throne before he acceded. * 724 ('' Yōrō 8, 1st month''): In the 9th year of Genshō''-tennō''s reign (元正天皇九年), the empress abdicated; and her younger brother received the succession (‘‘senso’’). Shortly thereafter, Emperor Shōmu is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’). * January 31, 724 ('' Jinki 1'') NengoCalc
神亀一年一月一日 -->: The era name is changed to mark the accession of Emperor Shōmu. * 735–737: A major smallpox epidemic raged throughout Japan, incurring adult mortality rates of about 25% to 35%. Shōmu continued to reside in the Hezei Palace. Shōmu is known as the first emperor whose consort was not born into the imperial household. His consort Kōmyō was a non-royal Fujiwara commoner. A

ritsuryō , , is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei" (律令制). ''Kyaku'' (格) are amendments of Ritsuryō, ''Shiki'' ...

office was created for the queen-consort, the ''Kogogushiki''; and this bureaucratic innovation continued into the Heian period.

Emperor Shōmu's tour to the eastern provinces

While battle maneuvers of the Fujiwara no Hirotsugu Rebellion were still underway, in

Tenpyō was a after '' Jinki'' and before '' Tenpyō-kanpō.'' This period spanned the years from August 729 through April 749. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 729 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The ...

12 10th month (November, 740) Emperor Shōmu left the capital at Heijō-kyō (

Nara The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an " independent federal agency of the United States government within the executive branch", charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It ...

) and traveled eastward via Horikoshitemporary lodging built to accommodate an Imperial visit (堀越頓宮; today Tsuge; 10th month, 29th day: November 22), Nabari (10th month, 30th day: November 23), Ao (安保頓宮; today Aoyama ; 11th month 1st day: November 24) to Kawaguchi in Ichishi District,

Ise Province was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today includes most of modern Mie Prefecture. Ise bordered on Iga, Kii, Mino, Ōmi, Owari, Shima, and Yamato Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was . History The name of Ise appears ...

(today part of Tsu, formerly part of Hakusan) where he retreated together with his court to a temporary palace. One of his generals was left in command of the capital. Presumably Shōmu feared Fujiwara supporters in Nara and was hoping to quell potential uprisings in other parts of the country with his presence. After four days travelling through heavy rain and thick mud, the party reached Kawaguchi on

12 11th month, 2nd day (25 November, 740) A couple of days later, they learn of Hirotsugu's execution and that the rebellion had been quelled. Despite the good news, Shōmu did not return to Heijō-kyō immediately, but stayed in Kawaguchi until

12 11th month, 11th day (4 December, 740). He continued his journey east, then north via

Mino Province was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today southern Gifu Prefecture. Mino was bordered by Ōmi to the west, Echizen and Hida to the north, and Shinano to the east, and Ise, Mikawa, and Owari to the south. Its abbreviat ...

and back west along the shores of

Lake Biwa is the largest freshwater lake in Japan, located entirely within Shiga Prefecture (west-central Honshu), northeast of the former capital city of Kyoto. Lake Biwa is an ancient lake, over 4 million years old. It is estimated to be the 13th ol ...

to Kuni in

Yamashiro Province was a province of Japan, located in Kinai. It overlaps the southern part of modern Kyoto Prefecture on Honshū. Aliases include , the rare , and . It is classified as an upper province in the ''Engishiki''. Yamashiro Province included Kyoto i ...

(today in Kizugawa) which he reached on

12 12th month, 15th day (6 January, 741). Places passed along the way included Akasaka (赤坂頓宮; today Suzuka; 11th m. 14th d.: Dec 7）, Asake district (朝明郡; today Yokkaichi; 11th m. 20th d.: Dec 13）, Ishiura (石占頓宮; today Tado; 11th m. 25th d.: Dec 18）, Tagi district (当伎郡; today Yōrō; 11th m. 26th d.: Dec 19）, Fuwa (不破頓宮; today Tarui; 12th m. 1st d.: Dec 23）, Yokokawa (横川頓宮; today Santō or Maihara; 12th m. 6th d.: Dec 28), Inukami (犬上頓宮; today Hikone; 12th m. 7th d.: Dec 29）, Gamō district (蒲生郡; today near Yōkaichi; 12th m. 9th d.: Dec 31）, Yasu (野洲頓宮; today Yasu or Moriyama; 12th m. 10th d.: Jan 1）, Awazu (禾津頓宮; today Ōtsu; 12th m. 11th d.： Jan 2）, Tamanoi (玉井頓宮; today

Yamashina-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It lies in the southeastern part of the city, and Yamashina Station is one stop away from Kyoto Station on the Tōkaidō Main Line (Biwako Line). The area of Yamash ...

; 12th m. 14th d.）. Situated among the hills and near a river north of Nara, Kuni was easily defensible. In addition, the area was linked with the Minister of the Right, Tachibana no Moroe, while Nara was a center of the Fujiwara clan. On

12 12th month, 15 day (6 January, 741) Shōmu proclaimed a new capital at

Kuni-kyō Kuni-kyō (恭仁京, or ''Kuni no miyako''), was the capital city of Japan between 740 and 744, whose imperial palace (恭仁宮 ''Kuni-kyū'' or ''Kuni no miya'') was built in the present-day city of Kizugawa in Kyoto Prefecture by the order of ...

Timeline

* 724 ('' Jinki 1''): Emperor Shōmu rises to throne. * 740 (''Tenpyō 12, 8th month''): In the Imperial court in

Kibi no Makibi was a Japanese scholar and noble during the Nara period. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"Kibi no Makibi"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 512. Also known as . Early life Kibi no Makibi was born in Shimotsumichi County, Bitchu Province (present-d ...

and Genbō conspire to discredit Fujiwara no Hirotsugu, who is '' Dazai shoni'' in Kyushu.Titsingh, . * 740 (''Tenpyō 12, 9th month''): Hirotsugu rebels in reaction to the growing influence of Genbō and others. * 740 (''Tenpyō 12, 9th month''): Under the command of

Ōno no Azumabito was a samurai and court official of Japan's Nara period. A child of Ōno no Hatayasu (大野果安). In 724, he fought alongside Fujiwara no Umakai against the Emishi people of Mutsu Province. Azumabito was later appointed to the Imperial p ...

, an Imperial army of 17,000 is sent to Kyushu to stop the potential disturbance. * 740 (''Tenpyō 12, 10th month''): Hirotsugu is decisively beaten in battle; and he is beheaded in

Hizen Province was an old province of Japan in the area of the Saga and Nagasaki prefectures. It was sometimes called , with Higo Province. Hizen bordered on the provinces of Chikuzen and Chikugo. The province was included in Saikaidō. It did not incl ...

. * 740 (''

12''): The capital is moved to

* 741 (''Tenpyō 13''): The Emperor calls for nationwide establishment of provincial temples. Provincial temples (''"kokubunji"'') and provincial nunneries (''"kokubunniji"'') were established throughout the country. The more formal name for these ''"kokubunji"'' was ''"konkomyo-shitenno-gokoku no tera"'' (meaning "temples for the protection of the country by the four guardian deities of the golden light"). The more formal name for these ''"bokubunniji"'' was ''"hokke-metuzai no tera"'' (meaning "nunneries for eliminating sin by means of the Lotus Sutra"). * 743 (''Tenpyō 15''): The Emperor issues a rescript to build the ''Daibutsu'' (Great Buddha), later to be completed and placed in

Tōdai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Japan. Though it was originally founded in the year 738 CE, Tōdai-ji was not opened until the year 752 CE. The temple has undergo ...

. * 743 (''Tenpyō 15''): The law of Perpetual Ownership of Cultivated Lands (墾田永代私財法) issued * 744 (''Tenpyō 16''): In the spring, the court was moved to

Naniwa-kyō is a historical Japanese capital city, which was located in present-day central Osaka city is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most po ...

which then became the new capital. * 745 (''Tenpyō 17''): The Emperor declares by himself Shigaraki-kyō the capital * 745 (''Tenpyō 17''): The capital returns to Heijō-kyō, construction of the Great Buddha resumes. * 749 (''Tenpyō 21, 4th month''): Shōmu, accompanied by the empress, their children, and all the great men and women of the court, went in procession to Todai-ji. The emperor stood before the statue of the Buddha and proclaimed himself to be a disciple of the

three jewels In Buddhism, refuge or taking refuge refers to a religious practice, which often includes a prayer or recitation performed at the beginning of the day or of a practice session. Since the period of Early Buddhism until present time, all Theravada ...

, which are the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.Titsingh, . * 749 (''Tenpyō 21, 7th month''): After a 25-year reign, Emperor Shōmu abdicates in favor of his daughter, Princess Takano, who would become Empress Kōken.Varley, p. 143. After abdication, Shōmu took the tonsure, thus becoming the first retired emperor to become a Buddhist priest. Empress Komyo, following her husband's example, also took holy vows in becoming a Buddhist nun. * 752 (''

Tenpyō-shōhō was a after '' Tenpyō-kanpō'' and before ''Tenpyō-hōji.'' This period spanned the years from July 749 through August 757. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 749 : The new era name of Tenpyō-shōhō (meaning "Heavenly Peace and V ...

4, 4th month''): The Eye-Opening Ceremony, presided over by

Rōben (689 – 773), also known as Ryōben, was a Japanese Buddhist monk of the Kegon sect, and clerical founder of the Tōdai-ji temple in Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. He is popularly known as the . His life spanned the late Asuka period (538 &nd ...

and celebrating the completion of the Great Buddha, is held at

Legacy

Shōmu, a devout Buddhist, is best remembered for commissioning, in 743, the sixteen-meter high statue of the

Vairocana Buddha Vairocana (also Mahāvairocana, sa, वैरोचन) is a cosmic buddha from Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism. Vairocana is often interpreted, in texts like the ''Avatamsaka Sutra'', as the dharmakāya of the historical Gautama Buddha. In East ...

(the ''Daibutsu'') in

. At the time, this was such a massive undertaking that later chroniclers accuse him of having completely exhausted the country's reserves of bronze and precious metals. In 752, the Shōmu held the Eye-opening Ceremony of the Great Buddha. Earlier in 741, he established the system of provincial temples, making this the closest anyone ever came to declaring Japan a Buddhist nation. In addition he commissioned the observance of the ohigan holiday for both spring and autumnal

equinox A solar equinox is a moment in time when the Sun crosses the Earth's equator, which is to say, appears directly above the equator, rather than north or south of the equator. On the day of the equinox, the Sun appears to rise "due east" and se ...

. Emperor Shōmu died at age 56. The actual site of Shōmu's grave is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they ...

(''misasagi'') at Nara. The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Shōmu's mausoleum. It is formally named ''Sahoyama no minami no misasagi''. The tomb site can be visited today in Horenji-cho, Tenri City near Nara City. The Imperial tomb of Shōmu's consort,

Empress Kōmyō (701 – 23 July 760), born Fujiwara Asukabehime (藤原安宿媛), was the consort of Japanese Emperor Shōmu (701–756) during the Nara Period.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan,'' pp. 57-58. Life A member of th ...

, is located nearby.

Shōsōin

The Shōsō-in (正倉院) is the treasure house of Tōdai-ji Temple in Nara, Japan. It houses about 9.000 artifacts connected to Emperor Shōmu (701–756) and Empress Kōmyō (701–760), as well as arts and crafts of the Tempyō era of Japanese history. Its general importance derives from the fact, that it may be called an ark of

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdom ...

period cultural relics from Japan as well as from the continent: furniture, games, music instruments, clothing/accessories, weaponry, buddhist objects and pieces of writing. See main entry.

Kugyō

is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the ...

in pre- Meiji eras. In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Shōmu's reign, this apex of the '' Daijō-kan'' included: * ''

Daijō-daijin The was the head of the ''Daijō-kan'' (Great Council of State) during and after the Nara period and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. Equivalent to the Chinese (Grand Preceptor). History Emperor Tenji's favorite son, Prince Ōtomo, wa ...

'' (720–735), Toneri''-shinnō'' (舎人親王) (9th son of Emperor Tenmu). * ''

'' (737–745), Suzuka''-ō'' (鈴鹿王) (son of Prince Takechi).Brown, p. 273. * '' Sadaijin'' (724–729), Nagaya''-ō'' (長屋王) (son of Prince Takechi). * '' Sadaijin'' (743–756),

Tachibana no Moroe was a Japanese Imperial prince and official in the court of Emperor ShōmuNussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Tachibana no Moroe" . and Empress Kōken.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). He was the father of Tachibana no Naramaro . * 738 (''Tenpyō 10, ...

(橘諸兄) (formerly Katsuragi''-ō'', Prince Katsuragi) (half brother of

) . * ''

Udaijin was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the ''udaijin'' in the context of a central administ ...

'' (734–737),

Fujiwara no Muchimaro was a Japanese courtier (''kuge'') and politician of the late Asuka and early Nara period. He founded the Nanke ("Southern") branch of the Fujiwara clan.'' MyPedia'' entry for "Fujiwara no Muchimaro His court rank is Senior First Rank. Life ...

(藤原武智麻呂) (son of Fujiwara no Fuhito). * ''

Naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre- Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remained as a significant post under the Tai ...

'', Fujiwara no Toyonari (藤原豊成) (son of

). * ''

Dainagon was a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century.Nussbaum, "Dainag ...

'', Fujiwara no Fusasaki (藤原房前) (son of Fujiwara no Fuhito).

Eras of Shōmu's life

The years of Shōmu's reign are more specifically identified by more than one

era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year of ...

or ''

nengō The , also known as , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being ""), followed by the literal ...

''.Titsingh, p. 67; Brown, p. 273. * * '' Jinki'' (724–729) * ''

'' (729–749) * '' Tenpyō-kanpō'' (749) * ''

'' (749–757)

Consorts and children

*Empress (Kōgō): Fujiwara Asukabehime (藤原安宿媛), Fujiwara no Fuhito’s daughter ** Second Daughter: Imperial Princess Abe (阿倍内親王) later

Empress Kōken , also known as , was the 46th (with the name Empress Kōken) and the 48th monarch of Japan (with the name Empress Shōtoku), Emperor Kōnin, Takano Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. ...

**First Son: Prince Motoi (基王, 727–728) *''Bunin'': Agatainukai no Hirotoji (県犬養広刀自, d.762), Agatainukai no Morokoshi's daughter **First Daughter: Imperial

Princess Inoe Princess Inoe or ''Inoue'' (717–775) was the Empress consort of Emperor Kōnin of Japan. She was deposed in 772, accused of witchcraft. Life Inoue was the daughter of Emperor Shōmu, who reigned from March 3, 724 until August 19, 749.Imperi ...

(井上内親王), married to

Emperor Kōnin was the 49th emperor of Japan, Emperor Kōnin, Tahara no Higashi Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Kōnin's reign lasted from 770 to 781. Traditional narrative The personal name of ...

**Third Daughter: Imperial Princess Fuwa (不破内親王, 723-795), married to Prince Shioyaki **Second Son: Imperial Prince Asaka (安積親王, 728–744) *''Bunin'': Nan-dono (南殿, d.748),

’s daughter *''Bunin'': Hoku-dono (北殿, d.760), Fujiwara no Fusasaki’s daughter *''Bunin'': Tachibana-no-Hirooka no Konakachi (橘広岡古那可智, d.759), Tachibana no Sai's daughter

Ancestry

Notes

References

* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979)
''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past''.
Berkeley: University of California Press. ; * * * Piggott, Joan R. (19970
''The Emergence of Japanese Kingship''.
Stanford: Stanford University Press. ; * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan''.
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). '' Nihon Ōdai Ichiran''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon''.
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland. * Varley, H. Paul. (1980)
''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns''.
New York: Columbia University Press. ;

External links

Photographs of the mausolea of Empress Kōmyō and Emperor Shōmu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shomu Japanese emperors 701 births 756 deaths People of Asuka-period Japan People of Nara-period Japan 8th-century Japanese monarchs Japanese Buddhist clergy Nara period Buddhist clergy Buddhism in the Asuka period Japanese Buddhist monarchs Japanese retired emperors