, known first as and later as until his accession, was the 38th

emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

who reigned from 668 to 671. He was the son of

Emperor Jomei was the 34th emperor of Japan,Kunaichō 斉明天皇 (34)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Jomei's reign spanned the years from 629 through 641. Traditional narrative Before Jomei's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, ...

and

Empress Kōgyoku , also known as , was the 35th and 37th monarch of Japan,Kunaichō 斉明天皇 (37)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Both her reigns were within the Asuka period. Kōgyoku's reign spanned the years from 642 to 645. Her r ...

(Empress Saimei), and his children included

Empress Jitō was the 41st emperor of Japan, monarch of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 持統天皇 (41)/ref> according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. Jitō's reign spanned the years from Jitō period, 68 ...

Empress Genmei , 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

Emperor Kōbun was the 39th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 弘文天皇 (39)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. Kōbun's reign lasted onl ...

. In 645, Tenji and

Fujiwara no Kamatari , also known as , was a Japanese politician and aristocrat who, together with Prince Naka no Ōe (later Emperor Tenji), carried out the Taika Reform. He was the founder of the Fujiwara clan, the most powerful aristocratic family in Japan durin ...

defeated

Soga no Emishi was a statesman of the Yamato imperial court. His alternative names include Emishi () and Toyora no Ōomi (). After the death of his father Soga no Umako, Emishi took over '' Ōomi '', the Minister of State, from his father. According to th ...

and Iruka. He established a new government and carried out political reforms. He then assumed real political power as the crown prince of both the Kōtoku and Saimei Emperors. Despite the death of Emperor Saimei, he did not accede to the throne for seven years, and came to the throne after the relocation of the capital to Ōmi in 668. He created Japan's first family register, the ''Kōgo Nenjaku'', and the first code of law, the

Ōmi Code The are a collection of governing rules compiled in 668AD, and the first collection of Ritsuryō laws in classical Japan. These laws were compiled by Fujiwara no Kamatari under the order of Emperor Tenji. This collection of laws is now lost and ...

Traditional narrative

He was the son of

, but was preceded as ruler by his mother

Empress Saimei The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

. Prior to his accession, he was known as .

Events of Tenji's life

As prince, Naka no Ōe played a crucial role in ending the near-total control the

Soga clan The was one of the most powerful aristocratic kin groups Uji (clan), (''uji'') of the Asuka period of the early Japanese state—the Yamato period, Yamato polity—and played a major role in the spread of Buddhism in Japan. Through the 5th and ...

had over the imperial family. In 644, seeing the Soga continue to gain power, he conspired with

Nakatomi no Kamatari , also known as , was a Japanese politician and aristocrat who, together with Prince Naka no Ōe (later Emperor Tenji), carried out the Taika Reform. He was the founder of the Fujiwara clan, the most powerful aristocratic family in Japan durin ...

and

Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro (died 649) was a member of the Soga clan and first holder of the office of udaijin (Minister of the Right). He was the son of Soga no Kuramaro and grandson of Soga no Umako; his daughter was married to Prince Naka-no-Ōe. After the fall of Sog ...

to assassinate

Soga no Iruka (died July 10, 645) was the son of Soga no Emishi, a statesman in the Asuka Period of Japan. He was assassinated at court in a coup d'état involving Nakatomi no Kamatari and Prince Naka-no-Ōe (see: Isshi Incident), who accused him of tryi ...

in what has come to be known as the

Isshi Incident The was a successful plot by Nakatomi no Kamatari ( Fujiwara no Kamatari), Prince Naka no Ōe and others who conspired to eliminate the main branch of the Soga clan, beginning with the assassination of Soga no Iruka. It takes its name from th ...

. Although the assassination did not go exactly as planned, Iruka was killed, and his father and predecessor,

, committed suicide soon after. Following the Isshi Incident, Iruka's adherents dispersed largely without a fight, and Naka no Ōe was named heir apparent. He also married the daughter of his ally Soga no Kurayamada, thus ensuring that a significant portion of the Soga clan's power was on his side.

Events of Tenji's reign

Naka no Ōe reigned as Emperor Tenji from 661 to 672. * 661: In the , the empress designated her son as her heir; and modern scholars construe this as meaning that this son would have received the succession (''senso'') after her death or abdication. Shortly after, she died, and Emperor Tenji could be said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). * 662: Tenji is said to have compiled the first Japanese legal code known to modern historians. The

, consisting of 22 volumes, was promulgated in the last year of Tenji's reign.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 52. This legal codification is no longer extant, but it is said to have been refined in what is known as the Asuka Kiyomihara ''ritsu-ryō'' of 689; and these are understood to have been a forerunner of the Taihō ''ritsu-ryō'' of 701. * 663: Tenji invaded Korea in an attempt to support a revival of Japan's ally

Paekche Baekje or Paekche (; ) was a Korean kingdom located in southwestern Korea from 18 BCE to 660 CE. It was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea, together with Goguryeo and Silla. While the three kingdoms were in separate existence, Baekje had the h ...

(one of Korea's Three Kingdoms, which had been conquered by the Korean kingdom of

Silla Silla (; Old Korean: wikt:徐羅伐#Old Korean, 徐羅伐, Yale romanization of Korean, Yale: Syerapel, Revised Romanization of Korean, RR: ''Seorabeol''; International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA: ) was a Korean kingdom that existed between ...

in 660) but was seriously defeated at the

Battle of Baekgang The Battle of Baekgang () or Battle of Baekgang-gu, also known as the Battle of Hakusukinoe () in Japan, and as the Battle of Baijiangkou ( zh, c=白江口之战, p=Bāijiāngkǒu Zhīzhàn, t=白江口之戰) in China, was a battle between Baek ...

by the combined forces of

and Tang China. * 668: An account in becomes the first mention of petrochemical oil in Japan. In the , flammable water (possibly

petroleum Petroleum, also known as crude oil or simply oil, is a naturally occurring, yellowish-black liquid chemical mixture found in geological formations, consisting mainly of hydrocarbons. The term ''petroleum'' refers both to naturally occurring un ...

) was presented as an offering to Emperor Tenji from

Echigo Province was an old provinces of Japan, old province in north-central Japan, on the shores of the Sea of Japan. It bordered on Uzen Province, Uzen, Iwashiro Province, Iwashiro, Kōzuke Province, Kōzuke, Shinano Province, Shinano, and Etchū Province, ...

(now known as a part of

Niigata Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture in the Chūbu region of Honshu of Japan. Niigata Prefecture has a population of 2,131,009 (1 July 2023) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, fifth-largest prefecture of Japan by geographic area ...

). This presentation coincided with the emperor's ceremonial confirmation as emperor. He had postponed formalities during the period that the mausoleum of his mother was being constructed; and when the work was finished, he could delay no longer. Up until this time, although he had been ''de facto'' monarch, he had retained the title of Crown Prince.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). * 671: An account in Nihon Shoki becomes the first mention of public announcement of time by rōkoku (a kind of

water clock A water clock, or clepsydra (; ; ), is a timepiece by which time is measured by the regulated flow of liquid into (inflow type) or out from (outflow type) a vessel, and where the amount of liquid can then be measured. Water clocks are some of ...

) in Japan. In 660 also a mention of this kind of clock exists. Tenji was particularly active in improving the military institutions which had been established during the

Taika Reform The were a set of doctrines established by Emperor Kōtoku (孝徳天皇 ''Kōtoku tennō'') in the year 645. They were written shortly after the death of Prince Shōtoku and the defeat of the Soga clan (蘇我氏 ''Soga no uji''), uniting Jap ...

Death of the emperor

Following his death in 672, there ensued a succession dispute between his fourteen children (many by different mothers). In the end, he was succeeded by his son,

Prince Ōtomo A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The fem ...

, also known as Emperor Kōbun, then by Tenji's brother

Prince Ōama was the 40th Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 天武天皇 (40) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. He ascended ...

, also known as Emperor Tenmu. Almost one hundred years after Tenji's death, the throne passed to his grandson

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 ...

. :Post-Meiji chronology :* ''In the 10th year of

Tenji The word Tenji can refer to several things in Japanese, including: * Tenji (点字) is a system of Japanese Braille. * Emperor Tenji (天智天皇 ''Tenji Tennō'') is the name of an emperor of Japan. * Tenji (天治) was a Japanese era after H� ...

'', in the 11th month (671): Emperor Tenji, in the , designated his son as his heir; and modern scholars construe this as meaning that the son would have received the succession (''senso'') after his father's death. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Kōbun is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). If this understanding were valid, then it would follow: ::* ''In the 1st year of Kōbun'' (672): Emperor Kōbun, in the 1st year of his reign (弘文天皇元年), died; and his uncle Ōaomi''-shinnō'' received the succession (''senso'') after the death of his nephew. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Tenmu could be said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). :Pre-Meiji chronology :Prior to the 19th century, Ōtomo was understood to have been a mere interloper, a pretender, an anomaly; and therefore, if that commonly accepted understanding were to have been valid, then it would have followed: :* ''In the 10th year of

'', in the 11th month (671): Emperor Tenji, in the , died; and despite any military confrontations which ensued, the brother of the dead sovereign would have received the succession (''senso''); and after a time, it would have been understood that Emperor Tenmu rightfully acceded to the throne (''sokui''). The actual site of Tenji's

grave A grave is a location where a cadaver, dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is burial, buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of buria ...

is known.

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family, and the keeping of the Privy Seal of Japan, Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century ...

(''Kunaichō'')
天智天皇 (38)
/ref> This emperor is traditionally venerated at a

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects such as home ...

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

shrine A shrine ( "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred space">-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...: ''escri ...

(''misasagi'') at

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 Yamashi ...

. The

designates this location as Tenji's

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

. It is formally named ''Yamashina no misasagi''.

Poetry

The ''

Man'yōshū The is the oldest extant collection of Japanese (poetry in Classical Japanese), compiled sometime after AD 759 during the Nara period. The anthology is one of the most revered of Japan's poetic compilations. The compiler, or the last in ...

'' includes poems attributed to emperors and empresses; and according to

Donald Keene Donald Lawrence Keene (June 18, 1922 – February 24, 2019) was an American-born Japanese scholar, historian, teacher, writer and translator of Japanese literature. Keene was University Professor emeritus and Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japane ...

, evolving ''Man'yōshū'' studies have affected the interpretation of even simple narratives like "The Three Hills." The poem was long considered to be about two male hills in a quarrel over a female hill, but scholars now consider that Kagu and Miminashi might be female hills in love with the same male hill, Unebi. This still-unresolved enigma in poetic form is said to have been composed by Emperor Tenji while he was still Crown Prince during the reign of Empress Saimei: One of his poems was chosen by

Fujiwara no Teika was a Japanese anthologist, calligrapher, literary critic,"The high quality of poetic theory (''karon'') in this age depends chiefly upon the poetic writings of Fujiwara Shunzei and his son Teika. The other theorists of ''tanka'' writing, st ...

as the first in the popular ''

Hyakunin Isshu is a classical Japanese anthology of one hundred Japanese ''waka'' by one hundred poets. ''Hyakunin isshu'' can be translated to "one hundred people, one poem ach; it can also refer to the card game of '' uta-garuta'', which uses a deck compo ...

'' anthology: After his death, his wife, Empress Yamato wrote a song of longing about her husband.

''Kugyo''

The top during Emperor Tenji's reign included: * ''

Daijō-daijin The was the head of the during and after the Nara period and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. It was equivalent to the Chinese , or Grand Preceptor. History Emperor Tenji's favorite son, Prince Ōtomo, was the first to have been acco ...

'': , 671–672.Brown, p. 268. * ''Naishin'' (内臣):

(藤原鎌足) (614–669), 645–669. Prince Ōtomo (Ōtomo''-shinnō'') was the favorite son of Emperor Tenji; and he was also the first to be accorded the title of ''Daijō-daijin.''

Non''-nengō'' period

The years of Tenji's reign are not linked by scholars to any era or ''nengō''. The Taika era innovation of naming time periods – ''nengō'' – languished until Mommu reasserted an imperial right by proclaiming the commencement of Taihō in 701 (aside from the momentary proclamation of the Shuchō era under Emperor Tenmu in 686). * See Japanese era name – ''"Non-nengo periods"'' * See Tenji period (661). In this context, Brown and Ishida's translation of ''Gukanshō'' offers an explanation about the years of Empress Jitō's reign which muddies a sense of easy clarity in the pre-Taiho time-frame: ::"The eras that fell in this reign were: (1) the remaining seven years of Shuchō 686+7=692?) and (2) Taika, which was four years long 95–698 (The first year of this era was ''kinoto-hitsuji'' 95) ... In the third year of the Taka era 97 Empress Jitō yielded the throne to the Crown Prince."Brown, p. 270.

Consorts and children

Empress:

Yamato Hime no Ōkimi Yamato Hime no Ōkimi (倭姫王) was a poet and Empress of Japan, as the wife of her paternal uncle Emperor Tenji. She was a granddaughter of Emperor Jomei (舒明天皇) and Soga no Hote-no-iratsume (蘇我法提郎女), through their son Prince ...

(倭姫王), Prince Furuhito-no-Ōe's daughter (son of

). ''Hin'': Soga no Ochi-no-iratsume (蘇我遠智娘, d. ), Soga no Kura-no-yamada no Ishikawa-no-maro's daughter *First Daughter:

Princess Ōta (644?–668?) was royalty in Japan during the Asuka Period. She was the eldest daughter of Emperor Tenji , known first as and later as until his accession, was the 38th emperor of Japan who reigned from 668 to 671. He was the son of Em ...

(大田皇女), married to

Emperor Tenmu was the 40th Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 天武天皇 (40) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. He ascended ...

*Second Daughter: Princess Uno-no-sarara (鸕野讃良皇女) later

*Second Son: (建皇子, 651–658) ''Hin'': Soga no Mei-no-iratsume (蘇我姪娘), Soga no Kura-no-yamada no Ishikawa-no-maro's daughter *Third Daughter:

Princess Minabe (? – ?) was a member of the royal family in Japan during the Asuka period. She was a daughter of Emperor Tenji , known first as and later as until his accession, was the 38th emperor of Japan who reigned from 668 to 671. He was the son o ...

(御名部皇女), married to

Prince Takechi was a member of the royal family in Japan during the Asuka period. He was the eldest son of Emperor Tenmu. He fought on the side of his father in the Jinshin War (672), a battle of succession, which resulted in his father becoming Emperor. At t ...

*Fourth Daughter: Princess Abe/Ahe (阿閇皇女) later

, married to

Prince Kusakabe was a Japanese imperial crown prince from 681 until his death. He was the second son of Emperor Tenmu. His mother was the empress Unonosarara, today known as Empress Jitō. Kusakabe was the sole child of his mother. According to ''Nihon Shok ...

''Hin'': Soga no Hitachi-no-iratsume (蘇我常陸娘), Soga no Akae's daughter * Princess Yamabe (山辺皇女), married to

Prince Ōtsu was a Japanese poet and the son of Emperor Tenmu. Viewed as the emperor's likely heir, Imperial Prince Ōtsu began attending to matters of state in 683, but was demoted in 685 when the court rank system was revised. Soon after Emperor Tenmu ...

''Hin'': Abe no Tachibana-no-iratsume (阿部橘娘, d. 681), Abe no Kurahashi-maro's daughter * Princess Asuka (明日香皇女), married to

Prince Osakabe Prince Osakabe (刑部(忍壁)親王, ''Osakabe Shinnō'') (died June 2, 705) was a Japanese imperial prince who helped write the Taihō Code (681 A.D.), alongside Fujiwara no Fuhito. The Code was essentially an administrative reorganization, whi ...

* Princess Niitabe (新田部皇女), married to

10th son:

, later

Court lady: Koshi-no-michi no Iratsume (越道伊羅都売) *Seventh Son:

Prince Shiki Prince Shiki (志貴皇子, ''Shiki-no-miko'', died 1 September 716), posthumously known as Emperor Kasuga (春日宮天皇), was a member of the royal family in Japan during the Asuka period. He was the seventh son of Emperor Tenji. ...

(施基皇子/志貴皇子, d. 716), Father of

Court lady (''Uneme''): Yakako-no-iratsume, a lower court lady from Iga (伊賀采女宅子娘) (''Iga no Uneme'') *First Son: Prince Ōtomo (大友皇子) later

* Prince Abe (阿閇皇子, b.648) * Princess Aga (阿雅皇女, 648–709) Court lady: Oshinumi no Shikibuko-no-iratsume (忍海色夫古娘), Oshinumi Zokuryu's daughter *Third Son: Prince Kawashima (川島皇子, 657–691) *

Princess Ōe (died 699) was a Japanese princess who lived during the Asuka period. She was a daughter of Emperor Tenji. Her mother was Lady Shikobuko (色夫古娘), daughter of Oshiumi no Miyakko Otatsu (忍海造小竜). Ōe's siblings included Prince Kaw ...

(大江皇女), married to

Princess Izumi was a person in Japan during the Asuka period and the Nara period. She was a daughter of Emperor Tenji and Lady Shikobuko, whose father was Oshimi no Miyakko Otatsu. She had an elder brother, Prince Kawashima, and an elder sister, Princess Ōe. A ...

(泉皇女),

Saiō or was the title of the unmarried female members of the Imperial House of Japan, Japanese Imperial Family, sent to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century to the 14th century. The 's residence, , was about north-west of the shrine ...

Ise Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the solar goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami and the grain goddess Toyouke-hime (Toyouke Omikami). Also known simply as , Ise Shrine is a shrine complex composed of many Shi ...

(701–706) Court lady: Kurikuma no Kurohime-no-iratsume (栗隈黒媛娘), Kurikuma Tokuman's daughter * Princess Minushi (水主皇女)

Mausoleum

is a

Kofun are megalithic tombs or tumulus, tumuli in Northeast Asia. ''Kofun'' were mainly constructed in the Japanese archipelago between the middle of the 3rd century to the early 7th century AD.岡田裕之「前方後円墳」『日本古代史大辞 ...

in that is the traditional burial site of Emperor Tenji. Specifically, it is an . The

has limited access by the public out of respect for Emperor Tenji who they claim is buried there.

Popular culture

* Portrayed by Ahn Hong-jin in the 2012–2013

KBS1 KBS 1TV is a South Korean free-to-air television channel that launched on 31 December 1961 and is owned by Korean Broadcasting System. The channel offers more serious programming than its sister channel KBS2, and airs with no commercials. Hi ...

TV series ''

Dream of the Emperor ''Dream of the Emperor'' () is a South Korean television series that aired on KBS1 from September 8, 2012 to June 9, 2013 on Saturdays and Sundays at 21:40 for 70 episodes. Plot Kim Chun-chu is the grandson of King Jinji, but when his grandfa ...

''.

Notes

References

* Asakawa, Kan'ichi. (1903)
''The Early Institutional Life of Japan''.
Tokyo:

Shueisha is a Japanese publishing company headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. Shueisha is the largest publishing company in Japan. It was established in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The ...

.
''see'' online, multi-formatted, full-text book at openlibrary.org
* Aston, William George. (1896)
''Nihongi: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to A.D. 697''.
London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner. * Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979)
''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past''.
Berkeley: University of California Press. ; * MacCauley, Clay. (1900). "'' Hyakunin-Isshu'': Single Songs of a Hundred Poets" in ''Transactions of the Asia Society of Japan''. Tokyo: Asia Society of Japan
...Click link for digitized, full-text copy of this book (in English)
* Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai (1969). ''The Manyoshu: The Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai Translation of One Thousand Poems''. New York:

Columbia University Press Columbia University Press is a university press based in New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's la ...

. * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan''.
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society. * * Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''

Nihon Ōdai Ichiran , ', is a 17th-century chronicle of the serial reigns of Japanese emperors with brief notes about some of the noteworthy events or other happenings. According to the 1871 edition of the ''American Cyclopaedia'', the 1834 French translation of ...

''; 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. ; {{DEFAULTSORT:Tenji Emperors of Japan 626 births 672 deaths People of the Asuka period 7th-century Japanese monarchs Man'yō poets Hyakunin Isshu poets Sons of Japanese emperors Sons of empresses regnant 7th-century Japanese poets