Emperor Richu履中天皇

Emperor Izahowake (去來穗別天皇) was the crown prince of Emperor Osazaki. His mother was called Iwanohime no Mikoto, the daughter of Kazuraki no Sotsuhiko.

In the thirty-first year of Emperor Osazaki, in spring, the first month, he was set up as crown prince. In the eighty-seventh year, in spring, the first month, Emperor Osazaki died.

The crown prince came out from the hut of mourning, and before he had yet taken the throne he wished to make Kurohime, the daughter of Hata no Yashiro no Sukune, his consort. The sending of the betrothal gifts was already finished, and he sent Suminoe no Nakatsumiko to announce the good day.

Then Nakatsumiko took the crown prince's name as his own and lay with Kurohime. That night Nakatsumiko forgot his wrist bell at Kurohime's house and went home.

The next night the crown prince came, not knowing that Nakatsumiko had been there. He entered the chamber, opened the curtain, and sat on the couch. Then a bell sounded at the head of the couch. The crown prince thought it strange and asked Kurohime, "What bell is that?"

She answered, "Is it not the bell the crown prince wore last night? Why do you ask me again?"

The crown prince knew of himself that Nakatsumiko had taken his name and lain with Kurohime. He said nothing and withdrew.

Then Nakatsumiko feared that the matter would come out, and he meant to kill the crown prince. He secretly raised soldiers and surrounded the crown prince's palace.

Then three men, Heguri no Tsuku no Sukune, Mononobe no Omae no Sukune, and Achi no Omi, the ancestor of the Aya no Atai, told this to the crown prince. The crown prince did not believe them. So the three men held him up, set him on a horse, and made him flee.

Nakatsumiko did not know that the crown prince was gone, and he burned the crown prince's palace.

The fire did not go out all night long. The crown prince came to the slope of Haniu in the land of Kawachi and awoke. He looked back toward Naniwa and saw the light of the fire. He was greatly startled and rode hard at once. From Osaka he made for Yamato.

He came to Mount Asuka, and at the mouth of the mountain he met a young girl and asked her, "Are there men in this mountain?"

She answered, "Men holding weapons fill the mountain. You should go around and cross by the Tagima road."

The crown prince thought that by listening to the girl's word he had escaped harm, and he sang:

"Ohosakani Afuyaotomeo Michitoheba Tadaniwanorazu Tagimachionoru (於朋佐箇珥。阿布夜烏等謎烏。瀰知度沛麼。■駄珥破能邏孺。■■摩知烏能流)"

— This sets down sounds only, and is not turned into meaning.

He turned back at once, called out the soldiers of that district to follow him, and crossed by Mount Tatsuta.

Then there were some tens of men holding weapons who came after him. The crown prince looked at them from afar and said, "Who are those who come there? Why do they walk so fast? Are they robbers?"

So he hid in the mountain and waited. When they came near he sent one man to ask, "What men are you, and where do you go?"

They answered, "We are fishermen of Noshima in Awaji. Azumi no Muraji Hamako has sent us after the crown prince for Nakatsumiko."

Then he brought out the soldiers lying hidden, surrounded them, and took them all.

At this time Yamato no Atai Agoko had long been close to Nakatsumiko. He knew of the plot beforehand, and he secretly gathered several hundred picked soldiers in the chestnut grove at Kashiwade, meaning to bar the crown prince's way for Nakatsumiko.

Then the crown prince, not knowing that soldiers barred the way, came out of the mountain and went some li. The soldiers barred the way in numbers, and he could not go on. So he sent a messenger to ask, "Who are you?"

The answer was, "Yamato no Atai Agoko."

He turned back and asked the messenger, "Whose errand do you go on?"

He said, "I am the crown prince's messenger."

Then Agoko feared that his soldiers were there in such numbers, and he said to the messenger, "I heard it told that something out of the common had befallen the crown prince, and so I made my soldiers ready and waited here to help him."

But the crown prince doubted his heart and meant to kill him. Then Agoko was afraid, and he offered his own sister Hinohime and begged that the crime worthy of death be forgiven. So he was pardoned. That the Yamato no Atai offer uneme began, it seems, at this time.

The crown prince then stayed at the Furu shrine at Isonokami.

Then Prince Mizuhawake learned that the crown prince was gone, and he sought him and came after him. But the crown prince doubted the heart of his younger brother and did not call him in.

Then Prince Mizuhawake asked to be seen and said, "I have no black heart. I grieved only that the crown prince was gone, and so I have come."

Then the crown prince sent word to his younger brother: "I feared the revolt of Nakatsumiko and fled here alone. How should I not doubt you also? That Nakatsumiko is alive is by itself a sickness to me. I mean to make an end of him. Therefore, if you truly have no black heart, go back to Naniwa and kill Nakatsumiko. After that I will see you."

Prince Mizuhawake said to the crown prince, "Why does the great one grieve so deeply? Now Nakatsumiko is without the Way, and the ministers and the people alike hate him and hold it against him. His own followers have all turned against him and become robbers. He is alone, and there is no one to take counsel with him. Though I knew of his revolt, I had not yet received the crown prince's command, and so I burned with anger alone. Now that I have received the command, how should it be hard to kill Nakatsumiko? One thing only I fear: that after Nakatsumiko is killed you will still doubt me. I beg that a man loyal and upright be found,

to make clear that I do not deceive you."

The crown prince then sent Tsuku no Sukune with him.

Then Prince Mizuhawake sighed and said, "Now the crown prince and Nakatsumiko are both my elder brothers. Whom shall I follow, and whom shall I turn from? Yet I destroy the one who is without the Way and go to the one who has the Way. Who then will doubt me?"

He went to Naniwa and watched for word of Nakatsumiko. Nakatsumiko thought the crown prince had already fled, and he kept no guard.

There was a Hayato in his close service named Sashihire. Prince Mizuhawake secretly called Sashihire and tempted him: "Kill the prince for me, and I will surely reward you well." Then he took off his brocade coat and trousers and gave them to him.

Sashihire trusted the tempting words. He took a spear alone, watched for Nakatsumiko to go into the privy, and stabbed him to death. Then he became Prince Mizuhawake's man.

Then Tsuku no Sukune said to Prince Mizuhawake, "Sashihire killed his own lord for another man. Though he has done us great service, he was utterly without love for his own lord. How should he be let live?"

So Sashihire was killed.

That same day he set out for Yamato. At midnight he reached Isonokami and reported that the command was done. Then the crown prince called his younger brother in, loved him well, and gave him the granary of Muraawase.

On this day Azumi no Muraji Hamako was taken.

In the first year, in spring, the second month, on the first day, an imo day, the crown prince ascended the throne at the Wakasakura palace in Iware.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a sinsa day, on the jeongyu day, Azumi no Muraji Hamako was called, and an edict was given him: "You plotted revolt together with Nakatsumiko and would have overturned the land. Your crime deserves death. But great mercy is shown you. You are spared death, and the punishment of the tattooing needle is set upon you."

That same day he was tattooed on the eye. For this reason the men of that time called it the Azumi eye.

The fishermen of Noshima who had followed Hamako were also pardoned, and they were set to work at the Komoshiro granary in Yamato.

In autumn, the seventh month, the first day being a giyu day, on the imja day, Kurohime, the daughter of Ashita no Sukune, was set up as imperial consort. The consort bore Prince Iwasaka no Ichinobe no Oshiha, Prince Mima, and Princess Aomi.

The next consort, Princess Hatabi, bore Princess Nakashi.

In this year the year sign was gyeongja.

In the second year, in spring, the first month, the first day being a byeongo day, on the giyu day, Prince Mizuhawake was set up as heir to the throne.

In winter, the tenth month, the capital was set at Iware.

At this time Heguri no Tsuku no Sukune, Soga no Machi no Sukune, Mononobe no Ikofutsu no Omuraji, and Tsubura no Oomi together held the affairs of the land.

In the eleventh month the Iware pond was made.

In the third year, in winter, the eleventh month, the first day being a byeongin day, on the sinmi day, the emperor set a two-forked boat afloat on the Ichishi pond at Iware. He and his consort went aboard separately and feasted for pleasure.

Kashiwade no Omi Areshi offered wine. Then a cherry blossom fell into the emperor's cup. The emperor thought it strange and called Mononobe no Nagamai no Muraji and gave an edict: "This flower has come out of its season. From what place is this flower? Go yourself and seek it out."

Then Nagamai no Muraji sought the flower alone. He found it on Mount Muro at Wakigami and offered it up. The emperor was glad at its rareness and made it the name of the palace. This is why it is called the Wakasakura palace at Iware.

On this day the old family name of Nagamai no Muraji was changed to Wakasakurabe no Miyatsuko, and Kashiwade no Omi Areshi was named Wakasakurabe no Omi.

In the fourth year, in autumn, the eighth month, the first day being a sinmyo day, on the musul day, recorders called kuni no fumibito (國史) were first set in the several lands, to write down words and deeds and to carry the mind of the four quarters.

In winter, the tenth month, the channel at Isonokami was dug.

In the fifth year, in spring, the third month, on the first day, a muo day, the three gods who dwell in Tsukushi appeared in the palace and said, "Why do you take away my people? I will now put you to shame."

Then prayer was made to them, but no offering was given.

In autumn, the ninth month, the first day being an eulyu day, on the imin day, the emperor hunted on the island of Awaji. On this day the umakaibe of Kawachi followed the carriage and held the reins. Before this the tattoos of the umakaibe had not all healed.

Then the god Izanagi who dwells on the island came upon the man who says the prayers and spoke: "I cannot bear the smell of blood."

So they divined upon it, and the sign said, "He hates the smell of the tattoos of the umakaibe." Therefore from this time on it was cut off at once. The umakaibe were no longer tattooed, and it ceased.

On a gyemyo day there was a sound like wind, and it called out of the great void, "O crown prince and king of the sword and the great sword!" It called again and said, "Your sister of Hata, where the birds come and go, goes to be buried at Hasa." It said again, "Sanakita no Komotsu no Mikoto goes to be buried at Hasa."

Presently a messenger came in haste and said, "The imperial consort has died."

The emperor was greatly startled. He called for the carriage at once and returned.

On a byeongo day he arrived from Awaji.

In winter, the tenth month, the first day being a gabin day, on the gapja day, the imperial consort was buried.

Presently the emperor repented that he had not dealt with the curse of the gods and had lost the imperial consort, and he sought out the fault again.

Someone said, "Kurumamochi no Kimi went to the land of Tsukushi. He took a full count of all the Kurumamochibe, and he took away even what had been offered to the gods. This must surely be the crime."

The emperor called Kurumamochi no Kimi and questioned him closely, and the matter was already proved true. Then he reproached him: "Though you are called Kurumamochi no Kimi, you took a count of the people of the Son of Heaven without leave. That is the first crime. You seized even the Kurumamochibe that had been set apart for the gods. That is the second crime."

Then the bad purification and the good purification were laid upon him, and he was sent out to Nagasuzaki to be washed and cleansed at the water's edge.

Presently an edict was given: "From this time on you may not have charge of the Kurumamochibe of Tsukushi." So they were all taken back, divided again, and offered to the three gods.

In the sixth year, in spring, the first month, the first day being a gyemi day, on the muja day, Princess Kusaka no Hatabi was set up as empress.

On a sinhae day the office of the storehouse was first set up. Thereupon the Kurabe were appointed.

In the second month, on the first day, a gyechuk day, Futohime no Iratsume and Takatsuru no Iratsume, the daughters of Prince Funashi no Isowake, were called and brought into the inner palace, and both were made concubines.

Then the two concubines were always sighing and saying, "Alas! Where has our elder brother the prince gone?"

The emperor heard their sighing and asked, "Why do you sigh?"

They answered, "Our elder brother Prince Washizumi is a man of great strength, light and quick. By this he leaps alone over a house of eight fathoms and goes about. Many days have passed now, and we have not seen his face or spoken with him. Therefore we only sigh."

The emperor was glad at his strength and called him, but he did not come. Again men were sent to call him, but still he did not come, and he stayed always in the village of Suminoe. From this time on the emperor gave it up and sought him no more.

He is the first ancestor of two houses, the Sanuki no Kuni no Miyatsuko and the Ashikuiwake of Awa.

In the third month, the first day being an imo day, on the byeongsin day, the emperor's body was not well and the water and the soil did not agree with him, and he died at the Wakasakura palace.

In winter, the tenth month, the first day being a giyu day, on the imja day, he was buried in the Mozumimihara tomb.