Emperor Ankan安閑天皇

Emperor Magari no Ōe no Hirokuni Oshitake Kanahi (廣國押武金日天皇) was the eldest son of Emperor Ōdo. His mother was called Menokohime.

This emperor was a man whose wall and roof stood high, so that none could peer within. He was strong and broad and great, and he had the measure of a lord of men.

In the twenty-fifth year, in spring, the second month, the first day being a sinchuk day, on the jeongmi day, Emperor Ōdo set up Ōe as emperor. On that same day Emperor Ōdo died.

In that month Ōtomo no Kanamura no Ōmuraji was made ōmuraji, and Mononobe no Arakahi no Ōmuraji was made ōmuraji. Both were as before.

In the first year, in spring, the first month, the capital was moved to Magari no Kanahashi in the land of Yamato. From this the palace took its name.

In the third month, the first day being a gyemi day, on the muja day, the offices in charge sent the betrothal gifts for the emperor and brought in Princess Kasuga no Yamada, the daughter of Emperor Oke, as empress.

Apart from her three consorts were set up. They were Satehime, the daughter of Kose no Ohito no Ōomi, and Kakarihime, the younger sister of Satehime, and Yakahime, the daughter of Mononobe no Itabi no Ōmuraji.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a gyechuk day, Kashiwade no Omi Ōmaro, the chief of the emperor's table, received the emperor's command and sent men to Ijimi to seek pearls.

The kuni no miyatsuko of Ijimi and the rest were slow in coming up to the capital, and though the time went by they did not come. Kashiwade no Omi Ōmaro was greatly angered, and he seized the kuni no miyatsuko and the rest and bound them, and pressed them with questions for the reason.

Wakugo no Atai and the others were afraid, and they fled and hid in the sleeping chamber within the back palace. Empress Kasuga did not know of it and went straight in, and she was startled and fell. Her shame knew no end.

Wakugo no Atai and the rest were charged besides with the crime of breaking in where they should not, and their punishment was to be heavy. Humbly, and wholly for the empress's sake, they offered the miyake of Ijimi and asked to redeem the crime of breaking in. Because of this the miyake of Ijimi was fixed. It is now divided into a district and belongs to the land of Kazusa.

In the fifth month Baekje sent Jeokdeokson (嫡徳孫) of the sudeok (脩徳) rank of the Lower Division, and Gijugiru (己州己婁) of the dodeok (都徳) rank of the Upper Division, and they came and brought the tribute they always brought. Apart from this they sent up a memorial.

In autumn, the seventh month, the first day being a sinsa day, a command was given. "Though the empress is one body with the Son of Heaven, the names within and without stand far apart. Land for a miyake after her death may also serve, as trees are set in the court of the palace, to leave a trace for the ages after."

Then a messenger of the emperor was sent out to choose good fields. The messenger received the command and made it known to Ōshikōchi no Atai Ajihari. "Now you shall offer up the rich field of Meji."

Ajihari all at once grudged it, and he deceived the messenger. "This field, when the sky is dry, is hard to water, and when the long rains come it is soon flooded. The labour spent on it is very great and the harvest very small."

The messenger reported the words as they were spoken and hid nothing.

In winter, the tenth month, the first day being a gyeongsul day, on the gapja day, the emperor commanded Ōtomo no Ōmuraji Kanamura. "I have taken in four wives, and to this day there is no heir. After ten thousand years my name will be cut off. Uncle Ōtomo, what plan will you make now? Whenever I think of this, how shall my care ever cease?"

Ōtomo no Ōmuraji Kanamura said, "This is what your servant grieves over as well. Now he who is king over all under heaven in our land, whether he has an heir or has none, must take some thing and make of it a name. I ask that for the empress and for the consorts after her lands for miyake be set up, to be left to the ages after and to show forth the traces of those gone before."

The command was given. "It is well. Let them be placed early."

Ōtomo no Ōmuraji Kanamura said, "Let the miyake of Oharida, with the tabe of every land, be given to Satehime. Let the miyake of Sakurai, with the tabe of every land, be given to Kakarihime. Let the miyake of Naniwa, with the kuwachi of every district, be given to Yakahime. So it will be shown to those who come after, and be looked upon as a bright trace."

The command was given. "Do as you have said."

In the intercalary twelfth month, the first day being a gimyo day, on the imo day, the emperor went in progress to Mishima. Ōtomo no Ōmuraji Kanamura went with him.

The emperor had Ōtomo no Ōmuraji ask Agatanushi Ihibo about good fields. Agatanushi Ihibo was glad beyond measure, and he was reverent and gave all his heart. He then offered up Kamitsumino and Shimotsumino and Kamitsukuwahara and Shimotsukuwahara, together with the land of Takefu, forty chō in all.

Ōtomo no Ōmuraji received the emperor's command and made it known.

"In all the land there is no place that is not the king's fief, and under the wide heaven there is no place that is not the king's domain. Therefore the emperors before set up an illustrious name and handed down a great name. Their breadth and greatness matched heaven and earth, and their brightness was after the likeness of the sun and the moon. They drove far and soothed afar, reaching out beyond the capital, and they made their borders clear as a mirror and filled them to where there is no end. Above they covered the nine heavens, and to the side they crossed the eight quarters. They made rites to tell of works accomplished, and they made music to show that the rule was settled. Blessings came indeed, and good omens and happy things were laid up together in the years gone by.

Now you, Ajihari, a dim and lowly one of the people of all this land, have all at once grudged the king's land and lightly turned your back on the messenger's word. From this time on Ajihari shall have no part in the office of the district."

At this Agatanushi Ihibo had joy and fear together in his heart, and he sent his son Toriki to the ōmuraji to be a page.

Then Ōshikōchi no Atai Ajihari was afraid and repented for ever, and he lay upon the ground with the sweat running, and he said to the ōmuraji:

"A foolish one of the people, my crime is worth ten thousand deaths. I bow and pray that from every district kuwachi be offered to the emperor, five hundred men in spring and five hundred men in autumn, and that my children and my children's children be not cut off. On this I lean and beg for my life, and I will make of it a mirror and a warning for ever."

Apart from this he gave six chō of field at Saita to Ōtomo no Ōmuraji as a bribe.

It seems that the miyake of Takefu in Mishima took the bound folk of the district of Kawachi for the root of its tabe, and that this arose here.

In that month Hatahime, the daughter of Iokibe no Muraji Kiu, stole the necklace of gems of Mononobe no Ōmuraji Okoshi and offered it to Empress Kasuga. When the matter came to light, Kiu offered his daughter Hatahime as an uneme, and with her he offered the Iokibe no Yokura of Kabe in the land of Aki, to redeem his daughter's crime.

Mononobe no Ōmuraji Okoshi feared that the matter might be laid to himself, and he could not be at ease. So he offered the Tochibe, and Kusasa and Toi in the land of Ise, and the Nie no Hajibe, and the Isayamabe in the land of Tsukushi.

Kasahara no Atai Omi, the kuni no miyatsuko of Musashi, strove with Oki of his own kindred over the seat of kuni no miyatsuko, and though the years went by it was hard to settle.

Oki was hemmed in by nature and had rebellion in him, and his heart was high and without obedience. Secretly he went to Kamitsukeno no Kimi Oguma and asked for help, and he plotted to kill Omi.

Omi perceived this and fled away, and he came to the capital and told the court how the matter stood. When judgment was given, Omi was made kuni no miyatsuko and Oki was put to death.

Omi the kuni no miyatsuko had fear and joy together in his heart and could not keep silent. Humbly, for the sake of the land, he set up four miyake, at Yokonu and Tachibana no Hana and Ohi and Kurasu.

In this year the year sign was gabin.

In the second year, in spring, the first month, the first day being a musin day, on the imja day, a command was given. "Of late the grain has ripened year after year, and on the borders there is no alarm. The multitude of the people delight in ploughing and sowing, and the black-haired folk are spared from hunger. A wind of goodness runs through the world, and a fair sound fills heaven and earth. Within and without all is clear and open, and the land is rich and full. I am greatly glad of it. Let there be a great feasting for five days, to be the joy of all under heaven."

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a jeongchuk day, the Magari no Toneribe and the Magari no Yugeibe were established.

In the fifth month, the first day being a byeongo day, on the gabin day, these were established: the miyake of Honami and the miyake of Kama in Tsukushi; the miyake of Misaki and the miyake of Kuwahara and the miyake of Kanto and the miyake of Ōnuki and the miyake of Aka in the land of Toyo; the miyake of Kasugabe in the land of Hi; the miyake of Koshibe and the miyake of Ushika in the land of Harima; the miyake of Shitsuki and the miyake of Tane and the miyake of Kukutsu and the miyake of Hawaka and the miyake of Kawato in the land of Bingo; the miyake of Ikue and the miyake of Itoshibe in the land of Ana; the miyake of Kasugabe in the land of Awa; the miyake of Fuse and the miyake of Kawanobe in the land of Ki; the miyake of Soshiki in the land of Taniwa; the miyake of Ashiura in the land of Ōmi; the miyake of Mashiki and the miyake of Iruka in the land of Owari; the miyake of Midono in the land of Kamitsukeno; and the miyake of Wakanie in the land of Suruga.

In autumn, the eighth month, the first day being an eulhae day, a command was given, and the Inukaibe were established in land after land.

In the ninth month, the first day being a gapjin day, on the byeongo day, a command was given to Sakurai no Tabe no Muraji and Agata no Inukai no Muraji and Naniwa no Kishi and the rest, that they should have charge of the taxes of the miyake.

On the byeongjin day a separate command was given to the ōmuraji. "Let cattle be turned loose on Ōsumi Island in Naniwa and in the pine wood of Himeshima. It is my wish that a name be handed down to the ages after."

In winter, the twelfth month, the first day being a gyeyu day, on the gichuk day, the emperor died in the palace of Magari no Kanahashi. He was then seventy years old.

In that month the emperor was buried in the tomb of Takaya no Oka at Furuichi in Kawachi. The empress, Princess Kasuga no Yamada, and the emperor's younger sister, Princess Kamusaki, were buried with him in this tomb.