Emperor Bidatsu敏達天皇

Emperor Nunakura no Futotamashiki (渟中倉太珠敷天皇) was the second son of Emperor Amekuni Oshiharaki Hironiwa. His mother was called Empress Ishihime.

The emperor did not believe in the Buddhist law, and he loved letters and history. In the twenty-ninth year he was set up as crown prince. In the thirty-second year, in the fourth month, Emperor Amekuni Oshiharaki Hironiwa died.

In the first year, in summer, the fourth month, the first day being an imsin day, on the gapsul day, the crown prince ascended the throne of emperor. The empress was honored and called empress dowager.

In this month the palace was set at Kudara no Ōi (百濟大井). Mononobe no Yuge no Moriya no Ōmuraji was made ōmuraji, as before. Soga no Umako no Sukune was made great minister.

In the fifth month, the first day being an imin day, the emperor asked the prince and the great minister. "Where are the envoys of Goryeo now?"

The great minister answered and said. "They are at the guest house of Sagaraka."

When the emperor heard this, his heart was pained beyond measure. He grieved and sighed. "How sad. The names of these envoys were already made known to the former emperor."

Then he sent the many officers to the guest house of Sagaraka to look over and set down the tribute goods they had brought, and to have them sent to the capital.

On the byeongjin day the emperor took the memorial of Goryeo and gave it to the great minister. He called together the many scribes and had them read it and unravel it. At that time the many scribes could not read it within three days.

Then there was Wang Jini (王辰爾), the forebear of the Fune no Fubito, and he was able to read it and set forth its meaning.

Because of this the emperor and the great minister praised him together and said. "How diligent, Jini. How fine, Jini. If you had not loved learning, who could have read it and unraveled it? From this day you shall serve near us within the hall."

Then he issued a decree to the many scribes of the east and the west. "The work you have learned, why has it come to nothing? Though you are many, you do not reach Jini."

Also the memorial that Goryeo sent up was written on crow feathers, and the letters followed the black of the feathers, so that there was no one who could make them out. Jini then steamed the feathers in the steam of cooking rice and pressed the feathers with silk, and he copied out all the letters. The whole court held this to be wondrous.

In the sixth month the great envoy of Goryeo said to the assistant envoys. "In the time of Emperor Shikishima you went against what I had settled. You were deceived by others, and you divided the tribute of the country at will and gave it to men of low place. Is this not your fault? If the king of our country hears of it, he will surely put you to death."

The assistant envoys said to one another. "If the great envoy sets forth our fault when we reach our country, this is an ill thing. Let us kill him in secret and stop his mouth."

That evening the plot leaked out. The great envoy knew of it, and he put on his robe and belt and went out alone in secret. He stood in the middle court of the guest house and did not know what to plan.

Then there was one robber who came out with a staff, struck the great envoy on the head and drew back. Next there was one robber who went straight at the great envoy, struck his head and his hands and drew back. Still the great envoy stood silent on the ground and wiped the blood from his face. Again there was one robber who took a sword, came in haste, stabbed the great envoy in the belly and drew back.

At this the great envoy was afraid, and he lay on the ground and bowed. Behind him there was one robber who killed him at last and went away.

The next morning Yamato no Aya no Sakanoue no Atai Komaro and his men, who had charge of the guests, pressed them with questions on the cause. The assistant envoys then made up a lie and said. "The emperor gave a wife to the great envoy, and the great envoy went against the command and did not receive her. His want of manners was great indeed. For this reason your servants killed him for the emperor's sake."

The office in charge gathered up the body and buried it with rites.

In autumn, the seventh month, the envoys of Goryeo went home. In this year the year sign was imjin.

In the second year, in summer, the fifth month, the first day being a byeongin day, on the mujin day, the envoys of Goryeo came to the shore of the sea of Koshi. Their ship was broken, and many were drowned.

The court held it in doubt that they lost their way so often, and it did not feast them but let them go back. Then it commanded Kibi no Amabe no Atai Naniwa to send the envoys of Goryeo on their way.

In autumn, the seventh month, the first day being an eulchuk day, on the shore of the sea of Koshi, Naniwa and the envoys of Goryeo took counsel together. Ōshima no Obito Iwahi and Saoka no Obito Masa, the shipmen of Naniwa the escorting envoy, were made to board the ship of the envoys of Goryeo, and two men of Goryeo were made to board the ship of the escorting envoy. In this way they boarded each other's ships to guard against evil intent.

They set out together, and when they had gone some few li, Naniwa the escorting envoy grew afraid of the waves, and he took the two men of Goryeo and threw them into the sea.

In the eighth month, the first day being a gabo day, on the jeongmi day, Naniwa the escorting envoy came back and reported. "In the sea there were great whales that blocked and bit the ship and the oars and the poles. Naniwa and his men feared that the fish would swallow the ship, and they could not go out upon the sea."

The emperor heard this and knew it for a lying word. He set him to labor in the offices and did not let him go back to his land.

In the third year, in summer, the fifth month, the first day being a gyeongsin day, on the gapja day, the envoys of Goryeo came to the shore of the sea of Koshi.

In autumn, the seventh month, the first day being a gimi day, on the muin day, the envoys of Goryeo came into the capital and said.

"Last year your servants went back to our country, following the escorting envoy. Your servants came first to the servant's land. The servant's land met Ōshima no Obito Iwahi and his men with the rites fitting for envoys. The king of Goryeo besides this met them with heavy courtesy.

"Yet the ship of the escorting envoy has not come to this day. Therefore we have sent envoys again with all respect, together with Iwahi and his men, and we ask why the envoys of the servant's land did not come."

When the emperor heard, he counted the crimes of Naniwa and said. "That he deceived the court is one. That he drowned the envoys of a neighboring country is two." He held that for such great crimes it was not fitting to let him go, and he cut him off for his crime.

In winter, the tenth month, the first day being a muja day, on the byeongsin day, Soga no Umako no Ōomi was sent to the land of Kibi, and he enlarged the miyake of Shirai and the tabe. Then the roll of the names of the tabe was given to Shirai no Fubito Itsu.

On the museul day he issued a decree. "Let Ushi, the younger brother of Wang Jini of the Fune no Fubito, be given a surname and be called Tsu no Fubito."

In the eleventh month Silla sent an envoy and presented tribute.

In the fourth year, in spring, the first month, the first day being a byeongjin day, on the gapja day, Hirohime, the daughter of Prince Okinaga no Mate, was set up as empress. She bore one son and two daughters. The first was Prince Oshisaka no Hikohito no Ōe. The second was Princess Sakanobori. The third was Princess Uji no Shitsukai.

In this month one consort was set up. She was the daughter of Kasuga no Omi Nakatsukimi and was called the consort Ominago. She bore three sons and one daughter. The first was Prince Naniwa. The second was Prince Kasuga. The third was Princess Kuwata. The fourth was Prince Ōmata.

Next, the uneme who was the daughter of Ise no Ōka no Obito Oguma was called the consort Unako. She bore Princess Ōhime and Princess Nukadehime.

In the second month, the first day being an imjin day, Umako no Sukune no Ōomi came back to the capital and reported on the matter of the miyake.

On the eulchuk day Baekje sent an envoy and presented tribute. It was more than in the years before. Because Silla had not yet set up Imna, the emperor issued a decree to the prince and the great minister. "Do not be slack in the matter of Imna."

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being an eulyu day, on the gyeongin day, Kishi no Kaneko was sent as envoy to Silla, Kishi no Itabi as envoy to Imna, and Kishi no Osahiko as envoy to Baekje.

In the sixth month Silla sent an envoy and presented much tribute, more than the usual measure. With it they presented the tribute of the four villages of Dadara (多多羅), Sunara (須奈羅), Hwata (和陀) and Balgwi (發鬼).

In this year the diviners were commanded to divine the ground of the house of Prince Amabe and the ground of the house of Prince Itoi. The divining was favorable for both. At last a palace was built at Osada. This was called the palace of Sakitama.

In winter, the eleventh month, the empress Hirohime died.

In the fifth year, in spring, the third month, the first day being a gimyo day, on the muja day, the office in charge asked that an empress be set up. A decree was issued, and Toyomikekashikiyahime no Mikoto was set up as empress.

She bore two sons and five daughters. The first was Princess Uji no Kaitako, and she was wedded to Shōtoku (聖徳) of the eastern palace. The second was Prince Takeda. The third was Princess Oharida, and she was wedded to Prince Hikohito no Ōe. The fourth was Princess Umori. The fifth was Prince Owari. The sixth was Princess Tame, and she was wedded to Emperor Okinaga Tarashihi Hironuka. The seventh was Princess Sakurai no Yumihari.

In the sixth year, in spring, the second month, the first day being a gapjin day, a decree was issued, and the Himatsuribe and the Kisaichibe were set up.

In summer, the fifth month, the first day being a gyeyu day, on the jeongchuk day, Prince Ōwake and Oguro no Kishi were sent and made governors (宰) in the land of Baekje.

In winter, the eleventh month, the first day being a gyeongo day, the king of the land of Baekje sent by the returning envoys, Prince Ōwake and his men, some scrolls of the sutras and the treatises, and with them six men: a master of the discipline, a master of meditation, a nun, a master of spells, a maker of Buddha images and a builder of temples. They were settled at last in the temple of Prince Ōwake at Naniwa.

In the seventh year, in spring, the third month, the first day being a mujin day, on the imsin day, Princess Uji was made to serve the shrine of Ise. Then she had commerce with Prince Ikebe, the matter came to light, and she was put out of her office.

In the eighth year, in winter, the tenth month, Silla sent Jiljiljeong Namal (枳叱政奈末) and presented tribute, and with it sent an image of the Buddha.

In the ninth year, in summer, the sixth month, Silla sent Ando Namal (安刀奈末) and Silso Namal (失消奈末) and presented tribute, but it was not received and they were sent back.

In the tenth year, in spring, the intercalary second month, several thousand Emishi raided the border. Because of this their chief Ayakasu and his men were called, and a decree was issued.

"You Emishi, in the time of Emperor Ōtarashihiko, those of you who were to be killed were cut down, and those who were to be spared were pardoned. Now I follow that former example, and I would put to death the worst of the evil ones."

At this Ayakasu and his men were struck with fear and trembling. Then they went down into the middle of the stream of Hatsuse, and facing Mount Mimoro they rinsed their mouths with water and swore.

"We Emishi, from this day on, child upon child and grandchild upon grandchild, will serve the palace of the emperor with a clear and bright heart. If we break this oath, may all the gods of heaven and earth and the spirits of the emperors cut off and destroy our seed."

In the eleventh year, in winter, the tenth month, Silla sent Ando Namal and Silso Namal and presented tribute, but it was not received and they were sent back.

In the twelfth year, in autumn, the seventh month, the first day being a jeongyu day, a decree was issued.

"In the time of our former emperor, Silla destroyed the land of the inner miyake. The former emperor planned to win Imna back, but he did not bring it about and died, and his will was not fulfilled. For this reason I ought to uphold the divine plan and raise up Imna again.

"Now Illa (日羅), of the rank of dalsol, who is in Baekje and is the son of Arisadeung (阿利斯登), the kuni no miyatsuko of Hi no Ashikita, is worthy and has courage. Therefore I would take counsel with that man."

Then Ki no Kuni no Miyatsuko Oshikatsu and Kibi no Amabe no Atai Hashima were sent to call him from Baekje.

In winter, the tenth month, Ki no Kuni no Miyatsuko Oshikatsu and his men came back from Baekje and reported to the court. "The lord of the land of Baekje holds Illa dear and would not listen to sending him up."

In this year Kibi no Amabe no Atai Hashima was sent again to call Illa from Baekje.

Hashima had come to Baekje, and he wished to see Illa in private first, so he went alone to the foot of the gate of the house.

Presently a woman of Han came out from within the house and said in the speech of Han. "Put your root inside my root." Then she went into the house.

Hashima grasped her meaning at once and followed her in. Then Illa came out to meet him, took his hand, seated him, and told him in secret.

"I have heard quietly that the lord of the land of Baekje doubts the court of heaven and fears that, once your servant is sent, he will be kept there and not sent back, and so he holds me dear and is not willing to send me up. When you make the command known, you should show a stern and fierce face and press him in haste to send me."

Hashima then followed that plan and called Illa.

At this the lord of the land of Baekje feared the court of heaven and did not dare go against the command. He sent Illa, and with him the eunsol Deogi (徳爾), Yeono (余怒), Ganoji (哥奴知), Chamgwan (參官), the steersman (柁師) and deoksol Chagandeok (次干徳), and some few sailors.

When Illa and his men came to the miyake of Kojima in Kibi, the court sent Ōtomo no Nukateko no Muraji to comfort them. Again it sent the great officers to the guest house of Naniwa to visit Illa.

At this time Illa put on armor, rode a horse and came to the foot of the gate. Then he went forward before the hall, stepped forward and back, knelt and bowed, and sighed and said in bitterness.

"In the time of the emperor who ruled the realm from the palace of Hinokuma, our lord Ōtomo no Kanamura no Ōmuraji sent beyond the sea for the sake of the land Arisadeung, the kuni no miyatsuko of Hi no Ashikita and of the Osakabe no Yugeibe. I am his son, your servant Illa the dalsol, and I heard that the emperor called me and came to court in fear."

Then he took off his armor and offered it to the emperor.

Then a guest house was built at Kuwaichi in Ato and Illa was made to live there, and he was given whatever he wished.

Again Abe no Me no Omi, Mononobe no Nieko no Muraji and Ōtomo no Nukateko no Muraji were sent to ask Illa about the government of the land.

Illa answered.

"The government by which the emperor rules the realm must be the guarding and the nurturing of the people. Why would you raise soldiers all at once and so lose and destroy what you have?

"Therefore let those who take counsel, and those who serve in the ranks of the court, the omi and the muraji and the two miyatsuko, and down to the people, all be made full and rich so that they lack nothing. Do this for three years, and food will be enough and soldiers will be enough, and though you set the people to work they will be glad, and they will not shrink from water or fire, and they will grieve over the troubles of the land with you.

"After that build many ships and set them in line at every harbor, and let the guests see them and be struck with fear. Then send an able man as envoy to Baekje and call the king of that land, and if he does not come, call his tae jwapyeong or his royal sons to come. Then a heart of reverence and submission will arise of itself. Afterward you should ask him for his crimes."

He also said.

"The men of Baekje plan and say, 'There are three hundred ships, and we would ask for Tsukushi.' If they truly ask for it, you should seem to give it. Then Baekje, wishing to set up a new land, will surely load women and little children on ships first and bring them. Watch for that time, and set many soldiers in hiding at Iki and Tsushima, and wait until they come and kill them, and do not be deceived instead. At every place of vantage build ramparts and forts firmly."

At this, when the eunsol and Chamgwan were about to go back to their land, they said in secret to Deogi and the others. "When I pass by Tsukushi, if you kill Illa in secret, I will set it all before the king, and he will surely give you high rank.

"Your body and your wife and your children will hand down glory to the days after."

Deogi and Yeono both listened and consented.

Chamgwan and his men set out at last from Chika. Then Illa moved from the village of Kuwaichi to the guest house of Naniwa.

Deogi and the others took counsel day and night and meant to kill him. At that time there was a light like a flame on the body of Illa. Because of this Deogi and the others were afraid and did not kill him.

At last, on the last day of the twelfth month, they waited until the light was gone and killed him.

Illa came to life again and said. "This is the work of the slaves I kept, and not of Silla." He finished speaking and died.

The emperor issued a decree to Nieko no Ōmuraji and Nukateko no Muraji and had the body taken up and buried before the hill on the west of Okōri. His wife and children and the sailors were settled at Ishikawa.

At this Ōtomo no Nukateko no Muraji said in counsel. "If they live gathered in one place, I fear something ill will come of it." Then the wife and children were settled in the village of Kudara at Ishikawa, and the sailors in the village of Ōtomo at Ishikawa.

Deogi and the others were taken and bound and put in the village of Ata in Shimotsukudara, and several great officers were sent to press them with questions on the matter.

Deogi and the others owned their crime and said. "Truly this was taught and set on by the eunsol and Chamgwan. We were under another man, and we did not dare go against him."

Because of this they were put in prison, and word was sent back to the court.

Then an envoy was sent to Ashikita, and all the kin of Illa were called and Deogi and the others were given to them, and they were let to judge the crime as they would. At this Ashikita no Kimi and his men received them and killed them all and threw them into Mimeshima. Illa was moved to Ashikita and buried.

Afterward a man of the seashore said. "The ship of the eunsol met the wind and sank in the sea. The ship of Chamgwan drifted to Tsushima, and only then could he go home."

In the thirteenth year, in spring, the second month, the first day being a gyesa day, on the gyeongja day, Naniwa no Kishi Itabi was sent as envoy to Silla, and went on from there to Imna.

In autumn, the ninth month, Kafuka no Omi, who had come from Baekje, had one stone image of Maitreya, and Saeki no Muraji had one image of the Buddha.

In this year Soga no Umako no Sukune asked for those two images of the Buddha. Then he sent Kuratsukuribe no Suguri Shiba Datto and Ikebe no Atai Hita as envoys to the four quarters, to seek out those who followed the religious life.

In the land of Harima alone they found a man who had been a monk and had gone back to the world, and his name was Hyebyeon (惠便) of Goryeo. The great minister made him his teacher, and he had Shima, the daughter of Shiba Datto, take orders, and she was called the nun Zenshin (善信尼).

He also had two disciples of the nun Zenshin take orders. The first was Toyome, the daughter of Yabo of the Ayahito, and she was named the nun Zenzō (禪藏尼). The second was Ishime, the daughter of Nishigori no Tsubu, and she was named the nun Ezen (惠善尼).

Umako alone leaned upon the Buddhist law and honored the three nuns deeply. Then he gave the three nuns into the care of Hita no Atai and Datto and had them supplied with clothing and food. He built a Buddha hall on the east of his house and set the stone image of Maitreya there, and he humbly asked the three nuns to come, and held a great gathering and set out a feast of fasting.

At this time Datto found a relic of the Buddha upon the food of the fast. He offered the relic at once to Umako no Sukune.

Umako no Sukune put the relic upon an iron anvil to try it, and he swung an iron hammer and struck it. The anvil and the hammer were all broken and crushed, but the relic could not be broken. He also threw the relic into water, and the relic floated or sank in the water as his heart wished.

Because of this Umako no Sukune and Ikebe no Hita and Shiba Datto believed deeply in the Buddhist law and were not slack in their practice. Umako no Sukune also built and set in order a Buddha hall at his house in Ishikawa. The beginning of the Buddhist law arose from this.

In the fourteenth year, in spring, the second month, the first day being a muja day, on the imin day, Soga no Ōomi Umako no Sukune raised a pagoda on the north of Ōno no Oka and held a great gathering and set out a feast of fasting. Then the relic that Datto had found before was laid away in the head of the pagoda pillar.

On the sinhae day the Soga no Ōomi fell sick. He asked the diviner, and the diviner answered. "It is the working of the heart of the god of the Buddha (佛神) that your father worshiped in his time."

The great minister then sent his younger brother and his son to report what the divining had said. A decree was issued. "Worship the god of your father, as the word of the diviner says."

The great minister received the decree, bowed before the stone image, and prayed that his life might be lengthened. At this time a plague went through the land, and many of the people died.

In the third month, the first day being a jeongsa day, Mononobe no Yuge no Moriya no Ōmuraji and Nakatomi no Katsumi no Maetsukimi said. "Why will you not use the words of your servants? From the former emperor down to your majesty a plague has spread, and the people of the land may be cut off. Is this not wholly because the Soga no Omi has raised up the Buddhist law and practiced it?"

A decree was issued. "It is plain. Cut off the Buddhist law."

On the byeongsul day Mononobe no Yuge no Moriya no Ōmuraji went himself to the temple, sat on a stool, cut down the pagoda and set fire to it and burned it. He burned the image of the Buddha and the Buddha hall with it. Then he had what was left of the burned image taken and thrown into the canal at Naniwa.

On that day there was no cloud, yet there was wind and rain. The Ōmuraji put on a rain robe and rebuked Umako no Sukune and the monks who followed him, to raise in them a heart of shame and disgrace.

Then Saeki no Miyatsuko Mimuro was sent to call the nun Zenshin and the other nuns whom Umako no Sukune had served. Because of this Umako no Sukune did not dare to go against the command, and weeping in grief he called the nuns out and gave them to Mimuro.

The office in charge then took away the three robes of the nuns, shut them up and beat them with rods at the hall of Tsubakichi.

The emperor thought to set up Imna, and he named Prince Sakata no Mimiko as envoy. At that very time the emperor and the Ōmuraji suddenly fell sick with sores. Therefore he was not sent.

He issued a decree to Prince Tachibana no Toyohi. "The command of the former emperor may not be turned away. You must work hard at the government of Imna."

Again those who broke out in sores and died filled the land. Those who suffered the sores said. "My body is as if it were burned, as if it were beaten, as if it were broken." They wept and died.

Old and young said to one another in secret. "This is the crime of burning the image of the Buddha."

In summer, the sixth month, Umako no Sukune said. "The sickness of your servant has not healed to this day. Unless I receive the power of the Three Treasures (三寶), it will be hard to save and heal me."

At this a decree was issued to Umako no Sukune. "You alone may practice the Buddhist law. It is fitting that others be cut off from it."

Then the three nuns were given back to Umako no Sukune. Umako no Sukune received them and rejoiced, and he marveled that such a thing had never been before, and he bowed his forehead to the ground before the three nuns. He built a new monastery (精舎), welcomed them in and made offerings to them.

In autumn, the eighth month, the first day being an eulyu day, on the gihae day, the sickness of the emperor grew long, and he died in the great hall.

At this time a mourning palace was raised at Hirose. Umako no Sukune no Ōomi wore his sword and spoke the words of mourning. Mononobe no Yuge no Moriya no Ōmuraji laughed and said. "He is like a sparrow struck by a hunting arrow."

Next Yuge no Moriya no Ōmuraji shook in hand and foot and spoke the words of mourning. Umako no Sukune no Ōomi laughed and said. "Bells might be hung on him."

Because of this the two ministers came to bear a hidden grudge.

Miwa no Kimi Sakau had the Hayato guard and bar the court of the mourning place. Prince Anahobe wished to take the realm, and in anger he said. "Why do you serve the court of a dead king and not serve the place of the living king?"