Emperor Yōmei用明天皇

Emperor Tachibana no Toyohi (橘豐日天皇) was the fourth son of Emperor Amekuni Oshiharaki Hironiwa. His mother was called Kitashihime. The emperor believed in the Buddhist law and honored the way of the gods.

In the fourteenth year, in autumn, the eighth month, Emperor Nunakura no Futotamashiki died.

In the ninth month, the first day being a gabin day, on the muo day, the emperor ascended the throne of emperor. He set his palace at Iware, and it was named the palace of Ikebe no Namitsuki. Soga no Umako no Sukune was made great minister and Mononobe no Yuge no Moriya no Muraji was made ōmuraji, and both were as before.

On the imsin day he issued a decree. It said such and such. Princess Sukatehime was made to bow at the shrine of Ise and to offer worship to the god of the sun.

In the first year, in spring, the first month, the first day being an imja day, Princess Anahobe no Hashihito was set up as empress. She bore four sons.

The first was Prince Umayado. This prince lived first at Kamitsumiya and moved afterward to Ikaruga. In the time of Emperor Toyomikekashikiyahime his place was in the eastern palace, and he took all the affairs of state in hand and did the work of the emperor. The story is seen in the record of Emperor Toyomikekashikiyahime.

The second was Prince Kume. The third was Prince Eguri. The fourth was Prince Mamuta.

Ishikina, the daughter of Soga no Ōomi Iname no Sukune, was set up as a consort. She bore Prince Tame.

Hiroko, the daughter of Katsuragi no Atai Iwamura, bore one son and one daughter. The son was Prince Maroko, and he was the forebear of the Taima no Kimi. The daughter was Princess Sukatehime, and through three reigns she offered worship to the god of the sun.

In summer, the fifth month, Prince Anahobe wished to have commerce with the empress Kashikiyahime, and he forced his way into the mourning palace.

Miwa no Kimi Sakau, a favored servant, then called the guards and barred the palace gate twice over, and he held him back and did not let him in.

Prince Anahobe asked. "Who is here?"

The guard answered. "Miwa no Kimi Sakau is here."

He cried seven times for the gate to be opened, but in the end he was not let in.

At this Prince Anahobe said to the great minister and the ōmuraji.

"Sakau is often without manners. At the court of the mourning place he spoke the words of mourning and said, 'I will not let the court run wild. I will keep it clean as the face of a mirror. Your servant will govern and serve in peace.' This is want of manners. Now there are many sons and brothers of the emperor, and two great ministers are in attendance. Who may say at his own will that he alone will govern and serve?

"Also I would have looked within the mourning place, and he barred me and did not let me in. Though I cried seven times myself for the gate to be opened, he did not answer. I would cut him down."

The two great ministers said. "Let it be as you command."

At this Prince Anahobe secretly planned to be king over the realm, and with his mouth he said falsely that the matter was only the killing of Sakau no Kimi.

At last he took soldiers with Mononobe no Moriya no Ōmuraji and surrounded Ikebe at Iware.

Sakau no Kimi knew of it and hid on Mount Mimoro. In the middle of that night he came out of the mountain in secret and hid in the back palace. Shiratsutsumi and Yokoyama, who were of the same surname as Sakau, told where Sakau no Kimi was.

Prince Anahobe sent Moriya no Ōmuraji at once and said. "You must go and strike Sakau no Kimi and his two sons."

The Ōmuraji took soldiers at last and went. Soga no Umako no Sukune heard this plan from without,

and went to the place of the prince and met him at the foot of the gate. When the prince would go to the place of the Ōmuraji, he admonished him. "A king does not go near the men of punishment. You must not go yourself."

The prince did not listen and went. Umako no Sukune then followed him. When they came to Iware he admonished him earnestly. The prince then followed the admonition and stopped. Here he sat on a stool and waited for the Ōmuraji.

The Ōmuraji came after a long while, leading his men, and reported. "The killing of Sakau and the others is finished."

At this Umako no Sukune grieved and sighed as one broken. "The troubling of the realm will not be far off."

The Ōmuraji heard and answered. "You are a small servant, and this is not for you to know."

In this year the year sign was byeongo.

In the second year, in summer, the fourth month, the first day being an eulsa day, on the byeongo day, the feast of the new grain was held on the bank of the river at Iware. On this day the emperor fell sick and came back into the palace. The many officers were in attendance.

The emperor issued a decree to the many officers. "I would turn to the Three Treasures. Take counsel on it."

The many officers came into the court and took counsel. Mononobe no Moriya no Ōmuraji and Nakatomi no Katsumi no Muraji went against the decree and said in counsel. "Why would you turn your back on the gods of the land and revere the gods of another? From of old we have not known such a thing."

Soga no Umako no Sukune no Ōomi said. "We should follow the decree and give our help. Who would raise another plan?"

At this the prince who was the emperor's brother brought the teacher of the law of Toyokuni into the inner palace. Mononobe no Moriya no Ōmuraji glared at him and was greatly angered.

At this time Oshisakabe no Fubito Kekuso came in haste and said in secret to the Ōmuraji. "Now the many officers are plotting against you. They will also cut off the road."

The Ōmuraji heard this and withdrew at once to Ato and gathered men. Nakatomi no Katsumi no Muraji gathered a crowd at his house and helped the Ōmuraji.

At last he made images of the crown prince, Prince Hikohito, and of Prince Takeda, and cursed them. Presently he knew that the matter would be hard to bring about, and he went over to Prince Hikohito at the palace of Mimata.

The toneri Tomi no Ichii watched for Katsumi no Muraji as he withdrew from the place of Prince Hikohito, and he drew his sword and killed him.

The Ōmuraji, from his house at Ato, sent Mononobe no Yasaka, Ōichi no Miyatsuko Osaka

and Nuribe no Miyatsuko Ani, and said to Umako no Ōomi. "I hear that the many officers are plotting against me. For that reason I have withdrawn."

Umako no Ōomi then sent Haji no Yashima no Muraji to the place of Ōtomo no Birafu no Muraji and told him fully the words of the Ōmuraji.

Because of this Birafu no Muraji took bow and arrows and a shield of hide in his hands and went to the house at Tsukinokuma, and he did not leave it day or night but guarded the great minister.

The sores of the emperor grew worse, and when he was about to die, Kuratsukuribe no Tasuna came forward and said. "Your servant will leave the world and follow the way for the sake of the emperor, and will also build a Buddha image sixteen feet high and a temple."

The emperor grieved for this. The wooden Buddha image sixteen feet high at the temple of Sakata in Minabuchi, and the bodhisattvas that stand beside it, are these.

On the gyechuk day the emperor died in the great hall.

In autumn, the seventh month, the first day being a gapsul day, on the gabo day, he was buried in the tomb of Ikenoe at Iware.