Emperor Kōtoku孝德天皇

Emperor Ame Yorozu Toyohi (天萬豐日天皇) was the younger brother, by the same mother, of Empress Ame Toyotakara Ikashihi Tarashihime. He honored the law of the Buddha and made light of the way of the gods. He was gentle and kind by nature and loved learned men, and he did not choose between the noble and the base, but often sent down edicts of grace.

In the fourth year of Empress Ame Toyotakara Ikashihi Tarashihime, in the sixth month, on the gyeongsul day, the empress wished to hand the throne to Naka no Ōe, and she gave a decree. It said such and such.

Naka no Ōe withdrew and spoke of it to Nakatomi no Kamako no Muraji.

Nakatomi no Kamako no Muraji gave his counsel. "Furuhito no Ōe is your elder brother, and Prince Karu is your mother's brother. Now, while Furuhito no Ōe is here, if you ascended the throne of the emperor it would go against the humble heart of a younger brother. And to set up your mother's brother and so answer the hope of the people, would that not also be right?"

At this Naka no Ōe thought his counsel very good, and he told it secretly to the empress.

Empress Ame Toyotakara Ikashihi Tarashihime gave over the seal and its cord and yielded the throne. Her writ said, "Ah, you, Prince Karu." And so on.

Prince Karu refused firmly two and three times, and he turned it to Furuhito no Ōe, saying, "Ōe no Mikoto was born of the former emperor, and he is the elder in years. By these two reasons he may sit in the seat of heaven."

At this Furuhito no Ōe left his seat and drew back, and folding his hands he refused. "I shall obey the holy will of the emperor. Why do you take the trouble to press it upon your servant? Your servant asks to leave the world and enter Yoshino, to practice the way of the Buddha diligently and to help and uphold the emperor."

When he had finished speaking he loosed the sword at his side and threw it upon the ground, and he ordered all those within the curtains to loose their swords as well. Then he went himself to the space between the Buddha hall and the pagoda of Hōkōji, shaved off his beard and his hair, and put on a monk's robe.

Because of this Prince Karu could not refuse any longer, and he went up upon the platform and took the throne.

At this time Ōtomo no Nagatoko no Muraji, wearing a gold quiver, stood at the right of the platform, and Inukami no Takerube no Kimi, wearing a gold quiver, stood at the left.

The hundred officers, the Omi, the Muraji, the Kuni no Miyatsuko, the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the hundred and eighty Be stood in rows and bowed all around.

On this day a title was offered to Empress Toyotakara, and she was called Sumemioya no Mikoto. Naka no Ōe was made crown prince. Abe no Uchimaro no Omi was made Minister of the Left, and Soga no Kura Yamada no Ishikawamaro no Omi was made Minister of the Right.

The daikin cap was given to Nakatomi no Kamako no Muraji, and he was made Inner Minister, and some number of houses were added to his fief. And so on. Nakatomi no Kamako no Muraji held a heart of the utmost loyalty and took his stand upon the power of a chief minister, and he was set above the officers. Therefore advancement and withdrawal, removal and appointment followed his counsel, and affairs were set in order. And so on.

Min the teacher of the law and Takamuko no Fubito Genri were made scholars of the land.

On the sinhae day a writ of gold was given to Abe no Kurahashimaro no Ōomi and to Soga no Yamada no Ishikawamaro no Ōomi.

On the eulmyo day the emperor, Sumemioya no Mikoto and the crown prince called the many ministers together under a great zelkova tree and made an oath. They declared it to the gods of heaven and the gods of earth.

"Heaven covers and earth bears up, and the way of the sovereign is one alone. Yet the last age has grown thin, and lord and servant have lost their order. Heaven has borrowed our hand and has cut off the violent and the rebellious. Now we pour out together the blood of our hearts.

From this time on the lord shall have no second rule and the servant no second court. If any break this oath, there will be calamity from heaven and portents from earth, the spirits will strike him and men will strike him. This is as clear as the sun and the moon."

The fourth year of Empress Ame Toyotakara Ikashihi Tarashihime was changed and made the first year of Taika (大化).

In autumn, the seventh month, the first day being a jeongmyo day, on the mujin day, Princess Hashihito, the daughter of Emperor Okinaga Tarashihi Hironuka, was set up as empress. Two consorts were set up. The first consort, the daughter of Abe no Kurahashimaro no Ōomi, is called Otarashihime. She bore Prince Arima. The next consort, the daughter of Soga no Yamada no Ishikawamaro no Ōomi, is called Chi no Iratsume.

On the byeongja day Goryeo, Baekje and Silla all sent envoys and offered tribute and taxes. The tribute envoy of Baekje had charge of the envoy of Imna as well, and offered the tribute of Imna. Only Yeonbok (緣福), the great envoy of Baekje, of the rank of jwapyeong, met with sickness and stayed at the guest house by the ferry, and did not enter the capital.

Kose no Tokota no Omi gave a decree to the envoy of Goryeo.

"This is the word of the emperor of Japan, who rules the whole world as a manifest god. 'The envoys whom the emperor sends and the envoys whom the divine child of Goryeo sends have a short past behind them and a long time before them. Therefore let them go and come to one another with a warm and harmonious heart, and nothing more.'"

He gave a decree also to the envoy of Baekje.

"This is the word of the emperor of Japan, who rules the whole world as a manifest god. 'In the beginning, in the time of our far ancestors the emperors, the land of Baekje was made an inner official house (內官家), like a rope twisted of three strands. In the middle time the land of Imna was given and attached to Baekje. Afterward Miwa no Kurikuma no Kimi Azumahito was sent to look upon the borders of the land of Imna. Therefore the king of Baekje, following the command, showed all those borders. But there was something wanting in the tribute. For this reason that tribute was sent back and refused.

The things that come from Imna are clearly seen by the emperor. From this time on you may write down in full the land and the tribute that comes from it. You jwapyeong and the rest, do not change your faces, but come. You must report clearly and early. Now Miwa no Kimi Azumahito and Umakai no Miyatsuko are sent again.'"

He commanded also. "Send back the wife and the children of Uisa (意斯), the dalsol of the Gwibu."

On the muin day the emperor gave a decree to Abe no Kurahashimaro no Ōomi and Soga no Ishikawamaro no Ōomi. "You should follow the traces of the holy kings of old and so rule the realm. And there must be good faith, and then the realm can be ruled."

On the gimyo day the emperor gave a decree to Abe no Kurahashimaro no Ōomi and Soga no Ishikawamaro no Ōomi. "Ask the great officers and all the Tomo no Miyatsuko everywhere, and find the way to employ the people so that they are glad."

On the gyeongjin day Soga no Ishikawamaro no Ōomi made report. "It is fitting first to worship the gods and set them at rest, and after that to take counsel upon the affairs of government."

On this day Yamato no Aya no Atai Hirabu was sent to the land of Owari and Imube no Obito Komaro to the land of Mino, and offerings for the gods were laid upon those lands.

In the eighth month, the first day being a byeongsin day, on the gyeongja day, the Kuni no Tsukasa of the eastern lands were appointed. Then a decree was given to the Kuni no Tsukasa.

"According to what the gods of heaven have entrusted to us, we are now for the first time about to set all the lands in order. The common people who are in the land, and the multitudes of men held in estates great and small, are your charge. Make registers of households for them all, and measure the fields. Let the profit of the gardens and the ponds, of the land and the water, be shared with the people.

Again, the Kuni no Tsukasa, while they are in their lands, may not give judgment upon crimes. They may not take the goods and the bribes of others and bring the people to poverty and hardship. When they come up to the capital they may not bring many of the people with them. Only the Kuni no Miyatsuko and the Kōri no Miyatsuko may follow them. Yet when they go and come upon public business they may ride the horses of their district and eat the food of their district.

If those from the second officer upward uphold the law, they must be praised and rewarded; if they break the law, their rank must be lowered. If those from the recorder downward take the goods and the bribes of others, it shall be exacted from them twofold, and then a penalty shall be laid according as the case is light or heavy.

The chief officer shall have nine attendants, the second officer seven, and the recorder five. If any take more than the limit, both the master and those who follow him shall be punished.

If there are men who seek a name, who are not of the Kuni no Miyatsuko, the Tomo no Miyatsuko or the Agata no Inaki, and who make a false plea, saying, 'From the time of my ancestors I have held this official house and ruled this district and county,' then you Kuni no Tsukasa must not follow the falsehood and report it to the court. You must look into it and get the truth, and only then report.

Again, build armories in open and empty places, and gather into them the swords, the armor, the bows and the arrows of the lands and the districts. In the border lands, where the boundary touches the Emishi, gather all their weapons, but still lend them back to their owners.

Those envoys who have been sent to the six counties of the land of Yamato shall make registers of households and measure the fields as well.

You Kuni no Tsukasa, hear this clearly and withdraw."

Silk and cloth were then given to them, to each according to his degree.

On this day a bell and a box were set at the court, and a decree was given.

"If a man who is troubled and would make a plea has a Tomo no Miyatsuko over him, let that Tomo no Miyatsuko look into it first and report it. If he has an elder over him, let that elder look into it first and report it. If that Tomo no Miyatsuko or that elder does not look into what is pleaded, let the writing be taken up and put into the box, and they shall be punished with the crime that was pleaded.

He who takes up the writings shall hold them at daybreak and report within the palace. We shall write the year and the month upon them and show them at once to the many ministers, and have them looked into and dealt with. If any are idle and do not deal with them, or if they take part with a faction and there is crookedness, then he who makes the plea may strike the bell. Therefore a bell is hung and a box is set at the court. Let all the people of the realm know our mind.

Again, this is the law of men and women. The child born of a free man and a free woman belongs to the father. If a free man takes a bondwoman and a child is born, it belongs to the mother; if a free woman marries a bondman and a child is born, it belongs to the father; if the bondfolk of two houses have a child, it belongs to the mother. The children of the serving men of temple houses follow the law of free men. Those who have entered bondage apart from this follow the law of bondfolk. Now this is made plain for men to see, and it is the beginning of the law."

On the gyemyo day messengers were sent to the great temple, and the monks and the nuns were called together, and a decree was given.

"In the thirteenth year of the emperor who ruled the realm from the palace of Shikishima, King Myeong (明王) of Baekje brought the law of the Buddha and handed it to our great Yamato. At that time the many ministers all did not wish it to be handed on, but Soga no Iname no Sukune alone believed in that law. The emperor then gave a decree to Iname no Sukune to uphold that law.

In the time of the emperor who ruled the realm from the palace of Osada, Soga no Umako no Sukune followed the manner of his father and still held the teaching of the Benevolent One (能仁) in honor.

But the other ministers did not believe, and this law nearly perished. The emperor gave a decree to Umako no Sukune to uphold that law.

In the time of the emperor who ruled the realm from the palace of Oharida, Umako no Sukune made for the emperor an embroidered image sixteen feet high and a bronze image sixteen feet high, set forth and exalted the teaching of the Buddha, and honored the monks and the nuns.

We again desire to honor the right teaching and to open and make bright the great way. Therefore the monks Koma no Daihōshi, Fukuryō (福亮), Eun, Jōan (常安), Reiun, Eshi (惠至), Sōmin, Dōtō (道登), Erin (惠鄰) and Emyō (惠妙) are made the ten teachers. Emyō the teacher of the law is made besides the head of the temple of Kudara.

These ten teachers should teach and lead the many monks well, and have them practice the teaching of the Buddha, and in short have it done according to the law.

Of all the temples built, from the emperor down to the Tomo no Miyatsuko, we shall help to build those that cannot be kept up. Now the officers of the temples and the heads of the temples are appointed. Go about among the temples, look into the true state of the monks and the nuns, the bondfolk and the fields, and report it all plainly."

Kume no Omi, Miwa no Shikobu no Kimi and Nukatabe no Muraji Ohi were then made heads of the law.

In the ninth month, on the byeongin day that was the first of the month, messengers were sent to the several lands to set the soldiers in order.

On the mujin day Prince Furuhito plotted rebellion together with Soga no Taguchi no Omi Kawahori, Mononobe no Enoi no Muraji Shii, Kibi no Kasa no Omi Shidaru, Yamato no Aya no Fumi no Atai Maro and Echi no Hata no Miyatsuko Takutsu.

On the jeongchuk day Kibi no Kasa no Omi Shidaru gave himself up to Naka no Ōe. "Prince Furuhito of Yoshino is plotting rebellion with Soga no Taguchi no Omi Kawahori and the rest. Your servant was among that company."

Naka no Ōe at once sent Uda no Enomuro no Furu and Koma no Miyachi with some number of soldiers to strike Prince Furuhito no Ōichi and his men.

On the gapsin day messengers were sent to the several lands to write down the original number of the people. Then a decree was given.

"From of old and downward, in the time of each emperor, people were set apart as a mark, and a name was handed down to later times.

Those Omi and Muraji, the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the Kuni no Miyatsuko, have each held people of their own and worked them as they pleased, and they have also divided up the mountains and the seas, the woods and the moors, the ponds and the fields of the lands and counties, and made them their own property, and they have striven and fought without end.

Some hold tens of thousands of furrows of field together, and some have not so much land as will hold a needle. When tribute and taxes are offered, those Omi and Muraji and Tomo no Miyatsuko gather them in for themselves first, and only then share out what they offer. When palaces are repaired and gardens and tombs are built, each leads out his own people and builds according to the work.

The Book of Changes (易) says, 'Take from above and add to below. Measure it with rule, and property is not harmed and the people are not hurt.'

Now the people are still in want. Yet the powerful divide the water and the land and make them their private ground, and sell them to the people and demand the price of them year by year.

From this time on the land may not be sold. Let no man rashly make himself an owner and swallow up the weak."

The people rejoiced greatly.

In winter, the twelfth month, the first day being an eulmi day, on the gyemyo day, the emperor moved the capital to Nagara no Toyosaki in Naniwa.

The old men said to one another. "From spring to summer the rats went toward Naniwa. It was a sign that the capital would be moved."

On the muo day the land of Koshi reported. "On the seashore a dry raft moved away toward the east. There are marks upon the sand like the shape of a plowed field."

This year was the year of eulsa.

In spring, the first month, on the gapja day that was the first of the month, when the rites of greeting the new year were over, the edict of the reform (改新) was proclaimed.

The first said.

"The people of the Koshiro set up by the emperors of old, and the granaries in the several places, and besides these the people of the Kakibe and the field estates in the several places held by the Omi, the Muraji, the Tomo no Miyatsuko, the Kuni no Miyatsuko and the Mura no Obito, are abolished. Fiefs of households are therefore given to the great officers and upward, to each according to his degree. Below them cloth and silk are given to the officers and the people, according to their degrees."

It said also. "The great officers are those who are set to govern the people. If they fulfill their governing well, the people trust them. Therefore their stipends are made heavy, and it is for the sake of the people."

The second said.

"For the first time the capital is laid out, and within the home provinces there are set Kuni no Tsukasa and Kōri no Tsukasa, barriers and forts, scouts, Sakimori guards, post horses and courier horses; and bells and tallies are made, and the mountains and the rivers are fixed.

In the capital an elder is set over each quarter, and one warden over four quarters. They have charge of looking into the households and watching out for wrongdoing. For the warden of a quarter, a man of the quarter who is clear and upright, strong and straight, and able for the business of the time, is chosen and given the charge. For the elders of the wards and the quarters, men of the wards and the quarters who are pure and upright and strong are chosen and given the charge. If there is no such man in that ward or quarter, one may be chosen and used from a neighboring ward or quarter.

The home provinces are these: from the Yokokawa of Nabari on the east, from Se no Yama of Kii on the south, from Kushibuchi of Akashi on the west, and from Mount Ausaka of Sasanami in Ōmi on the north. These make the land of the home provinces.

A district of forty wards is a great district; one of thirty wards and under, and of four wards and over, is a middle district; one of three wards is a small district. For the Kōri no Tsukasa, men of the Kuni no Miyatsuko whose nature and understanding are pure and upright and who are able for the business of the time are chosen and made chief and second officers. Men who are strong and quick and skilled in writing and reckoning are made recorders and scribes.

Post horses and courier horses are all given according to the number cut upon the bells and the courier tallies. To the several lands and the barriers bells and tallies are given, and the chief officer holds them. If there is none, the second officer holds them."

The third said.

"For the first time registers of households, tax rolls (計帳) and the law of sharing out and taking back the fields (班田收授) are made.

Fifty households make a ward, and an elder is set over each ward. He has charge of looking into the households, of laying on and holding to the work of farming and silk, of forbidding and watching for wrong and offense, and of urging on the taxes and the labor. In places where the mountains and valleys are steep and the land is far and men are few, they are to be set as is convenient.

A field thirty paces long and twelve paces wide is a tan, and ten tan are a chō. The tax of a tan is two sheaves and two handfuls of rice, and the tax of a chō is twenty-two sheaves of rice."

The fourth said.

"The old labor taxes are abolished, and the tribute of the fields is put into use.

Silk, coarse silk, thread and floss all follow what the country of the place produces. For one chō of field, one jang of silk, and four chō make a bolt. The length is four jang and the width two and a half feet. Of coarse silk, two jang, and two chō make a bolt, and the length and the width are the same as for silk. Of cloth, four jang, and the length and the width are the same as for silk and coarse silk, and one chō makes one piece.

Apart from this a tribute of each household is gathered: for one household, one jang and two feet of tax cloth (貲布).

The salt and the offerings that go with the tribute also follow what the country of the place produces.

Of the horses of the government, for a middling horse one is sent from every hundred households, and for a fine horse one from every two hundred households. The price of buying the horse is one jang and two feet of cloth from each household.

For the soldiers, each man sends a sword, armor, a bow, arrows, a flag and a drum.

Of the serving men, the old rule of one man from every thirty households is changed, and one man is taken from every fifty households and given to the several offices. Fifty households provide the food of one serving man. From each household there are one jang and two feet of cloth in lieu of labor (庸布) and five mal of rice in lieu of labor (庸米).

Of the uneme, the sisters and daughters of the second officers of a district and upward, whose faces are comely, are offered. A hundred households provide the food of one uneme. Their cloth and their rice in lieu of labor are in all things like those of the serving men."

In this month the emperor went to the detached palace of Koshiro. Messengers were sent, and it was decreed to the districts and the lands that they should put their armories in order and build them. The Emishi drew near and submitted.

In the second month, the first day being a gabo day, on the musin day, the emperor went to the eastern gate of the palace and had Soga, the Minister of the Right, give a decree.

"The Yamatoneko emperor, who rules the whole world as a manifest god, gives a decree to the lords gathered in attendance, and to the Omi, the Muraji, the Kuni no Miyatsuko, the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the many people.

'We have heard that he who rules the people with wisdom and light hangs a bell at his gate and sees the troubles of the people, and builds a house at the crossroads and hears the complaints of those who pass by. Though it be the word of a woodcutter, he asks after it himself and makes it his teacher.

For this reason we gave a decree before, saying, "Of old, when the realm was ruled, there was at the court a banner for bringing forward the good and a post for writing complaints upon. They were for opening the way of government and for making those who would remonstrate come forward; they were all for asking widely of those below.

The Guanzi (管子) says, 'That the Yellow Emperor set up the council of the bright hall was to look above at the worthy; that Yao had the questioning at the hall of the crossroads was to listen below to the people; that Shun had the banner for telling of the good was that the ruler should not be shut off; that Yu set up a drum at his court was to make ready for questions; that Tang had the courtyard at the meeting of the streets was to see the faults of the people; that King Wu had the park of the spirit terrace was to bring the worthy forward. For this reason the holy emperors and the bright kings held these things and did not lose them, gained them and did not let them go.'

Therefore a bell is hung and a box is set, and men are appointed to take up the writings. Let those who are troubled and would remonstrate put their writings into the box, and let a decree be given to those who take up the writings to report and ask audience every morning. When we have that report, we shall show it to the many ministers and have it looked into. Let nothing be held back and delayed. If the many ministers are idle and not diligent, or take part with a faction, or if we ourselves are not willing to listen to remonstrance, then he who is troubled and would plead may strike the bell." So the decree ran.

And there was one among the people who with a clear and straight heart, troubled for the manners of the land, remonstrated earnestly, wrote out his words, and put them into the box that had been set there.

Therefore we now show it plainly to the people gathered here. That writing says, "The people who have come up to the capital upon the business of the government of the land are held back by office after office and used for miscellaneous labors." And so on.

We are grieved at heart by this. How should the people think that it should come to this? Yet the capital has not long been moved, and they are still like guests. Even so, they could not but be employed, and they were forced to labor. Whenever we think of this, we have never slept in peace.

We have seen this writing and can hardly cease from praising it and sighing over it. Therefore, according to the words of the remonstrance, the miscellaneous labors in the several places are abolished.

Of old a decree said, "Let him who remonstrates write his name." Yet those who have not followed the command of the decree do not seek gain for themselves, but would help the land. Do not speak of whether a name is written or not, but remonstrate with us for what we forget and cast aside.'"

He gave a decree also. "The people of the lands who are gathered here have many things to plead. Now we are about to unravel them and deal with them. Listen carefully to what is proclaimed. Those who would have their doubts settled and who have come up to the capital and gathered at the court, do not withdraw and scatter, but gather and wait upon the court."

Goryeo, Baekje, Imna and Silla all sent envoys and offered tribute and taxes.

On the eulmyo day the emperor returned from the detached palace of Koshiro.

In the third month, the first day being a gyehae day, on the gapja day, a decree was given to the Kuni no Tsukasa of the eastern lands.

"Let the lords and great officers gathered in attendance, and the Omi, the Muraji, the Kuni no Miyatsuko, the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the many people, all hear this.

He who is lord between heaven and earth and governs the myriad people cannot rule alone; he must have the wings of his servants. Therefore our imperial ancestors, age after age, ruled together with the fathers of you lords. We too desire to receive the guarding power of the gods and to rule together with you lords.

Therefore we sent before great officers of good houses to govern the eight roads of the east. Now in the charge of the Kuni no Tsukasa six men have upheld the law and two have broken the command, and blame and praise have each been heard. We praise those who upheld the law, and we hate those who broke the command.

Whoever would govern, be he lord or servant, must first make himself straight and afterward make others straight. If a man is not straight himself, how can he make others straight? Therefore he who is not straight himself, be he lord or servant, will surely meet with calamity. How can one fail to be careful? If you lead and are straight, who will dare not to be straight? Now, according to the former command, judgment is passed upon them."

On the sinsa day a decree was given to the envoys of the court assembly of the eastern lands.

"Let the ministers and great officers gathered in attendance, and the Kuni no Miyatsuko, the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the many people, all hear this.

In the eighth month of last year we taught you ourselves, saying, 'Do not use the power of your office to take the goods of the government or of private men. You may eat the food of your district and ride the horses of your district. If any break what we have taught, those from the second officer upward shall have their rank lowered, and those from the recorder downward shall be beaten with the rod and the staff. He who has taken things for himself shall pay twofold.' So the decree ran.

Now we ask the envoys of the court assembly and the Kuni no Miyatsuko. 'When the Kuni no Tsukasa came to their charge, did they uphold what was taught?'

Thereupon the envoys of the court assembly set forth the case in full.

'What Hozumi no Omi Kui did was this: among the people he sought and demanded from house to house, and then repented and gave the things back, but did not give them all back.

The fault of his two second officers, Fuse no Omi and Kose no Omi Shitan, was that they did not set their chief right. And so on. All the officers below them have faults as well.

What Kose no Tokune no Omi did was this: among the people he sought and demanded from house to house, and then repented and gave the things back, but did not give them all back, and he took besides a horse of the Tabe. His two second officers, Enoi no Muraji and Osaka no Muraji, did not set right the faults of their chief, but on the contrary sought their own gain together with him, and took besides a horse of the Kuni no Miyatsuko. Utena no Atai Sumi at first remonstrated with his chief, but in the end was muddied along with him. All the officers below them have faults as well.

What Ki no Marikita no Omi did was this: he sent men to the places of Asakura no Kimi and Inoue no Kimi to lead their horses to him and look at them; he had Asakura no Kimi make him a sword; and he took the bow and the cloth of Asakura no Kimi. Again, he did not clearly return to their owner the things the Kuni no Miyatsuko sent in place of weapons, but rashly handed them over to the Kuni no Miyatsuko. Again, in the land of his charge a sword was stolen from him by another, and in the land of Yamato a sword was stolen from him by another. These are the faults of that Ki no Omi and of his second officers Miwa no Kimi Ōkuchi and Kawabe no Omi Momoyori. And the officers below them, Kawabe no Omi Isodomari, Tajihi no Fukame, Mozu no Nagae, Katsuraki no Fukukusa, Naniwa no Kuhikame, Inukai no Ikimi, Iki no Fubito Maro and Tajihi no Ōmanako, these eight men, have faults as well.

What Azumi no Muraji did was this: when Watoko no Fubito was sick, he spoke to the Kuni no Miyatsuko and had the goods of the government sent to him. He took besides a horse of the Yube.

What his second officer Kashiwadebe no Omi Momoyori did was this: he took the things given in place of grass and put them away in his house, and he took a horse of the Kuni no Miyatsuko and brought another horse in exchange for it. The two brothers Kawabe no Omi Iwakuda and Yumaro have faults as well.

What Ōichi no Muraji did was this: he broke the former decree. The former decree said, "Let not the Kuni no Tsukasa judge of themselves, in the place of their charge, what the people plead." He broke this decree at once and judged of himself what the men of Utori pleaded and the matter of the bondman of Nakatomi no Toko. Nakatomi no Toko is guilty of the same crime.

The fault of Kishita no Omi is that a sword of the government was stolen from him in the land of Yamato; this was carelessness. Omidori no Omi and Taniwa no Omi are unskillful, but they have done no wrong. Imube no Konomi and Nakatomi no Muraji Mutsuki have faults as well. Hata no Omi and Taguchi no Omi have no fault at all. What Heguri no Omi did was this: the men of three lands had pleas, and he has not yet inquired into them.'

By this it is seen that you three men, Ki no Marikita no Omi, Kose no Tokune no Omi and Hozumi no Kui no Omi, have been idle and unskillful. When we think of this breaking of the decree, how should our heart not be troubled?

Whoever is lord or servant and shepherds the people, if he leads and is straight, who will dare not to be upright? If lord or servant does not make his heart straight, he must receive the penalty for it. What good is it to repent afterward?

Therefore all the Kuni no Tsukasa shall be examined and punished according as their faults are light or heavy. And the Kuni no Miyatsuko break the decree and send goods to their own Kuni no Tsukasa, and so seek gain together with them and always harbor filth and evil. They cannot be left ungoverned.

Yet though this is so, we have but newly taken our place in the new palace, and the offering to the gods falls in this year.

Again, it is not fitting to use the people in the months of farming, but because of the building of the new palace it truly cannot be helped. Feeling deeply these two ways, we grant a great amnesty to the realm.

From this time on let the Kuni no Tsukasa and the Kōri no Tsukasa strive and strive, and not be loose and idle. Let messengers be sent, and let the exiles of the several lands and the prisoners in the jails be set free, every one.

Besides these, six men, Shioya no Konoshiro, Kamuyashiro no Fukukusa, Asakura no Kimi, Maroko no Muraji, Mikawa no Ōtomo no Atai and Ashio no Atai, have upheld and obeyed the emperor. We praise their hearts deeply. Let the crown fields of the offices in the several places, and the rice lent out in the several places by Sumemioya of Kibishima, be abolished, and let those crown fields be shared out to the many ministers and the Tomo no Miyatsuko. And let fields and mountains be given to the temples that are off the registers."

On the imo day the crown prince sent a messenger and made request.

"In the time of the emperors of old the realm was mingled and made even, and so ruled. Coming down to now, it is divided and parted and has lost its work. The emperor our sovereign is joined to the fortune of shepherding the myriad people, and heaven and man have answered together, and his government is made new. Therefore we rejoice in it and honor it, and bearing it upon our head we bow down and make report.

The emperor, who rules the land of the eight islands as a manifest god, asked your servant. 'Those Iribe of the Koshiro set up in the days of the emperors of old, and the Iribe of the names privately held by the princes, and the Iribe of the name of the imperial ancestor Ōe, and the granaries of them, which the many ministers, the Muraji, the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the Kuni no Miyatsuko hold, shall they be left as they were in the old age, or not?'

Your servant received with reverence what was decreed, and answered, saying. 'Heaven has no two suns, and a land has no two kings. Therefore he who may hold the realm together and employ the myriad people is the emperor alone.

Apart from this, in choosing and appointing serving men from the Iribe and from the people of the fiefs, we shall follow the former disposal. As for all the rest, we fear they would be used for private service. Therefore we offer up five hundred and twenty-four Iribe and a hundred and eighty-one granaries.'"

In the third month, the first day being a gyehae day, on the gapja day, a decree was given to the Kuni no Tsukasa of the eastern lands.

"Let the lords and great officers gathered in attendance, and the Omi, the Muraji, the Kuni no Miyatsuko, the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the many people, all hear this.

He who is lord between heaven and earth and governs the myriad people cannot rule alone; he must have the wings of his servants. Therefore our imperial ancestors, age after age, ruled together with the fathers of you lords. We too desire to receive the guarding power of the gods and to rule together with you lords.

Therefore we sent before great officers of good houses to govern the eight roads of the east. Now in the charge of the Kuni no Tsukasa six men have upheld the law and two have broken the command, and blame and praise have each been heard. We praise those who upheld the law, and we hate those who broke the command.

Whoever would govern, be he lord or servant, must first make himself straight and afterward make others straight. If a man is not straight himself, how can he make others straight? Therefore he who is not straight himself, be he lord or servant, will surely meet with calamity. How can one fail to be careful? If you lead and are straight, who will dare not to be straight? Now, according to the former command, judgment is passed upon them."

On the sinsa day a decree was given to the envoys of the court assembly of the eastern lands.

"Let the ministers and great officers gathered in attendance, and the Kuni no Miyatsuko, the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the many people, all hear this.

In the eighth month of last year we taught you ourselves, saying, 'Do not use the power of your office to take the goods of the government or of private men. You may eat the food of your district and ride the horses of your district. If any break what we have taught, those from the second officer upward shall have their rank lowered, and those from the recorder downward shall be beaten with the rod and the staff.

He who has taken things for himself shall pay twofold.' So the decree ran.

Now we ask the envoys of the court assembly and the Kuni no Miyatsuko. 'When the Kuni no Tsukasa came to their charge, did they uphold what was taught?'

Thereupon the envoys of the court assembly set forth the case in full.

'What Hozumi no Omi Kui did was this: among the people he sought and demanded from house to house, and then repented and gave the things back, but did not give them all back. The fault of his two second officers, Fuse no Omi and Kose no Omi Shitan, was that they did not set their chief right. And so on. All the officers below them have faults as well.

What Kose no Tokune no Omi did was this: among the people he sought and demanded from house to house, and then repented and gave the things back, but did not give them all back, and he took besides a horse of the Tabe. His two second officers, Enoi no Muraji and Osaka no Muraji, did not set right the faults of their chief, but on the contrary sought their own gain together with him, and took besides a horse of the Kuni no Miyatsuko. Utena no Atai Sumi at first remonstrated with his chief, but in the end was muddied along with him. All the officers below them have faults as well.

What Ki no Marikita no Omi did was this: he sent men to the places of Asakura no Kimi and Inoue no Kimi to lead their horses to him and look at them; he had Asakura no Kimi make him a sword; and he took the bow and the cloth of Asakura no Kimi. Again, he did not clearly return to their owner the things the Kuni no Miyatsuko sent in place of weapons, but rashly handed them over to the Kuni no Miyatsuko. Again, in the land of his charge a sword was stolen from him by another, and in the land of Yamato a sword was stolen from him by another. These are the faults of that Ki no Omi and of his second officers Miwa no Kimi Ōkuchi and Kawabe no Omi Momoyori. And the officers below them, Kawabe no Omi Isodomari, Tajihi no Fukame, Mozu no Nagae, Katsuraki no Fukukusa, Naniwa no Kuhikame, Inukai no Ikimi, Iki no Fubito Maro and Tajihi no Ōmanako, these eight men, have faults as well.

What Azumi no Muraji did was this: when Watoko no Fubito was sick, he spoke to the Kuni no Miyatsuko and had the goods of the government sent to him. He took besides a horse of the Yube.

What his second officer Kashiwadebe no Omi Momoyori did was this: he took the things given in place of grass and put them away in his house, and he took a horse of the Kuni no Miyatsuko and brought another horse in exchange for it. The two brothers Kawabe no Omi Iwakuda and Yumaro have faults as well.

What Ōichi no Muraji did was this: he broke the former decree. The former decree said, "Let not the Kuni no Tsukasa judge of themselves, in the place of their charge, what the people plead." He broke this decree at once and judged of himself what the men of Utori pleaded and the matter of the bondman of Nakatomi no Toko. Nakatomi no Toko is guilty of the same crime.

The fault of Kishita no Omi is that a sword of the government was stolen from him in the land of Yamato; this was carelessness. Omidori no Omi and Taniwa no Omi are unskillful, but they have done no wrong. Imube no Konomi and Nakatomi no Muraji Mutsuki have faults as well. Hata no Omi and Taguchi no Omi have no fault at all. What Heguri no Omi did was this: the men of three lands had pleas, and he has not yet inquired into them.'

By this it is seen that you three men, Ki no Marikita no Omi, Kose no Tokune no Omi and Hozumi no Kui no Omi, have been idle and unskillful. When we think of this breaking of the decree, how should our heart not be troubled?

Whoever is lord or servant and shepherds the people, if he leads and is straight, who will dare not to be upright? If lord or servant does not make his heart straight, he must receive the penalty for it. What good is it to repent afterward?

Therefore all the Kuni no Tsukasa shall be examined and punished according as their faults are light or heavy. And the Kuni no Miyatsuko break the decree and send goods to their own Kuni no Tsukasa, and so seek gain together with them and always harbor filth and evil.

They cannot be left ungoverned. Yet though this is so, we have but newly taken our place in the new palace, and the offering to the gods falls in this year.

Again, it is not fitting to use the people in the months of farming, but because of the building of the new palace it truly cannot be helped. Feeling deeply these two ways, we grant a great amnesty to the realm.

From this time on let the Kuni no Tsukasa and the Kōri no Tsukasa strive and strive, and not be loose and idle. Let messengers be sent, and let the exiles of the several lands and the prisoners in the jails be set free, every one.

Besides these, six men, Shioya no Konoshiro, Kamuyashiro no Fukukusa, Asakura no Kimi, Maroko no Muraji, Mikawa no Ōtomo no Atai and Ashio no Atai, have upheld and obeyed the emperor. We praise their hearts deeply. Let the crown fields of the offices in the several places, and the rice lent out in the several places by Sumemioya of Kibishima, be abolished, and let those crown fields be shared out to the many ministers and the Tomo no Miyatsuko. And let fields and mountains be given to the temples that are off the registers."

On the imo day the crown prince sent a messenger and made request.

"In the time of the emperors of old the realm was mingled and made even, and so ruled. Coming down to now, it is divided and parted and has lost its work. The emperor our sovereign is joined to the fortune of shepherding the myriad people, and heaven and man have answered together, and his government is made new. Therefore we rejoice in it and honor it, and bearing it upon our head we bow down and make report.

The emperor, who rules the land of the eight islands as a manifest god, asked your servant. 'Those Iribe of the Koshiro set up in the days of the emperors of old, and the Iribe of the names privately held by the princes, and the Iribe of the name of the imperial ancestor Ōe, and the granaries of them, which the many ministers, the Muraji, the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the Kuni no Miyatsuko hold, shall they be left as they were in the old age, or not?'

Your servant received with reverence what was decreed, and answered, saying. 'Heaven has no two suns, and a land has no two kings.

Therefore he who may hold the realm together and employ the myriad people is the emperor alone. Apart from this, in choosing and appointing serving men from the Iribe and from the people of the fiefs, we shall follow the former disposal. As for all the rest, we fear they would be used for private service. Therefore we offer up five hundred and twenty-four Iribe and a hundred and eighty-one granaries.'"

On the gapsin day a decree was given.

"We have heard that 'the lord of the western land warned his people, saying, "Those who buried in old times made the grave upon high ground. They did not raise a mound and did not plant trees. The coffin and the outer coffin were enough to let the bones rot, and the clothes and the collar enough to let the flesh rot, and no more. Therefore I make ready this barren ground upon the hill, so that after the age has changed men may not know the place. Do not lay in gold, silver, copper or iron. Let all be of earthenware, and follow the meaning of the clay carriages and the straw figures of old. Let the coffin be lacquered only three times over, and do not put pearls or jade into the mouth. Do not use pearl jackets or jade caskets. These are the doings of the foolish and the common." And he said also, "To bury is to hide; it is to keep men from seeing."'

Of late our people are poor and cut off, and it comes wholly from the building of graves. Therefore the rules for them are set out, so that high and low may be told apart.

The grave of a king and upward shall be nine feet long within and five feet wide. Its outer bound shall be nine fathoms square and five fathoms high; a thousand men shall work at it and finish it in seven days. At the burial the curtains and the like shall be of white cloth, and there shall be a hearse.

The grave of a minister of the upper rank shall be, within, of the same length, width and height as above. Its outer bound shall be seven fathoms square and three fathoms high; five hundred men shall work at it and finish it in five days. At the burial the curtains and the like shall be of white cloth, and it shall be borne upon the shoulders.

The grave of a minister of the lower rank shall be, within, of the same length, width and height as above.

Its outer bound shall be five fathoms square and two and a half fathoms high; two hundred and fifty men shall work at it and finish it in three days. At the burial the curtains and the like shall be of white cloth, as above.

The graves of those of daijin and shōjin shall be nine feet long within, and four feet in height and in width. They shall not be mounded but made level; a hundred men shall work at them and finish them in one day.

The graves of those from dairei down to shōchi shall all be as those of daijin. Fifty men shall work at them and finish them in one day.

For the graves of those from king down to shōchi, small stones should be used, and the curtains and the like should be of white cloth.

When a common man dies, he shall be gathered up and buried in the ground. The curtains and the like may be of coarse cloth. Let there be no delay of even a day.

From king down to the common people, none may set up a place of temporary burial.

From the home provinces to the several lands, one place should be fixed where the dead may be gathered and buried, and they must not be buried foully and scattered here and there.

When a man dies, there are these old customs: hanging oneself to follow him, or strangling others to make them follow him, or forcing the dead man's horse to be killed after him, or hiding treasures in the grave for the dead man's sake, or cutting one's hair and stabbing one's thigh for the dead man's sake and speaking a eulogy. All of them are cut off together. If any break the decree and do what is forbidden, his kindred shall surely be punished.

Again, there are those who say they did not see what they saw and say they saw what they did not see, who say they did not hear what they heard and say they heard what they did not hear. They have no straight word and no straight sight at all, and many of them deceive cunningly.

Again, there are bondmen who lie about the poverty of their masters and attach themselves to houses of power, seeking a living. And the houses of power keep them by force and buy them, and many do not send them back to their true masters.

Again, when a wife or a concubine is put away by her husband, it is the constant rule that after a year has passed she goes to another. Yet there are very many former husbands who, three or four years later, covet and demand the goods of the later husband and make them their own gain.

Again, when a man who trusts in his power rashly asks for the daughter of another, and before he has taken her in the daughter goes to another of herself, there are very many such rash suitors who grow angry and demand goods of both houses and make them their own gain.

Again, when a woman who has lost her husband goes to another after ten or twenty years and becomes his wife, or when a girl who has not yet married goes to a husband for the first time, there are many who are jealous of that husband and wife and make them perform a purification.

Again, there are women who, having been wives and then hated and sent away, are so tormented by shame that they force themselves to become bondwomen of the flawed matter.

Again, there are men who often hate their wives, saying they have lain with another, and who love to ask the officers for judgment. Even if three proofs were clearly got and set forth together, only then would it be fitting to ask. Why do they bring rash pleas?

Again, there are people sent to labor at the borders who, on the day they finish their work and return to their villages, suddenly fall sick and lie down and die by the roadside. Then the house by the road says, 'Why do you make a man die upon my road?' and holds the friends and companions of the dead man and forces them to perform a purification. Because of this, though an elder brother lie dead upon the road, there are many younger brothers who will not take him up.

Again, to one who meets a man drowning in a river they say, 'Why do you make me meet with a drowning man?' and they hold the friends and companions of the drowned man and force them to perform a purification. Because of this, though an elder brother drown in a river, there are many younger brothers who will not save him.

Again, when people at their labor cook rice by the roadside, the house by the road says, 'Why do you cook rice upon my road as you please?' and forces them to perform a purification.

Again, when people borrow a steamer from another and cook rice, and that steamer touches something and is overturned, the owner of the steamer makes them perform a purification.

Such things as these are what the foolish customs have stained. Now they are all taken away and cut off, and they shall not be done again.

Again, when the people are to go up to the capital, fearing that the horses they ride will grow weary and thin and not go on, they send two fathoms of cloth and two bundles of hemp to the men of the two lands of Mikawa and Owari, and hire them to feed and keep the horses, and then they enter the capital. On the day they go home they send one hoe.

Yet the men of Mikawa do not feed and keep them, but on the contrary let them grow thin and die. If the horse is a fine one, greed is born in them and they make up a cunning lie and say it was stolen and lost. If a mare foals in their house, they make the owner perform a purification and in the end take the horse from him. Such things are widely heard.

Therefore a rule is now set up. Whoever keeps horses in the lands along the road shall, together with the man who is hired, tell the elder of the village clearly, and only then hand over the payment. On the day the owner goes home, nothing further need be repaid. If the horse is made weary and hurt, it is not right to receive the payment. If any break this decree, a heavy penalty shall be laid upon him.

The tribute and taxes of the office of the markets, and of the ferrymen at the chief roads and the crossings, are abolished, and fields are given to them instead.

From the home provinces to the lands of the four quarters, when the months of farming come, let men strive early at the tilling of the fields. It is not fitting to let them eat fine food and drink wine. Pure and upright messengers should be chosen and sent to tell this in the home provinces. And the Kuni no Miyatsuko of the several lands of the four quarters should choose good messengers and, according to the decree, urge the people on to work."

In autumn, the eighth month, the first day being a gyeongsin day, on the gyeyu day, a decree was given.

"Now heaven and earth and the yin and the yang keep the four seasons from falling into confusion. This heaven and earth bring forth the myriad things, and among the myriad things man is the most spirited. Among the most spirited, the sage becomes the lord of men.

Therefore the holy lord, the emperor, takes heaven for his model and rules the whole world, and thinking that men should each get their place, he does not let it go from his breast for a moment.

Yet the names of the first kings, and the Omi, the Muraji, the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the Kuni no Miyatsuko, have divided up their Be and parted those names one from another. And they have mingled the Be of the people and made them dwell in the lands and the counties. So at last father and son take different surnames, elder and younger brother belong to different houses, and husband and wife use names that differ from one another, and one house is split five ways and cut six ways.

Because of this, suits of contention fill the lands and crowd the court, and in the end nothing is set in order, and the confusion grows ever greater.

Therefore it is fitting that all the Be held by the emperor who now rules the whole world and by the Omi and the Muraji be abolished, and that they be made the people of the land.

Those who have borrowed the names of kings and become Tomo no Miyatsuko, and those who have taken their stand upon the names of their ancestors and become Omi and Muraji, not understanding our meaning deeply, will hear this that is proclaimed and think at once, 'The names we borrowed from our ancestors are taken away.' Therefore we proclaim it beforehand, so that they may hear and know what we hold in mind.

The sons of kings follow one another and rule the whole world, and we know well that the names of the sovereign of the time and of the sovereign ancestors must not be forgotten in the world. Yet the names of kings are lightly hung upon the names of rivers and fields and are called out. The people may well be afraid.

The name of a king shall flow far with the sun and the moon, and the names of ancestors and sons shall go on long with heaven and earth. It is because we think thus that we proclaim it.

Let the lords and great officers, the Omi, the Muraji, the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the men of the several clans, who have served from ancestor to son, all hear and hearken.

The manner in which we shall now employ you is this: the old offices are changed and done away, a hundred new offices are set up, ranks of place are attached to them, and men are ordered by office and rank.

Now the Kuni no Tsukasa are sent out, and the Kuni no Miyatsuko with them may hear and obey. As for what was laid upon the government of the court assembly last year, follow the former disposal: take back the fields that were counted and give them evenly to the people, and let no man make a difference between his and ours.

In giving fields, where the house of a man of the people is close by the field, the near ground must come first. Let it be done fittingly in this way.

As for tribute and taxes, the tribute upon the person of a man may be gathered. As for serving men, there is one from every fifty households.

Look at the borders of each land, and write them down or draw them, and bring them and show them. The names of the lands and the counties shall be fixed when you come. In each land, the ground where an embankment may be raised, the place where a ditch may be dug, and the land between where fields may be opened, shall be given out evenly and made. Hear and understand what is here proclaimed."

In the ninth month Takamuko no Hakase Kuromaro, of the rank of shōtoku, was sent to Silla to have hostages offered, and the tribute of Imna was thereupon brought to an end.

In this month the emperor went to the temporary palace of Kawazu.

In this year the rats of the land of Koshi went on one after another, night and day, moving away toward the east.

In spring, the first month, the first day being a muja day, on the imin day, there was shooting at the court. On this day Goryeo and Silla both sent envoys and offered tribute and taxes.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a jeongsa day, on the imo day, a decree was given.

"By the will of the gods, they entrusted it to us that our child should rule. Therefore from the beginning of heaven and earth this has been a land where a sovereign has reigned. From the time of the imperial ancestor who first ruled the land, the realm was greatly one, and there was no this and that at all.

Then of late, beginning with the names of the gods and the names of the emperors, some have made separate clans of Omi and Muraji, and some separate branches of the Miyatsuko and the rest.

Because of this the hearts of the people of the whole land hold fast to this and that, and deeply make an I and a you, and each keeps to his own name.

And unskillful and weak Omi, Muraji, Tomo no Miyatsuko and Kuni no Miyatsuko take those for their surnames, and hang the names of gods and the names of kings rashly upon this man and that, wherever their hearts incline.

Thereby the names of gods and the names of kings are made things with which men give bribes, and so the bondmen of others come in and stain a clean name. At last the hearts of the people are not even, and the government of the land is hard to order.

Therefore now, following the fortune of ordering and quieting that lies with the gods of heaven, we shall make them understand these things, and so govern the land and govern the people. This first and that after, today and tomorrow, we shall decree them one after another.

But the people, who have leaned upon the holy teaching of the emperor and are used to the old customs, will surely find it hard to wait while no decree is given. Therefore to the princes, the many ministers and the many people we shall give the cloth in lieu of labor and the tribute."

In this year Okori was pulled down and a palace was built. The emperor took his place in the palace of Okori and fixed the rules of ceremony. The rule said.

"All who have rank shall, at the hour of the tiger, stand in rows to left and right outside the south gate and wait for the first rising of the sun; then they shall go into the courtyard and bow twice, and attend in the hall. Those who come late may not enter and attend. When the hour of the horse comes, they shall hear the bell and withdraw. The officer who strikes the bell shall hang a red kerchief before him. The stand of the bell shall be raised in the middle of the courtyard."

The workman Yamato no Aya no Atai Aratai no Hirabu, of the daisen rank, wrongly dug a ditch and drew it to Naniwa, and then dug it again and wearied the people.

At this there was one who sent up a writing and remonstrated. The emperor gave a decree. "We listened rashly to what Hirabu falsely said, and dug the ditch to no purpose. It is our fault." That same day the labor was stopped.

In winter, the tenth month, the first day being a gabin day, on the gapja day, the emperor went to the hot springs of Arima. The Ministers of the Left and of the Right and the many lords and great officers followed him.

On the last day of the twelfth month the emperor returned from the hot springs and stayed at the temporary palace of Muko. On this day there was a fire in the palace of the crown prince. The men of that time were greatly astonished and thought it strange.

In this year caps of seven colors and thirteen grades were made.

The first is the shokkan cap (織冠). It has two grades, great and small. It is made of woven stuff, and the border of the cap is cut from embroidery. The color of the robe is deep purple for both.

The second is the shukan cap (繡冠). It has two grades, great and small. It is made of embroidery, and the border of the cap and the color of the robe are the same as for the shokkan cap.

The third is the shikan cap (紫冠). It has two grades, great and small. It is made of purple, and the border of the cap is cut from woven stuff. The color of the robe is light purple.

The fourth is the kinkan cap (錦冠). It has two grades, great and small. The great kinkan cap is made of great Hakusen brocade, and the border of the cap is cut from woven stuff. The small kinkan cap is made of small Hakusen brocade, and the border of the cap is cut from great Hakusen brocade. The color of the robe is true crimson for both.

The fifth is the seikan cap (青冠). It is made of blue silk and has two grades, great and small. The border of the great seikan cap is cut from great Hakusen brocade, and the border of the small seikan cap is cut from small Hakusen brocade. The color of the robe is dark blue for both.

The sixth is the kokkan cap (黑冠). It has two grades, great and small. The border of the great kokkan cap is cut from brocade with a carriage pattern, and the border of the small kokkan cap is cut from brocade with a diamond pattern. The color of the robe is green for both.

The seventh is kenmu (建武). It is made of black silk, and the border of the cap is cut from dark blue.

Besides these there is the tōkan cap (鐙冠), made of black silk. Upon the back of the cap lacquered gauze is stretched, and the border and the hairpin differ in their height, and the shape is like a cicada. The hairpins of the small kinkan cap and upward are made of gold and silver mixed. The hairpins of the great and the small seikan caps are made of silver. The hairpins of the great and the small kokkan caps are made of copper. The kenmu cap has no hairpin.

These caps are worn at the great assemblies, at the feasting of guests, and at the times of abstinence in the fourth month and the seventh month.

Silla sent Kim Chunchu (金春秋), its chief minister, of the rank of daeachan, and his company, bringing back Takamuko no Kuromaro the scholar, of the rank of shōtoku, and Nakatomi no Muraji Oshikuma, of the rank of shōsenchū, and they offered one peacock and one parrot. Chunchu was then made a hostage. Chunchu was fair of form and face, and he talked and laughed well.

The stockade of Nutari was built, and households were set to guard the stockade. The old men said to one another. "For several years the rats have gone eastward. Was this the sign that the stockade would be built?"

In spring, the first month, on the imo day that was the first of the month, the new year was greeted. On that evening the emperor went to the palace of Naniwasaki.

In the second month, on the imja day that was the first of the month, student monks were sent to the Three Han.

On the gimi day Abe no Ōomi invited the four companies to Shitennōji, received four Buddha images and had them seated within the pagoda. He made the shape of Vulture Peak, piling up drums to make it.

In summer, the fourth month, on the sinhae day that was the first of the month, the old caps were done away. The Ministers of the Left and of the Right still wore the old caps.

In this year Silla sent envoys and offered tribute. The stockade of Iwafune was put in order against the Emishi. Then people of Koshi and of Shinano were chosen, and for the first time households were set to guard the stockade.

In spring, the first month, on the byeongo day that was the first of the month, the new year was greeted.

In the second month nineteen grades of cap were made. The first is daishoku (大織), the second shōshoku, the third daishū (大繡), the fourth shōshū, the fifth daishi (大紫), the sixth shōshi, the seventh daikajō (大花上), the eighth daikage, the ninth shōkajō, the tenth shōkage, the eleventh daisenjō (大山上), the twelfth daisenge, the thirteenth shōsenjō, the fourteenth shōsenge, the fifteenth daiotsujō (大乙上), the sixteenth daiotsuge, the seventeenth shōotsujō, the eighteenth shōotsuge, and the nineteenth risshin (立身).

In this month a decree was given to Takamuko no Genri the scholar and to the monk Min to set up the eight ministries (省) and the hundred offices.

In the third month, the first day being an eulsa day, on the sinyu day, Abe no Ōomi died. The emperor went to the Suzaku gate, raised the wail and grieved. Sumemioya no Mikoto, the crown prince and the rest, and all the lords, wept along with him.

On the mujin day Soga no Omi Himuka slandered Kura Yamada no Ōomi to the crown prince. "My elder brother by another mother, Maro, is watching for the time when the crown prince goes out to the seashore, and means to do him harm. He will rebel, and it will not be long."

The crown prince believed it.

The emperor sent Ōtomo no Koma no Muraji, Mikuni no Maro no Kimi and Hozumi no Kui no Omi to the place of Soga no Kura Yamada no Maro no Ōomi, to ask whether the rebellion were false or true.

The Ōomi answered. "My answer to what is asked I shall set forth face to face, in the place where the emperor is."

The emperor sent Mikuni no Maro no Kimi and Hozumi no Kui no Omi again to look into the manner of his rebellion. Maro no Ōomi answered as he had answered before.

The emperor was then about to raise soldiers and surround the house of the Ōomi.

The Ōomi then took his two sons Hōshi and Akai and fled by the road of Chinu toward the border of the land of Yamato.

Okishi, the eldest son of the Ōomi, had been in Yamato before this, building his temple there. Now he suddenly heard that his father had fled to him, and he met him at the great zelkova of Imaki, and coming close he went before him and entered the temple.

He looked back and said to the Ōomi. "Okishi asks to go straight out himself and meet and hold back the soldiers who come."

The Ōomi did not allow it.

That night Okishi meant to burn the palace, and he still gathered soldiers.

On the gisa day the Ōomi said to his eldest son Okishi. "Do you love your body?"

Okishi answered. "I do not love it."

The Ōomi then set forth his mind to the many monks of Yamadadera, to his eldest son Okishi and to some tens of men.

"How should one who is the servant of another plot rebellion against his lord? How should he lose his filial duty to his father? This temple was not built for my own sake.

It was built and vowed for the emperor. Now I am slandered by Mizashi, and I fear that I shall be cut down unjustly. Though I look for a while toward the Yellow Springs, I withdraw still holding my loyalty. The reason I have come to the temple is to make my last hour easy."

When he had finished speaking he opened the doors of the Buddha hall and made a vow, saying. "May I, in the worlds where I am born and born again, never bear a grudge against my lord."

When the vow was done he hanged himself and died. Of his wife and his children, eight followed him in death.

On this day Ōtomo no Koma no Muraji and Soga no Himuka no Omi were made generals to lead the host and pursue the Ōomi.

When the general Ōtomo no Muraji and his men came to Mount Kuro, Haji no Muraji Mu and Uneme no Omi Omimaro came running from Yamadadera and told them. "Soga no Ōomi has already hanged himself and died, together with three sons and one daughter."

Because of this the generals turned back at the pass of Tajihi.

On the gyeongo day many of the wife and the children of Yamada no Ōomi, and of those who followed his person, hanged themselves and died.

Hozumi no Omi Kui seized and gathered Taguchi no Omi Tsukushi and the rest of the Ōomi's company, put the cangue upon them and bound their hands behind them.

That evening Ki no Omi Maro, Soga no Omi Himuka and Hozumi no Omi Kui surrounded the temple with soldiers. They called Mononobe no Futata no Miyatsuko Shio and had him cut off the head of the Ōomi.

Thereupon Futata no Shio drew his great sword, thrust it into the flesh and raised it, and crying out and wailing aloud, he cut at last.

On the gapsul day those who were put to death for the sake of Soga no Yamada no Ōomi were Taguchi no Omi Tsukushi, Miminashi no Michitoko, Takata no Shikoo, Nukatabe no Yue no Muraji and Hata no Aji, fourteen men in all; nine were strangled, and fifteen were banished.

In this month messengers were sent and the property of Yamada no Ōomi was gathered in.

Among the property, upon good books was written, "The book of the crown prince," and upon precious things was written, "The thing of the crown prince."

The messengers came back and reported what they had gathered. The crown prince knew then for the first time that the heart of the Ōomi had been upright and clean, and repentance and shame came upon him afterward, and he could hardly cease from grieving and sighing.

Himuka no Omi was at once appointed governor of the great government house of Tsukushi. The men of the world said to one another. "Is this a hidden banishment?"

Soga no Miyatsukohime, the consort of the crown prince, heard that her father the Ōomi had been cut down by Shio, and her heart was hurt and pained, and she hated to hear the name of salt (鹽). Therefore those who waited close upon Miyatsukohime shunned the name of salt and changed it and said kitashi (堅鹽).

Miyatsukohime died at last of her hurt heart. The crown prince heard that Miyatsukohime had passed away, and he was stricken and hurt in heart as ever, and he wept most bitterly.

Thereupon Nonaka no Kawara no Fubito Mitsu came forward and offered a song. The song said.

"In the mountains and the rivers two mandarin ducks are there, well matched and matched together; who has led away the one I loved (山川に鴛鴦二つ居て偶良く偶へる妹を誰か率にけむ)"

— This base text gives the song in its Japanese reading and not in the man'yōgana of the original. This sets down sounds only, and is not turned into meaning.

"Upon every stem the flowers bloom, and yet why does she whom I love not bloom and come again (本每に花は咲けども何とかも愛妹が復咲き出來ぬ)"

— This base text gives the song in its Japanese reading and not in the man'yōgana of the original. This sets down sounds only, and is not turned into meaning.

The crown prince sighed deeply, as if he would fall, and praised him, saying. "Good! And sad!" He then gave him his koto and had him sing, and gave him four bolts of silk, twenty pieces of cloth and two bundles of floss.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being an eulmyo day, on the gabo day, daishi was given to Kose no Tokotako no Omi of shōshi, and he was made Minister of the Left. Daishi was given to Ōtomo no Nagatoko no Muraji of shōshi, and he was made Minister of the Right.

In the fifth month, on the gyemyo day that was the first of the month, Miwa no Kimi Shikobu of shōkage and Kanimori no Muraji Tsunomaro of daisenjō and their company were sent to Silla.

In this year the king of Silla sent Kim Dasu (金多逐) of the Satakbu, of the rank of sachan, to be a hostage. Those who followed him were thirty-seven men.

In spring, the first month, on the sinchuk day that was the first of the month, the imperial carriage went to the palace of Ajifu and looked upon the rites of greeting the new year. On this day the carriage returned to the palace.

In the second month, the first day being a gyeongo day, on the muin day, Kusakabe no Muraji Shikotsu, the Kuni no Tsukasa of the land of Anato, offered a white pheasant and said. "Nie, of the same kindred as the Kuni no Miyatsuko no Obito, took it on Mount Ono on the ninth day of the first month."

Thereupon the noblemen of Baekje were asked. The nobleman of Baekje said. "In the eleventh year of Yongping under Emperor Ming of the Later Han, white pheasants were seen in several places." And so on.

The monks were asked as well, and the monks answered. "Our ears have not heard of it and our eyes have not seen it. It is fitting to pardon the realm and make the hearts of the people glad."

Dōtō the teacher of the law said.

"Of old, when Goryeo wished to build a temple, there was no ground it did not look at. Then in one place a white deer walked slowly, and so a temple was built upon that ground and was named Hakurokuonji (白鹿薗寺), and there the law of the Buddha was kept and dwelt in.

Again, a white sparrow was seen at the field estate of a temple, and the men of the land all said, 'It is a good omen.' Again, an envoy sent to the great Tang brought back a dead three-legged crow, and the men of the land also said, 'It is a good omen.' Though these things are small, they are still called things of good omen; how much more a white pheasant."

Sōmin the teacher of the law said.

"This is called a good omen, and it is enough to be counted a rare thing. I have heard with reverence that when the king spreads his rule to the four quarters, then a white pheasant is seen. Again, when the king does not overstep in his sacrifices, and there is measure in his feasting, his food and his clothing, then it comes. Again, when the king is pure and plain, then a white pheasant comes forth from the mountains. Again, when the king is benevolent and holy, then it is seen.

Again, in the time of King Cheng of Zhou the Yueshang (越裳氏) came and offered a white pheasant, saying. 'I have heard the aged of my land say, "It is long now; there have been no strange winds and no excessive rains, and the rivers and the seas have not swelled in waves, for three years up to this time." I thought there must be a sage in the Middle Land, and how should I not go and pay court to him? Therefore I came through three interpreters one after another.'

Again, in the first year of Xianning under Emperor Wu of Jin it was seen at Songzi. This then is a good omen, and the realm may be pardoned."

Therefore the white pheasant was let loose in the garden.

On the gapsin day the array at the court was as at the rite of the new year's gathering. The Ministers of the Left and of the Right and the hundred officers stood in four lines outside the purple gate. Four men, Awata no Omi Ihamushi and the rest, were made to hold the palanquin of the pheasant and to go before.

The Ministers of the Left and of the Right then led the hundred officers, and Pungjang (豐璋) the nobleman of Baekje with his younger brothers Saeseong (塞城) and Chungseung (忠勝), and Mochi (毛治) the attendant physician of Goryeo, and the attendant scholars of Silla, and they came to the middle courtyard.

Four men, Mikuni no Kimi Maro, Ina no Kimi Takami, Miwa no Kimi Mikaho and Ki no Omi Omarokita, were made to take the palanquin of the pheasant in their stead and to go forward before the hall.

At this the Ministers of the Left and of the Right came and took the front of the palanquin, and Prince Ise, Mikuni no Kimi Maro and Kura no Omi Okuso took the back of the palanquin, and they set it before the imperial seat.

The emperor then called the crown prince, and they took it and looked at it together. The crown prince withdrew and bowed twice, and had Kose no Ōomi offer congratulation.

"The lords and the hundred officers offer congratulation. Because Your Majesty rules the realm with a pure and peaceful virtue, a white pheasant has come forth from the west. It is our wish that Your Majesty may govern in purity the eight great islands of the four quarters for a thousand autumns and ten thousand years, and that the lords, the hundred officers and the many people may give their loyalty to the full and serve diligently in their tasks."

When the congratulation was done they bowed twice.

A decree was given.

"When a holy king comes forth into the world and rules the realm, heaven answers him and shows its good omens. In days gone by, in the time of King Cheng of Zhou, the lord of the western land, and in the time of Emperor Ming of Han, white pheasants were seen. In our land of Japan, in the time of Emperor Homuta, a white crow nested in the palace, and in the time of Emperor Ōsazaki a dragon horse was seen in the west.

Therefore from of old until now good omens have been seen from time to time, answering to those who have virtue, and their kinds are many.

The phoenix, the qilin, the white pheasant and the white crow, and such birds and beasts, and even the grasses and the trees, when they agree and answer, are all good omens and fair signs brought forth by heaven and earth.

That a bright and holy lord should receive these omens is fitting for him. We think ourself empty and slight; with what shall we enjoy this? It comes wholly from the lords, the Omi, the Muraji, the Tomo no Miyatsuko and the Kuni no Miyatsuko who help and uphold us, each giving his red-hearted loyalty and following the rules with reverence.

Therefore, from the lords down to the hundred officers, serve the gods with reverence with a pure and white mind, and receive together this good omen, and make the realm flourish."

He gave a decree also. "The lands and the districts of the four quarters are entrusted to us by heaven, and therefore we rule over them all and govern the whole world. Now, in the land of Anato, which our own divine ancestors know, there is this fair omen. Therefore we grant a great pardon to the realm and change the era name to Hakuchi (白雉)."

Then the flying of hawks within the borders of Anato was forbidden, and stipends were given to the lords and the great officers and down to the clerks, to each according to his degree.

Thereupon Kusakabe no Muraji Shikotsu, the Kuni no Tsukasa, was praised, and daisen was given to him, and great stipends besides, and the tribute and the labor of Anato were remitted for three years.

In summer, the fourth month, Silla sent envoys and offered tribute.

In winter, the tenth month, things were given, to each according to his degree, to those whose hills and graves had been pulled down and who had been moved away for the making of the palace ground. Then Aratai no Atai Hirabu, the great master of works, was sent to set up the marks of the palace borders.

In this month an embroidered image sixteen feet high, the attendant images beside it, the eight companies of guardians and the rest, thirty-six images in all, were made for the first time.

In this year Aya no Yamaguchi no Atai Ōkuchi carved a thousand Buddha images according to a decree. Yamato no Aya no Atai Agata, Shirakabe no Muraji Abumi and Naniwa no Kishi Agura were sent to the land of Aki to have two Baekje ships built.

In spring, the third month, the first day being a gabo day, on the jeongmi day, the embroidered image sixteen feet high and the rest were finished. On the musin day Sumemioya no Mikoto invited the ten teachers and set out a feast of abstinence.

In summer, the sixth month, Baekje and Silla sent envoys and offered tribute and presented things.

On the last day of the twelfth month more than two thousand one hundred monks and nuns were invited to the palace of Ajifu to read the whole body of the sutras. That evening more than two thousand seven hundred lamps were lit within the court, and the Antaku sutra (安宅經), the Dosoku sutra (土側經) and the rest were read.

Thereupon the emperor moved from Okori and took his place in the new palace. It was named the palace of Nagara no Toyosaki in Naniwa.

In this year the tribute envoys of Silla, Jiman (知萬) of the rank of sachan and his company, came to Tsukushi wearing the dress of the land of Tang. The court hated it that they had changed their customs as they pleased, and rebuked them and drove them back.

At this time Kose no Ōomi made request. "If we do not strike Silla now, we shall surely repent of it afterward. And the manner of striking them need cost no force. From the port of Naniwa to the sea of Tsukushi let ships be set afloat, one touching another and filling the way, and let Silla be called and asked its crime; it may easily be won."

In spring, the first month, on the giyu day that was the first of the month, when the rites of the new year's day were over, the imperial carriage went to the palace of Okori.

From the first month to this month the sharing out of the fields was finished. A field thirty paces long is a tan, and ten tan are a chō.

In the third month, the first day being a muo day, on the byeongin day, the imperial carriage returned to the palace.

In summer, the fourth month, the first day being a muja day, on the imin day, the monk Ein was invited within the palace to expound the Sutra of Measureless Life, and the monk Eshi (惠資) was made the questioner, and a thousand monks were made the hearers.

On the jeongmi day the expounding was ended. From this day on the rain fell without ceasing. By the ninth day houses were broken and ruined and the seedlings in the fields were hurt. Many men and oxen and horses were drowned.

In this month registers of households were made. Fifty households were made a ward, and an elder was set over each ward. Every head of a household was made such as the elder of the house. Every five households stood surety for one another and made one man their elder, and they were to watch over one another.

Silla and Baekje sent envoys and offered tribute and presented things.

In autumn, the ninth month, the building of the palace was finished. The manner of that palace cannot be told in full.

On the last day of the twelfth month the monks and the nuns of the realm were invited within the palace, and a feast of abstinence was set out, and great almsgiving was made, and lamps were lit.

In the fourth year, in summer, the fifth month, the first day being a sinhae day, on the imsul day, there were sent the great envoy to the great Tang, Kishi no Nagani of shōsenjō, the second envoy Kishi no Koma of shōotsujō, the student monks Dōgon (道嚴), Dōtsū (道通), Dōkō (道光), Ese (惠施), Kakushō (覺勝), Benshō (辨正), Eshō (惠照), Sōnin (僧忍), Chisō (知聰), Dōshō (道昭), Jōe (定惠), Andatsu (安達) and Dōkan (道觀), and the students Kose no Omi Kusuri and Hi no Muraji Okina, a hundred and twenty-one men in all, and they were put aboard one ship together. Murohara no Obito Mita was made the envoy who saw them off.

Again the great envoy Takata no Obito Nemaro of daisenge, the second envoy Kanimori no Muraji Komaro of shōotsujō, and the student monks Dōfuku (道福) and Gikō (義向), a hundred and twenty men in all, were put aboard one ship together. Haji no Muraji Yatsute was made the envoy who saw them off.

In this month the emperor went to the room of Min the teacher of the law and asked after his sickness, and gave him a gracious command with his own mouth.

One book says, under the seventh month of the fifth year, that Sōmin the teacher of the law lay sick at Azumidera. Thereupon the emperor went and asked after him, and taking his hand he said. "If the teacher of the law dies today, we shall die tomorrow."

In this year the crown prince made request. "We wish to move to the capital of Yamato."

The emperor did not allow it. The crown prince then took with him Sumemioya no Mikoto and the empress Hashihito, and led the imperial younger brothers, and went and dwelt at the temporary palace by the river of Asuka in Yamato. At this time the lords, the great officers and the hundred officers all moved with them.

Because of this the emperor was aggrieved and wished to cast away the throne of the land, and he had a palace built at Yamasaki, and he sent a song to the empress Hashihito, saying.

"The colt I reared, with the iron tether upon it, cannot be led out; has anyone seen the colt I reared (金木著け吾が飼駒は引出せず吾が飼駒を人見つらむか)"

— This base text gives the song in its Japanese reading and not in the man'yōgana of the original. This sets down sounds only, and is not turned into meaning.

In spring, the first month, on the musin day that was the first of the month, at night the rats moved toward the capital of Yamato. On the imja day the shikan cap was given to Nakatomi no Kamatari no Muraji, and some number of houses were added to his fief.

In the second month there were sent the chief envoy to the great Tang, Takamuko no Fubito Genri of daikinjō, the great envoy Kawabe no Omi Maro of shōkinge, the second envoy Kusushi Enichi of daisenge, and the secretaries Fumi no Atai Maro of daiotsujō, Miya no Obito Amita, Oka no Kimi Yoroshi of shōotsujō, Okisome no Muraji Ōku, Nakatomi no Hashihito no Muraji Oyu of shōotsuge, and Tanabe no Tsukai Tori and their company, and they were put aboard two ships apart. They stayed several months, took the road of Silla and came to Laizhou (萊州).

At last they reached the capital and had audience of the Son of Heaven. Thereupon Guo Zhangju (郭丈舉), the warden of the gate of the eastern palace, asked them all about the land and the ways of the land of Japan and the names of the gods at the beginning of the land. They answered every question as it was asked.

Takamuko no Genri, the chief envoy, died in the great Tang.

Iki no Hakatoko said. "The student monk Emyō died in Tang. Chisō died at sea. Chikoku (智國) died at sea. Chishū (智宗) came back in the year of gyeongin aboard a ship of Silla. Kakushō died in Tang. Gitsū (義通) died at sea. Jōe came back in the year of eulchuk aboard the ship of Liu Degao (劉德高) and his company. Myōi (妙位), Hōshō (法勝), the students Hi no Muraji Okina and Ko no Kogane, twelve men in all, and besides them Kara no Chikō and Chō Genpō, of the seed of Wa, came back this year together with the envoy."

In summer, the fourth month, two men and two women of the land of Tokhara (吐火羅國) and one woman of Shravasti (舍衛) were driven by the wind and came to Himuka.

In autumn, the seventh month, the first day being a gapsul day, on the jeongyu day, Kishi no Nagani, the envoy of the western sea, and his company came to Tsukushi together with the envoys who saw them off from Baekje and Silla.

In this month the envoys of the western sea were praised for having met the Son of Heaven of the land of Tang and for having got many writings and precious things, and shōkage was given to the great envoy Kishi no Nagani of shōsenjō, and a fief of two hundred households was given him, and a surname was given him, and he was called of the Kure clan (吳氏). Shōsenjō was given to the second envoy Kishi no Koma of shōotsujō.

In winter, the tenth month, on the gyemyo day that was the first of the month, the crown prince heard that the emperor was sick, and he took with him Sumemioya no Mikoto and the empress Hashihito, and led the imperial younger brothers and the lords, and went to the palace of Naniwa.

On the imja day the emperor died in the main chamber. A place of temporary burial was then raised in the southern courtyard. Mozu no Haji no Muraji Hanitoko of shōsenjō was put in charge of the affairs of the palace of temporary burial.

In the twelfth month, the first day being an imin day, on the giyu day, he was buried in the tomb of Shinaga at Ōsaka.

On this day the crown prince took with him Sumemioya no Mikoto and moved and dwelt at the temporary palace of Kawabe in Yamato.

An old man said. "That the rats went toward the capital of Yamato was a sign that the capital would be moved."

In this year Goryeo, Baekje and Silla all sent envoys and offered condolence.