Emperor Jomei

was the 34th emperor of Japan,Kunaichō: 斉明天皇 (34) according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). The Imperial House of Japan, p. 48.

Jomei's reign spanned the years from 629 through 641.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ; Brown, Delmer et al. (1979). Gukanshō, pp.263; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). Jinnō Shōtōki. p. 129–130.

Traditional narrative Before Jomei's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (imina) was or .Brown, p. 264; prior to Emperor Jomei, the personal names of the emperors (their imina) were very long and people did not generally use them. The number of characters in each name diminished after Jomei's reign. As emperor, his name would have been Okinagatarashihi Hironuka Sumeramikoto ().

He was a grandson of Emperor Bidatsu, both paternally and maternally. His father was Prince Oshisakanohikohito-no-Ōe, his mother was Princess Nukate-hime, who was a younger sister of his father.Varley, p. 129.

Events in Jomei's reign He succeeded his great-aunt, Empress Suiko. Suiko did not make it clear who was to succeed her after her death. Before her death in 629, she called Tamura and Prince Shōtoku's son, Prince Yamashiro-no-Ōe, and gave some brief advice to each of them. After her death the court was divided into two factions, each supporting one of the princes for the throne. Soga no Emishi, the head of Soga clan, supported Tamura. He claimed that Empress Suiko's last words suggested her desire that Tamura succeed her to the throne. Scholars then construed that the succession (senso)Varley, p. 44; a distinct act of senso is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except Jitō, Yōzei, Go-Toba, and Fushimi have senso and sokui in the same year until the reign of Emperor Go-Murakami. was received by Tamura.Varley, p. 130. Shortly thereafter, he is said to have acceded to the throne (sokui) as Emperor Jomei.Titsingh, p. 42; Brown, p. 264; Varley, p. 130. Prince Yamashiro-no-Ōe was later attacked by the Soga clan and committed suicide along with his entire family.

Jomei's contemporary title would not have been tennō, as most historians believe this title was not introduced until the reigns of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. Rather, it was presumably (written the same way as tennō: 天皇) or Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi (), meaning "the great king who rules all under heaven". Alternatively, Jomei might have been referred to as (ヤマト大王/大君) or the "Great King of Yamato".

Emperor Jomei did not seek to name an heir, and Prince Yamashiro, his political rival, was still alive. In order to ensure peace between Yamashiro and his family, and Jomei's own children, the throne passed to his wife and niece, who became Empress Kōgyoku.

During Emperor Jomei's reign, Soga no Emishi seized several political initiatives. After Jomei's death, the throne was passed to his wife and niece, Empress Kōgyoku, and then to her younger brother, Emperor Kōtoku, after which the throne returned to Kōgyoku again under the name Saimei, before eventually being inherited by two of his sons, Emperor Tenji and Emperor Tenmu.

Emperor Jomei's reign lasted 13 years. In the 13th year of his reign (), he died at the age of 49.

Grave The actual site of Jomei's grave is known. The emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) located in Sakurai, Nara. The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Jomei's mausoleum. It is formally named .Ponsonby-Fane, p. 420.

It is commonly called . It is an . It is identified as the tomb of Emperor Jomei by the Imperial Household Agency and of the same form as the . and of his wife Empress Kōgyoku buried in Kengoshizuka Kofun.

Poetry The Man'yōshū includes poems attributed to emperors and empresses, including "Climbing Kagu-yama and looking upon the land", which is said to have been composed by Emperor Jomei:

Countless are the mountains in Yamato, But perfect is the heavenly hill of Kagu; When I climb it and survey my realm, Over the wide plain the smoke-wreaths rise and rise, Over the wide lake the gulls are on the wing; A beautiful land it is, the land of Yamato! – Emperor JomeiNippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai. (1969). The Manyōshū, p. 3.

Consorts and children Consort (Hi): Princess Tame (), Emperor Bidatsu’s daughter Empress (Kōgō): Princess Takara () later Empress Kōgyoku, Prince Chinu's daughter (also Prince Oshisaka-no-Hikohito-no-Ōe's grand daughter and Emperor Bidatsu’s great grand daughter) Second Son: Prince Kazuraki/Naka-no-Ōe () later Emperor Tenji Prince Ōama () later Emperor Tenmu Princess Hashihito (, d. 665), Empress Consort of Emperor Kōtoku Madame (Bunin): Soga no Hote-no-iratsume (), Soga no Umako’s daughter First Son: Prince Furuhito-no-Ōe () (ca. 612–645) Princess Nunoshiki () Court lady (Uneme): Kaya no Uneme (), lower court lady from Kaya () Prince Kaya () Madame (Bunin): Awata no Kagushi-hime () Princess Oshisaka-no-watamuki () Madame (Bunin): Soga no Tetsuki-no-iratsume (), Soga no Emishi’s daughter Princess Yata () Unknown: Prince Isobe (), founder of Kuge clan

Emperor Jomei

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