was a prestigious hereditary

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Great B ...

title in

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, used mainly between

Asuka Asuka may refer to: People * Asuka (name), a list of people * Asuka (wrestler), professional wrestler * Asuka (wrestler, born 1998), professional wrestler also known as Veny outside of Japan Places In Japan * , an area in Yamato Province (now N ...

and Heian periods. At first, it was the second highest, below '' Mahito'', which was given to members of the

Imperial family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term pap ...

, but after Heian period it became the highest of the eight noble titles: ''Ason, Mahito,

Sukune ''Sukune'' (宿禰) is one of the hereditary noble titles of ancient Japan. In the 3rd to 5th centuries, it was used as a title to represent military and administrative officers of the Yamato court. In the 8th century, it became one of the eight ...

, Imiki, Michinoshi, Omi,

Muraji (from Old Japanese: ''muraⁿzi'' < *''mura-nusi'' "village master") was an ancient

Japan

ese hereditary title denoting rank and ...

'', and ''

Inagi file:Inagi City Hall.jpg, 270px, Inagi City Hall is a Cities of Japan, city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 92,585 in 41,592 households, and a population density of 5200 persons ...

.''

History

The title was created as a part of the eight-''

kabane were Japanese hereditary noble titles. Their use traces back to ancient times when they began to be used as titles signifying a family's political and social status. History As the national unification by the Yamato imperial court progressed ...

'' system, proclaimed in 684 during

Emperor Tenmu was the 40th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 天武天皇 (40) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. Tenmu's re ...

's reign, as its second highest rank. As such, ''Asomi'' was initially given to the highest ranked noble clans whose genealogical origins were often claimed back to imperial princes. Although the clans closest to the Imperial House, that is, descendants of

Emperor Keitai (died 10 March 531) was the 26th legendary emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 継体天皇 (26)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. No firm dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign, but h ...

, were intended to be promoted to ''Mahito'', the first rank in the original eight ''kabane'' system, this fell out of favor with the nobility. In 802, Prince Yasuyo, a son of

Emperor Kammu , or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kanmu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the scop ...

was designated Yoshimine no Ason Yasuyo, an indication that he had renounced his imperial status and became a member of the

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks. Peerages include: Australia * Australian peers Belgium * Belgi ...

. Since the Heian period, ''Ason'' became the highest of the eight ''kabane'', and began to be used by imperial princes and their descendants. Eventually, all families with aristocratic lineage bore the title of ''Ason'', and the other titles fell out of favor, and ''Ason'' simply became a title indicating a person's social status.

Notable holders

Notable ''Ason'' were: * Fujiwara no Ason, awarded by

Emperor Tenji , also known as Emperor Tenchi, was the 38th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')天智天皇 (38)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 5 ...

Nakatomi no Kamatari Fujiwara no Kamatari (藤原鎌足, 614 – November 14, 669) was a Japanese statesman, courtier and aristocrat during the Asuka period (538–710).Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Tadahira" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (191 ...

in 668; the origin of the

Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

* Minamoto no Ason, first awarded to his non-heir sons by

Emperor Saga was the 52nd emperor of Japan,#Kunaichō, Emperor Saga, Saganoyamanoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional List of Emperors of Japan, order of succession. Saga's reign spanned the years from 809 through 823 ...

(786–842); the origin of the

Minamoto clan was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...

* Taira no Ason, awarded to his grandson by

(737–806); see also

Taira clan The Taira was one of the four most important clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian, Kamakura and Muromachi Periods of Japanese history – the others being the Fujiwara, the Tachibana, and the Minamoto. The clan is divided ...

Notable holders of ''Ason'' were: *

Kakinomoto no Ason Hitomaro Kakinomoto no Hitomaro (柿本人麻呂 or 柿本人麿; – ) was a Japanese ''waka (poetry), waka'' poet and aristocrat of the late Asuka period. He was the most prominent of the poets included in the ''Man'yōshū'', the oldest ''waka'' an ...

, poet (c. 662–710) *

Isonokami no Ason Maro was a Japanese statesman of the Asuka period and early Nara period His family name was Mononobe no Muraji, later Mononobe no Ason and Isonokami no Ason. He attained the court rank of and ''sadaijin'', and posthumously . In 672 Maro supported ...

, statesman, possibly buried in

Takamatsuzuka Tomb The or "Tall Pine Tree Ancient Burial Mound" in Japanese is an ancient circular tomb in Asuka village, Nara Prefecture, Japan. History The tomb is thought to have been built at some time between the end of the 7th century and the beginning of th ...

(640–717) *

Kasa no Ason Maro , was a Japanese Buddhist priest and poet. Little is known of his life except that his secular name was Kasa no Ason Maro. While serving at a temple in the north of Kyūshū, he was a member of Ōtomo no Tabito's literary coterie. His few surviving ...

, poet better known as Sami Mansei (

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

720) *

Miyamoto no Kintada Ason Minamoto no Kintada (889–948, Japanese: 源公忠, also 源公忠朝臣 ''Miyamoto no Kintada Ason'') was a middle Heian period, Heian ''Waka (poetry), waka'' poet and nobleman. Along with his son Minamoto no Saneakira he is designated a me ...

, poet (889–948) *

Fujiwara Toshiyuki no Ason Fujiwara no Toshiyuki (birthdate unknown – 901 or 907, Japanese: 藤原敏行, also 藤原敏行朝臣 ''Fujiwara Toshiyuki no Ason'') was a middle Heian '' waka'' poet and Japanese nobleman. He was designated a member of the Thirty-six P ...

, poet (fl. 900) * Onakatomi no Yoshinobu Ason, poet (921–991) * Minamoto no Muneyuki Ason, poet (d. 983) *

Fujiwara no Ason Sadaie , better-known as Fujiwara no Teika"Sadaie" and "Teika" are both possible readings of ; "...there is the further problem, the rendition of the name in romanized form. Teika probably referred to himself as Sadaie, and his father probably called ...

, poet and scholar (1162–1241) * Taiganin den Taira no Ason Iga no Kami Raiodo Hon Daikoji, founder of

Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū Written as 天眞正傳香取神道流 before adoption (1946) of Tōyō kanji. is one of the oldest extant Japanese martial arts, and an exemplar of '' bujutsu''. The Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū was founded by Iizasa Ienao, born in 13 ...

(1387–1488)

References

Japanese historical terms Classical Japan Japanese nobility {{Japan-hist-stub

History

Notable holders

See also

References