emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (emp ...

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 ...

order of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility. Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. Tenmu's reign lasted from 673 until his death in 686.

Traditional narrative

Tenmu was the youngest son of Emperor Jomei and

Empress Kōgyoku , also known as , was the 35th and 37th monarch of Japan,Kunaichō 斉明天皇 (37)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Kōgyoku's reign spanned the years from 642 to 645. Her reign as Saimei encompassed 655 to 661. In other ...

, and the younger brother of the

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. 52 ...

. His name at birth was Prince Ōama (大海人皇子:Ōama no ōji). He was succeeded by

Empress Jitō was the 41st monarch of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 持統天皇 (41)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Jitō's reign spanned the years from 686 through 697.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). In the history of ...

, who was both his niece and his wife. During the reign of his elder brother, Emperor Tenji, Tenmu was forced to marry several of Tenji's daughters because Tenji thought those marriages would help to strengthen political ties between the two brothers. The nieces he married included Princess Unonosarara, today known as Empress Jitō, and Princess Ōta. Tenmu also had other consorts whose fathers were influential courtiers. Tenmu had many children, including his crown

prince Kusakabe was a Japanese imperial crown prince from 681 until his death. He was the second son of Emperor Tenmu. His mother was the empress Unonosarara, today known as Empress Jitō. He was the sole child of his mother. According to '' Nihon Shoki'', in ...

by Princess Unonosarara;

Princess Tōchi was a Japanese Imperial princess during the Asuka period of Japanese history and the empress consort to her cousin Emperor Kōbun. Her name Tōchi is derived from the Tōchi district, a neighbourhood located a few miles north of Asuka. Prince ...

;

Prince Ōtsu was a Japanese poet and the son of Emperor Tenmu. Background His mother was Princess Ōta whose father was Emperor Tenji. He was therefore the younger full-blood brother of Princess Ōku. His consort was Princess Yamanobe, daughter of Emper ...

and

Princess Ōku Ōku (Japanese: or ) (February 12, 661 – January 29, 702) was a Japanese princess during the Asuka period in Japanese history. She was the daughter of Emperor Tenmu and sister of Prince Ōtsu. As a young girl, she witnessed the Jinshin War. A ...

by Princess Ōta (whose father also was Tenji); and

Prince Toneri (January 28, 676 – December 6, 735) was a Japanese imperial prince in the Nara period. He was a son of Emperor Tenmu. He was given the posthumous name, , as the father of Emperor Junnin. In the beginning of the Nara period, he gained politica ...

, the editor of the '' Nihon Shoki'' and father of Emperor Junnin. Through Prince Kusakabe, Tenmu had two emperors and two empresses among his descendants.

Empress Kōken , also known as , was the 46th (with the name Empress Kōken) and the 48th monarch of Japan (with the name Empress Shōtoku), Emperor Kōnin, Takano Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. ...

was the last of these imperial rulers from his lineage.

Events of Tenmu's life

Emperor Tenmu is the first monarch of Japan, to whom the title ''Tennō'' (

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the wi ...

) was assigned contemporaneously—not only by later generations. The only document on his life was ''Nihon Shoki''. However, it was edited by his son, Prince Toneri, and the work was written during the reigns of his wife and children, causing one to suspect its accuracy and impartiality. He is also mentioned briefly in the preface to the '' Kojiki'', being hailed as the emperor to have commissioned them. Tenmu's father died while he was young, and he grew up mainly under the guidance of Empress Saimei. He was not expected to gain the throne, because his brother Tenji was the crown prince, being the older son of their mother, the reigning empress. During the Tenji period, Tenmu was appointed his crown prince. This was because Tenji had no appropriate heir among his sons at that time, as none of their mothers was of a rank high enough to give the necessary political support. Tenji was suspicious that Tenmu might be so ambitious as to attempt to take the throne, and felt the necessity to strengthen his position through politically advantageous marriages. Tenji was particularly active in improving the military institutions which had been established during the Taika reforms. In his old age, Tenji had a son, Prince Ōtomo, by a low-ranking consort. Since Ōtomo had weak political support from his maternal relatives, the general wisdom of the time held that it was not a good idea for him to ascend to the throne, yet Tenji was obsessed with the idea. In 671 Tenmu felt himself to be in danger and volunteered to resign the office of crown prince to become a monk. He moved to the mountains in Yoshino,

Yamato Province was a province of Japan, located in Kinai, corresponding to present-day Nara Prefecture in Honshū. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005). "Yamato" in . It was also called . Yamato consists of two characters, 大 "great", and 和 " Wa". At first, the ...

(now

Yoshino, Nara is a town located in Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Japan. As of September 1, 2007, the town had an estimated population of 6,337 and a density of . The total area was . Geography The town of Yoshino is located in the northern portion of ...

), officially for reasons of seclusion. He took with him his sons and one of his wives, Princess Unonosarara, a daughter of Tenji. However, he left all his other consorts at the capital, Omikyō in

Ōmi Province was a province of Japan, which today comprises Shiga Prefecture. It was one of the provinces that made up the Tōsandō circuit. Its nickname is . Under the '' Engishiki'' classification system, Ōmi was ranked as one of the 13 "great countri ...

(today in

Ōtsu 270px, Ōtsu City Hall is the capital city of Shiga Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 343,991 in 153458 households and a population density of 740 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Ōtsu is ...

). A year later, (in 672) Tenji died and Prince Ōtomo ascended to the throne as

Emperor Kōbun was the 39th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 弘文天皇 (39)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. Kōbun's reign lasted only ...

. Tenmu assembled an army and marched from Yoshino to the east, to attack the capital of Omikyō in a counterclockwise movement. They marched through Yamato,

Iga Iga may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Ambush at Iga Pass, a 1958 Japanese film * Iga no Kagemaru, Japanese manga series * Iga, a set of characters from the Japanese novel '' The Kouga Ninja Scrolls'' Biology * ''Iga'' (beetle), a g ...

and

Mino Province was a province of Japan in the area of Japan that is today southern Gifu Prefecture. Mino was bordered by Ōmi to the west, Echizen and Hida to the north, and Shinano to the east, and Ise, Mikawa, and Owari to the south. Its abbreviat ...

s to threaten Omikyō in the adjacent province. The army of Tenmu and the army of the young Emperor Kōbun fought in the northwestern part of Mino (nowadays

Sekigahara, Gifu is a town located in Fuwa District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 7,109 and a population density of 140 persons per km2, in 2,725 households. The total area of the town was . The town is most famous for the B ...

), an incident known as the

Jinshin War The was a war of succession in Japan during the Asuka period of the Yamato state. It broke out in 672 following the death of Emperor Tenji. The name refers to the ''jinshin'' (壬申) or ninth year of the sixty-year Jikkan Jūnishi calendrical ...

. Tenmu's army won and Kōbun committed suicide. :Post-Meiji chronology :* ''In the 10th year of Tenji'', in the 11th month (671): Emperor Tenji, in the 10th year of his reign (天智天皇十年), designated his son as his heir; and modern scholars construe this as meaning that the son would have received the succession (''senso'') after his father's death. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Kōbun is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). If this understanding were valid, then it would follow: ::* ''In the 1st year of Kōbun'' (672): Emperor Kōbun, in the 1st year of his reign (弘文天皇一年), died; and his uncle Ōaomi''-shinnō'' received the succession (''senso'') after the death of his nephew. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Tenmu could be said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). :Pre-Meiji chronology :Prior to the 19th century, Otomo was understood to have been a mere interloper, a pretender, an anomaly; and therefore, if that commonly accepted understanding were to have been valid, then it would have followed: :* ''In the 10th year of Tenji'', in the 11th month (671): Emperor Tenji, in the 10th year of his reign (天智天皇十年), died; and despite any military confrontations which ensued, the brother of the dead sovereign would have received the succession (''senso''); and after a time, it would have been understood that Emperor Tenmu rightfully acceded to the throne (''sokui''). As might be expected, Emperor Tenmu was no less active than former-Emperor Tenji in improving the Taika military institutions. Tenmu's reign brought many changes, such as: (1) a centralized war department was organized; (2) the defenses of the Inner Country near the Capital were strengthened; (3) forts and castles were built near Capital and in the western parts of Honshū—and in Kyushu; (4) troops were reviewed; and all provincial governors were ordered to complete the collection of arms and to study tactics. In 673 Tenmu moved the capital back to Yamato on the Kiymihara plain, naming his new capital Asuka. The ''

Man'yōshū The is the oldest extant collection of Japanese (poetry in Classical Japanese), compiled sometime after AD 759 during the Nara period. The anthology is one of the most revered of Japan's poetic compilations. The compiler, or the last in ...

'' includes a poem written after the Jinshin War ended: At Asuka, Emperor Tenmu was enthroned. He elevated Unonosarara to be his empress. Events of his reign include: * 674 ('' Tenmu 2''): Ambassadors of '' Tane no kuni'' were received in the Japanese court. * 680 (''Tenmu 8''):

Yakushi-ji is one of the most famous imperial and ancient Buddhist temples in Japan, and was once one of the Seven Great Temples of Nanto, located in Nara. The temple is the headquarters of the Hossō school of Japanese Buddhism. Yakushi-ji is one of the ...

was founded in the

Hakuhō period The was an unofficial of Emperor TenmuNussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Hakuhō''" in ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, ''see'Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File. after '' Hakuchi'' and before '' Such ...

. Tenmu reigned from this capital until his death in 686. His wife, Empress Jito became the emperor until their son became the 42nd Emperor. The actual site of his

grave A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as gravey ...

is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon, or similar figure of respect, wherein they are ...

(''misasagi'') in

Nara Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Nara Prefecture has a population of 1,321,805 and has a geographic area of . Nara Prefecture borders Kyoto Prefecture to the north, Osaka Prefecture to the northwest, Wakayama ...

. The

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and also the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD, up until the Second World War, it wa ...

designates this location as Tenmu's

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consi ...

. It is formally named ''Hinokuma no Ōuchi no misasagi.''

Buddhism

In 675 Emperor Tenmu banned the consumption of domesticated animal meat (horse, cattle, dogs, monkeys, birds), from April 1 to September 30 each year, due to the influence of Buddhism.

Politics

In the ''Nihon Shoki'', Tenmu is described as a great innovator, but the neutrality of this description is doubtful, since the work was written under the control of his descendants. It seems clear, however, that Tenmu strengthened the power of the emperor and appointed his sons to the highest offices of his government, reducing the traditional influence of powerful clans such as the Ōtomo and

Soga clan The was one of the most powerful aristocratic kin groups (''uji'') of the Asuka period of the early Japanese state—the Yamato polity—and played a major role in the spread of Buddhism. Through the 5th and 7th centuries, the Soga monopolized ...

s. He renewed the system of '' kabane'', the hereditary titles of duty and rank, but with alterations, including the abolition of some titles.

Omi is a hereditary noble title ('' kabane'') of ancient Japan. It was given to the descendants of the Imperial Family before Emperor Kōgen. Along with ''Muraji'', ''Omi'' was reserved for the head of the most powerful clans during the Kofun period ...

and

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

Japan

ese hereditary title denoting rank and ...

, the highest kabane in the earlier period, were reduced in value in the new hierarchy, which consisted of eight kinds of kabane. Each clan received a new kabane according to its closeness to the imperial bloodline and its loyalty to Tenmu. Tenmu attempted to keep a balance of power among his sons. Once he traveled to Yoshino together with his sons, and there had them swear to cooperate and not to make war on each other. This turned out to be ineffective: one of his sons, Prince Ōtsu, was later executed for treason after the death of Tenmu. Tenmu's foreign policy favored the Korean kingdom

Silla Silla or Shilla (57 BCE – 935 CE) ( , Old Korean: Syera, Old Japanese: Siraki2) was a Korean kingdom located on the southern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula. Silla, along with Baekje and Goguryeo, formed the Three Kingdoms of K ...

, which took over the entire Korean peninsula in 676. After the unification of Korea by Silla, Tenmu decided to break diplomatic relations with the

Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...

of China, evidently in order to keep on good terms with Silla. Tenmu used religious structures to increase the authority of the imperial throne. During his reign there was increased emphasis on the tie between the imperial household and

Ise Grand Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and . The Inner ...

(dedicated to the ancestor goddess of the emperors,

Amaterasu Amaterasu, also known as Amaterasu Ōmikami () or Ōhirume no Muchi no Kami (), is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. One of the major deities (''kami'') of Shinto, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the '' Koji ...

) by sending his daughter

Princess Ōku Ōku (Japanese: or ) (February 12, 661 – January 29, 702) was a Japanese princess during the Asuka period in Japanese history. She was the daughter of Emperor Tenmu and sister of Prince Ōtsu. As a young girl, she witnessed the Jinshin War. A ...

as the newly established

Saiō A , was an unmarried female member of the Japanese Imperial Family, sent to Ise to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century until the 14th century. The Saiō's residence, , was about 10 km north-west of the shrine. The remains of ...

of the shrine, and several festivals were financed from the national budget. He also showed favor to

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and gra ...

, and built several large temples and monasteries. It is said that Tenmu asked that each household was encouraged to build an altar with a dais where a Buddha-image and a sutra could be placed so that family worshiping could be held, thus inventing the

butsudan A , sometimes spelled Butudan, is a shrine commonly found in temples and homes in Japanese Buddhist cultures. A ''butsudan'' is either a defined, often ornate platform or simply a wooden cabinet sometimes crafted with doors that enclose and ...

. On the other hand, all Buddhist priests, monks and nuns were controlled by the state, and no one was allowed to become a monk without the state's permission. This was aimed at preventing cults and stopping farmers from turning into priests.

''Kugyō''

''

Kugyō is the collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre- Meiji eras. The term generally referred to the and court officials and denoted a court rank between First Rank and Third Rank un ...

'' () is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the wi ...

in pre- Meiji eras. In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Tenmu's reign, this apex of the ''

Daijō-kan The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of Japan's premodern Imperial government under the Ritsuryō legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of Jap ...

'' included: * '' Sadaijin'', Soga no Akae no Omi Brown, p. 269. * '' Udaijin'', Nakatomi no Kane no Muraji * ''

Naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre- Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remained as a significant post under the Tai ...

''

Era of Tenmu's reign

The years of Tenmu's reign were marked by only one

era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year of ...

or ''nengō'', which was proclaimed in the final months of the emperor's life; and ''Shuchō'' ended with Tenmu's death.Titsingh, p. 55-58. * '' Shuchō'' (686)

Non''-nengō'' period

The early years of Tenmu's reign are not linked by scholars to any era or ''nengō''. The Taika era innovation of naming time periods – ''nengō'' – was discontinued during these years, but it was reestablished briefly in 686. The use of ''nengō'' languished yet again after Tenmu's death until Emperor Monmu reasserted an imperial right by proclaiming the commencement of Taihō in 701. * See Tenmu period (673–686). In this context, Brown and Ishida's translation of ''Gukanshō'' offers an explanation about the years of Empress Jitō's reign which muddies a sense of easy clarity in the pre-Taihō time-frame: ::"The eras that fell in this reign were: (1) the remaining seven years of Shuchō 686+7=692?) and (2) Taika, which was four years long 95–698 (The first year of this era was ''kinoto-hitsuji'' 95) ... In the third year of the Taika era 97 Empress Jitō yielded the throne to the Crown Prince."Brown, p. 270.

Wives and children

*

Empress An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...

('' Kōgō''): Princess Uno-no-sarara (鸕野讃良皇女) later

Empress Jitō was the 41st monarch of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 持統天皇 (41)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Jitō's reign spanned the years from 686 through 697.Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). In the history of ...

,

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. 52 ...

's daughter **Second Son:

Prince Kusakabe was a Japanese imperial crown prince from 681 until his death. He was the second son of Emperor Tenmu. His mother was the empress Unonosarara, today known as Empress Jitō. He was the sole child of his mother. According to '' Nihon Shoki'', in ...

(草壁皇子, 662 – 10 May 689), Father of Emperor Monmu and

Empress Genshō was the 44th monarch of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 元正天皇 (44)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Her reign spanned the years 715 through 724. Genshō was the fifth of eight women to take on the ...

*Consort ( ''Hi''): Princess Ōta (大田皇女),

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. 52 ...

's daughter **Second daughter:

Princess Ōku Ōku (Japanese: or ) (February 12, 661 – January 29, 702) was a Japanese princess during the Asuka period in Japanese history. She was the daughter of Emperor Tenmu and sister of Prince Ōtsu. As a young girl, she witnessed the Jinshin War. A ...

(大伯皇女, 12 February 661– 29 January 702 ),

Saiō A , was an unmarried female member of the Japanese Imperial Family, sent to Ise to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century until the 14th century. The Saiō's residence, , was about 10 km north-west of the shrine. The remains of ...

in Ise Shrine (673–686) **Third Son:

Prince Ōtsu was a Japanese poet and the son of Emperor Tenmu. Background His mother was Princess Ōta whose father was Emperor Tenji. He was therefore the younger full-blood brother of Princess Ōku. His consort was Princess Yamanobe, daughter of Emper ...

(大津皇子, 663 – 25 October 686 ) *Consort ( ''Hi'') Princess Ōe (大江皇女),

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. 52 ...

's daughter **Seventh Son:

Prince Naga Prince Naga (; d. 9 July 715) was a Japanese prince. He was the son of Emperor Tenmu and Princess Ōe, daughter of Emperor Tenji. His full brother was Prince Yuge. Career In the seventh year of Emperor Jito's rule (693) together with his b ...

(長皇子, d. 9 July 715) **Ninth Son: Prince Yuge (弓削皇子, d. 21 August 699) *Consort ''( Hi):''

Princess Niitabe (died 699) was a daughter of Emperor Tenji in Japan during the Asuka Period. Her mother was Lady Tachibana, whose father was Abe no Kurahashi Maro. Her elder sister was Princess Asuka. She was a consort (妃, ''Hi'') of Emperor Tenmu. One of her ...

(新田部皇女),

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. 52 ...

's daughter **Sixth Son:

Prince Toneri (January 28, 676 – December 6, 735) was a Japanese imperial prince in the Nara period. He was a son of Emperor Tenmu. He was given the posthumous name, , as the father of Emperor Junnin. In the beginning of the Nara period, he gained politica ...

(舎人皇子, 676 – 2 December 735), Father of Emperor Junnin *Madame ''( Bunin)'': Fujiwara no Hikami-no-iratsume (藤原氷上娘, d.682),

Fujiwara 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 ...

's daughter **Daughter:

Princess Tajima (died 708) was the daughter of Emperor Tenmu of Japan. Her mother was Lady Higami (氷上娘), whose father was Fujiwara no Kamatari, who co-worked with Emperor Tenji when they slew Soga no Iruka in the Taika Reform in 645. Marriage Tajima wa ...

(但馬皇女, d. 17 July 708), married to

Prince Takechi was a member of the royal family in Japan during the Asuka period. He was the eldest son of Emperor Tenmu. He fought on the side of his father in the Jinshin War (672), a battle of succession, which resulted in his father becoming Emperor. At th ...

*Madame ''( Bunin)'': Fujiwara no Ioe-no-iratsume (藤原五百重娘),

Fujiwara 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 ...

's daughter **Tenth Son: Prince Niitabe (新田部皇子, d. 20 0ctomber 735) *Madame ('' Bunin)'' Soga no Ōnu-no-iratsume (蘇我大蕤娘), Soga no Akae's daughter **Fifth Son:

Prince Hozumi was a Japanese prince, the fifth son of Emperor Tenmu, who lived from the Asuka to Nara periods. He was the first child of the emperor and Soga no Ōnu-no-iratsume, who later had two daughters together as well. After the death of his half-sister ...

(穂積皇子, d. 30 August 715) **Daughter: Princess Ki (紀皇女) **Daughter: Princess Takata (田形皇女, d. 18 April 728),

Saiō A , was an unmarried female member of the Japanese Imperial Family, sent to Ise to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century until the 14th century. The Saiō's residence, , was about 10 km north-west of the shrine. The remains of ...

in Ise Shrine (706–707), later married to Prince Mutobe *Beauty ('' Hin''): Princess Nukata (額田王), Prince Kagami's daughter **First Daughter:

Princess Tōchi was a Japanese Imperial princess during the Asuka period of Japanese history and the empress consort to her cousin Emperor Kōbun. Her name Tōchi is derived from the Tōchi district, a neighbourhood located a few miles north of Asuka. Prince ...

(十市皇女, d. 3 March 678 ), married to

Emperor Kōbun was the 39th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 弘文天皇 (39)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 53. Kōbun's reign lasted only ...

*Beauty ('' Hin''): Munakata no Amako-no-iratsume (胸形尼子娘), Unakata-no-Kimi Tokuzen's daughter **First Son:

Prince Takechi was a member of the royal family in Japan during the Asuka period. He was the eldest son of Emperor Tenmu. He fought on the side of his father in the Jinshin War (672), a battle of succession, which resulted in his father becoming Emperor. At th ...

(高市皇子, 654 – 13 August 696) *Beauty ('' Hin''): Shishihito no Kajihime-no-iratsume (宍人梶媛娘), Shishihito-no-Omi Ōmaro's daughter **Fourth Son: Prince Osakabe (刑部/忍壁皇子, d. 2 June 705) **Daughter:

Princess Hatsusebe (died 28 March 741) was a Japanese princess during the Asuka period and the Nara period. Life Hatsusebe was a daughter of Emperor Tenmu. Her mother was Lady Kajihime, whose father was Shishibito no Omi Ōmaro. Her siblings included Prince Os ...

(泊瀬部皇女, d.28 March 741), married to Prince Kawashima (son of Emperor Tenji) **Daughter:

Princess Taki was a Japanese princess during the Asuka period of Japanese history. She was a daughter of Emperor Tenmu, a wife of Prince Shiki and the mother of Prince Kasuga. She was a Saiō. Genealogy She is a daughter of Emperor Temmu and Lady Kajihime, w ...

(託基皇女/多紀皇女, d. 751),

Saiō A , was an unmarried female member of the Japanese Imperial Family, sent to Ise to serve at Ise Grand Shrine from the late 7th century until the 14th century. The Saiō's residence, , was about 10 km north-west of the shrine. The remains of ...

in Ise Shrine (698–before 701), later married to Prince Shiki (son of Emperor Tenji) **Son: Prince Shiki (磯城皇子)

Ancestry

References

External links

* Asuka Historical National Government Park

, exterior view {{DEFAULTSORT:Tenmu 631 births 686 deaths 7th-century monarchs in Asia 7th-century Japanese monarchs Japanese emperors People of Asuka-period Japan Buddhism in the Asuka period Man'yō poets

Traditional narrative

Events of Tenmu's life

Buddhism

Politics

''Kugyō''

Era of Tenmu's reign

Non''-nengō'' period

Wives and children

Ancestry

See also

References

Further reading

External links