Soga no Umako
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was the son of
Soga no Iname was a leader of the Soga clan and a statesman during the reign of Emperor Kinmei in the Asuka period. He was the first person to hold the position of ''Ōomi'' that can be verified with reasonable accuracy, in 536 A.D. Essentially what this m ...
and a member of the powerful
Soga clan The was one of the most powerful aristocratic kin groups Uji (clan), (''uji'') of the Asuka period of the early Japanese state—the Yamato period, Yamato polity—and played a major role in the spread of Buddhism. Through the 5th and 7th centur ...
of
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 ...
. Umako conducted political reforms with
Prince Shōtoku , also known as or , was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan who served under Empress Suiko. He was the son of Emperor Yōmei and his consort, Princess Anahobe no Hashihito, who was also Yōmei's younger half- ...
during the rules of Emperor Bidatsu and
Empress Suiko (554 – 15 April 628) was the 33rd monarch of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 推古天皇 (33)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Suiko reigned from 593 until her death in 628. In the history of Japan ...
and established the Soga clan's stronghold in the government by having his daughters married to members of the imperial family. In the late 6th century, Soga no Umako went to great lengths to promote Buddhism in Japan, and was instrumental in its acceptance. At that time, the Soga clan employed immigrants from China and Korea, and worked to obtain advanced technology and other knowledge. In 587, Umako defeated
Mononobe no Moriya was an '' Ō-muraji'', a high-ranking clan head position of the ancient Japanese Yamato state, having inherited the position from his father Mononobe no Okoshi. Like his father, he was a devoted opponent of Buddhism, which had recently been int ...
in the
Battle of Shigisan A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and for ...
, securing Soga dominance. On January 15, 593, relics of Buddha Shakyamuni were deposited inside the foundation stone under the pillar of a pagoda at
Asuka-dera , also known as , is a Buddhist temple in Asuka, Nara. Asuka-dera is regarded as one of the oldest temples in Japan. Temple complex A number of records refer to the origin of the temple, such as the '' Nihongi'' and ''Fusō-ryakuki''. The o ...
(Hōkō-ji at the time), a temple whose construction Umako ordered, according to the Suiko section of the Nihonshoki. Ishibutai Kofun is believed to be the tomb of Soga no Umako.


Genealogy

Soga no Umako's wife was a daughter of Mononobe no Ogushi and a sister of Mononobe no Moriya; they had five children. *
Soga no Emishi was a statesman of the Yamato Imperial Court. His alternative names include Emishi () and Toyora no Ōomi (). After the death of his father Soga no Umako, Emishi took over '' Ōomi '', the Minister of State, from his father. According to the ...
*Soga no Kuramaro *Kahakami no Iratsume, made consort of
Emperor Sushun was the 32nd Emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')崇峻天皇 (32)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Sushun's reign spanned the years from 587 through 592. Traditional narrative Before his ascension t ...
in 587, married to Yamato no Aya no Atahe in 592. *Tojiko no Iratsume, consort of Shotoku Taishi *Hode no Iratsume, consort of Emperor Jomei


References

Soga clan 626 deaths People of Asuka-period Japan Buddhism in the Asuka period Year of birth uncertain {{Japan-bio-stub