was a 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, Gr ...
title in
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
, used mainly between the
Asuka 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 monarch, monarchs and sometimes their extended family.
The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or emperor, empress, and the term papal family describes the family of ...
, but after the Heian period it became the highest of the eight noble titles:
''Ason, Mahito,
Sukune,
Imiki,
Michinoshi,
Omi,
Muraji
(from Old Japanese: ''muraⁿzi'' < *''mura-nusi'' "village master"
'', and ''
Inagi.''
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
At first, the ''kabane'' were administered by individual clans, but ...
'' 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. He ascended ...
'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 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 he is conve ...
, 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 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 Life peer, non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted Imperial, royal and noble ranks, noble ranks.
Peerages include:
A ...
. 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, with ''Ason'' simply indicating a person's social status.
Notable holders
Notable ''Ason'' were:
* Fujiwara no Ason, awarded by
Emperor Tenji to
Nakatomi no Kamatari
, also known as , was a Japanese politician and aristocrat who, together with Prince Naka no Ōe (later Emperor Tenji), carried out the Taika Reform. He was the founder of the Fujiwara clan, the most powerful aristocratic family in Japan durin ...
in 668; the origin of the
Fujiwara clan
The 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 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, Emperor Saga, Saganoyamanoe Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Saga's reign lasted from 809 to 823.
Traditional narrative
Saga was the second son of ...
(786–842); the origin of the
Minamoto clan
was a Aristocracy (class), noble surname bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the Imperial House of Japan, imperial family who were excluded from the List of emperors of Japan, line of succession and demoted into the ranks of Nobili ...
* Taira no Ason, awarded to his grandson by
Emperor Kammu (737–806); see also
Taira clan
The was one of the four most important Japanese clans, clans that dominated Japanese politics during the Heian period, Heian period of History of Japan, Japanese history – the others being the Minamoto clan, Minamoto, the Fujiwara clan, Fuji ...
Notable holders of ''Ason'' were:
*
Kakinomoto no Ason Hitomaro, poet (c. 662–710)
*
Isonokami no Ason Maro, statesman, possibly buried in
Takamatsuzuka Tomb (640–717)
*
Kasa no Ason Maro, poet better known as Sami Mansei (
fl.
''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for '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 indic ...
720)
*
Ariwara no Narihira Ason, poet (825–880)
*
Miyamoto no Kintada Ason, poet (889–948)
*
Fujiwara no Toshiyuki Ason, poet (fl. 900)
*
Onakatomi no Yoshinobu Ason, poet (921–991)
*
Minamoto no Muneyuki Ason, poet (d. 983)
*
Fujiwara no Ason Sadaie, poet and scholar (1162–1241)
*
Taiganin den Taira no Ason Iga no Kami Raiodo Hon Daikoji, founder of
Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō-ryū (1387–1488)
See also
* ''
Sukune''
*
''Mahito''
* ''
Muraji
(from Old Japanese: ''muraⁿzi'' < *''mura-nusi'' "village master"
''
References
Japanese historical terms
Classical Japan
Japanese nobility
{{Japan-hist-stub