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25-459: Kōfuku-ji has its origin as a temple that was established in 669 by Kagami-no-Ōkimi ( 鏡大君 ), the wife of Fujiwara no Kamatari , wishing for her husband's recovery from illness. Its original site was in Yamashina , Yamashiro Province (present-day Kyoto ). In 672, the temple was moved to Fujiwara-kyō , the first planned Japanese capital to copy the orthogonal grid pattern of Chang'an . In 710,

50-543: A Buddhist monk. That same day—traditionally said to be July 12, 645, Furuhito no Ōe shaved off his hair at Hōkō-ji , in the open air between the Hall of the Buddha and the pagoda. At this point, Kōgyoku did abdicate in favor of her brother, who shortly thereafter acceded to the throne as Emperor Kōtoku (645–654). After Kōtoku's death Kōgyoku took the throne once more as Saimei (r. 655–661), before Naka no Ōe himself finally took

75-404: A kind of profanity. Although Kōgyoku wanted to abdicate immediately in favour of Naka no Ōe, on the advice of Nakatomi no Kamatari he insisted that the throne should pass instead to his older brother, Furuhito no Ōe, or to his maternal uncle (Kōgyoku's brother) Prince Karu. Furuhito no Ōe resolved the impasse by declaring his intention to renounce any claim to the throne by taking the tonsure of

100-681: The Asuka period , defeated Kamatari and the Mononobe clan, and Buddhism became the dominant religion of the Imperial Court . Kamatari was appointed Inner Minister , and, along with Prince Naka no Ōe, later Emperor Tenji (626–672), launched the Taika Reform of 645, which centralized and strengthened the central government. Just before his death, he received the surname Fujiwara and the rank Taishokan from Emperor Tenji, thus establishing

125-746: The Ibaraki City Education Committee announced that ancient sen bricks discovered at Higashinara site in Ibaraki, Osaka match with the bricks found in Abuyama Kofun. The site is believed to have been the location of Mishima Betsugyō, a villa where Kamatari stayed before the Isshi Incident which triggered the Taika Reform (645). Isshi Incident The Isshi incident ( 乙巳の変 , Isshi no Hen )

150-588: The Nanto Shichi Daiji , such as Tōdai-ji , declined after the move of capital to Heian-kyō (Kyoto), Kōfuku-ji kept its significance because of its connection to the Fujiwara. The temple was damaged and destroyed by civil wars and fires many times, and was rebuilt as many times as well, although finally some of the important buildings, such as one of the three golden halls, the Nandaimon, Chūmon and

175-701: The 34th/38th/39th Prime Minister of Japan and Konoe's grandson Morihiro Hosokawa the 79th Prime Minister of Japan (who is also a descendant of the Hosokawa clan via the Ashikaga clan of the Minamoto clan ). Abuyama Kofun , a megalithic tomb in Takatsuki and Ibaraki , Osaka has been identified as Fujiwara no Kamatari's tomb. The tomb and a mummy buried inside a coffin were first discovered in 1934. 50 years later, radiographic images and samples taken at

200-489: The 6th month of 645), during a court ceremony at which memorials from the Three Kingdoms of Korea were being read to Empress Kōgyoku by Ishikawa no Maro. Prince Naka no Ōe had made elaborate preparations, including closing the palace gates, bribing several palace guards, hiding a spear in the hall where the ceremony was to take place and ordering four armed men to attack Iruka. However, when it became clear that

225-543: The Fujiwara clan. Kamatari was born to the Nakatomi clan , an aristocratic kin group claiming descent from their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane . He was the son of Nakatomi no Mikeko, and named Nakatomi no Kamatari (中臣 鎌足) at birth. His early life and exploits are described in the 8th century clan history Tōshi Kaden (藤氏家伝). He was a friend and supporter of the Prince Naka no Ōe, later Emperor Tenji . Kamatari

250-612: The Fujiwara. Until the marriage of the Crown Prince Hirohito (posthumously Emperor Shōwa ) to Princess Kuni Nagako (posthumously Empress Kōjun ) in January 1924, the principal consorts of emperors and crown princes had always been recruited from one of the Sekke Fujiwara . Imperial princesses were often married to Fujiwara lords - throughout a millennium at least. As recently as Emperor Shōwa's third daughter,

275-654: The Japanese legal code known as Sandai-kyaku-shiki , sometimes referred to as the Rules and Regulations of the Three Generations . During his life Kamatari continued to support Prince Naka no Ōe, who became Emperor Tenji in 661. Tenji granted him the highest rank Taishōkan (or Daishokukan) (大織冠) and a new clan name, Fujiwara (藤原), as honors. Kamatari's son was Fujiwara no Fuhito . Kamatari's nephew, Nakatomi no Omimaro became head of Ise Shrine , and passed down

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300-643: The Nakatomi name. In the 13th century, the main line of the Fujiwara family split into five houses: Konoe , Takatsukasa , Kujō , Nijō and Ichijō . These five families in turn provided regents for the Emperors, and were thus known as the Five Regent Houses . The Tachibana clan (samurai) also claimed descent from the Fujiwara. Emperor Montoku of the Taira clan was descended through his mother to

325-636: The corridor were never reconstructed and are missing today. The rebuilding of the Central Golden Hall was completed in 2018. Rokusō-an ( 六窓庵 , Six Window Hut ) was a chashitsu formerly located at the temple and considered one of the San-meiseki ( 三名席 , Three Famous Tearooms ) . It was relocated due its deteriorated state and is now in the gardens of the Tokyo National Museum . The following are some of

350-522: The four men were too frightened to carry out the orders, Naka no Ōe rushed Iruka himself and cut open his head and shoulder. Iruka was not killed immediately, but protested his innocence and pleaded for an investigation. Prince Naka no Ōe pleaded his case before Empress Kōgyoku, and when she retired to consider the matter, the four guards finally rushed Iruka and completed the killing. Shortly afterwards, Iruka's father Soga no Emishi killed himself by setting fire to his residence. The conflagration destroyed

375-420: The late former Princess Takanomiya (Kazoku), and Prince Mikasa's elder daughter, the former Princess Yasuko, married into Takatsukasa and Konoe families, respectively. Empress Shōken was a descendant of the Fujiwara clan and through Hosokawa Gracia of the Minamoto clan . Likewise a daughter of the last Tokugawa Shōgun married a second cousin of Emperor Shōwa. Among Kamatari's descendants are Fumimaro Konoe

400-582: The manuscript copy of the Tennōki and many other Imperial treasures which had been taken for safe-keeping by the Soga, but Fune no Fubitoesaka quickly grabbed the burning Kokki from the flames. Later, he is said to have presented it to Naka no Ōe ; but no known extant copies of the work remain. The violence actually unfolded in Kōgyoku's presence. The Empress responded to this shock by determining to renounce

425-561: The temple was dismantled for the second time and moved to its present location, on the east side of the newly constructed capital, Heijō-kyō , today's Nara. Kōfuku-ji was the Fujiwara 's tutelary temple, and enjoyed prosperity for as long as the family did. The temple was not only an important center for the Buddhist religion, but also retained influence over the imperial government, and even by "aggressive means" in some cases. When many of

450-414: The temple's buildings and treasures of note. Showing the original layout of the temple, with the later three-storied pagoda, Nan'en-dō, and Ōyūya superimposed. Of the buildings marked, only these three together with the five-storied pagoda, Tōkon-dō and Hoku'en-dō remain. Fujiwara no Kamatari Fujiwara no Kamatari (藤原 鎌足, 614 – November 14, 669), also known as Nakatomi no Kamatari ( 中臣 鎌足 ) ,

475-481: The throne. Japanese society during the Asuka period was sensitive to issues of "pollution", both spiritual and personal. Deaths—especially a violent killing in close physical proximity to the Empress—were considered to have been amongst the worst possible acts of pollution—an event so stunning that it would have warranted days of seclusion in an uncertain process attempting to redress what would have been construed as

500-427: The time were examined uncovering a mummy wrapped in gold thread. The kanmuri headwear found in the tomb indicates that the person buried was a noble of the highest rank Taishokkan . It was concluded that it is highly likely that the tomb was dedicated to Kamatari. According to the analysis, the mummified person had a strong bone structure and an athletic body, with the so-called pitcher's elbow . The cause of death

525-580: 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 during the Nara and Heian periods . He, along with the Mononobe clan , was a supporter of Shinto and fought the introduction of Buddhism to Japan. The Soga clan , defenders of Buddhism in

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550-575: Was a successful plot by Nakatomi no Kamatari , Prince Naka no Ōe and others who conspired to eliminate the main branch of the Soga clan , beginning with the assassination of Soga no Iruka . It takes its name from the zodiological name of the year 645 during which the Taika Reform , a transformative event in Japanese Imperial history, occurred. The assassination of Iruka took place on July 10, 645 (traditional Japanese date : 12th day of

575-403: Was complications from injuries to the vertebral column and lumbar vertebrae sustained from a fall from horseback or a high ground. The injury is thought to have left the lower body paralyzed and caused secondary complications such as pneumonia or urinary tract infection . The cause of death matches with that of Kamatari's, whom is recorded to have died from a fall from horseback. In 2014,

600-465: Was forced to abdicate in favor of her younger brother, who became Emperor Kōtoku ; Kōtoku then appointed Kamatari naidaijin (Inner Minister). Kamatari was a leader in the development of what became known as the Taika Reforms , a major set of reforms based on Chinese models and aimed at strengthening Imperial power. He acted as one of the principal editors responsible for the development of

625-487: Was the head of the Jingi no Haku , or Shinto ritualists; as such, he was one of the chief opponents of the increasing power and prevalence of Buddhism in the court, and in the nation. As a result, in 645, Prince Naka no Ōe and Kamatari made a coup d'état in the court. They slew Soga no Iruka who had a strong influence over Empress Kōgyoku ; thereafter, Iruka's father, Soga no Emishi , committed suicide. Empress Kōgyoku

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