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Kujiki

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Kujiki ( 旧事紀 ) , or Sendai Kuji Hongi ( 先代旧事本紀 ) , is a historical Japanese text. It was generally believed to have been one of the earliest Japanese histories until the middle of the Edo period , when scholars such as Tokugawa Mitsukuni and Tada Yoshitoshi successfully contended that it was an imitation based on the Nihon Shoki , the Kojiki and the Kogo Shūi . Scholarship on the Kujiki generally considers it to contain some genuine elements, specifically that Book 5 preserves traditions of the Mononobe and Owari clans , and that Book 10 preserves the earlier historical record the Kokuzō Hongi .

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32-506: Ten volumes in length, it covers the history of ancient Japan through Empress Suiko , third daughter of Emperor Kinmei . The preface is supposedly written by Soga no Umako (+626). While it includes many quotes from Kojiki (712) and Nihon Shoki (720), volumes five and ten contain unique materials. The overall composition is considered as having been compiled between 807 and 936. The Kujiki contains 10 volumes, but there are 3 false documents also called Kujiki , produced in

64-406: A bamboo? Alas! For The wayfarer lying And hungered for rice! The second day, Shōtoku sent a messenger to the starving man, but he was already dead. Hereupon, he was greatly grieved and ordered his burial. Shōtoku later thought the man was no ordinary man for sure, and sending another messenger, discovered the earth had not been disturbed. On opening the tomb there was no body inside, and

96-607: Is found in Seitoku University and its associated junior college (both in Matsudo, Chiba ) as well as Tokyo's defunct Seitoku Junior College of Nutrition (and indirectly its replacement Seiei College ). The portrait of Prince Shōtoku has appeared on 100 , 1,000 , 5,000 and 10,000 yen bills. Two bills made with different types of materials and special inks with a face value of 100,000,000 (one hundred million yen) were also issued. The characteristic of these bills

128-597: Is known by several titles, although his real name is Prince Umayado ( 厩戸皇子 , Umayado no ōji , literally ‘the prince of the stable door’) since he was born in front of a stable. He is also known as Toyosatomimi ( 豊聡耳 ) or Kamitsumiyaō ( 上宮王 ) . He is also known for bearing the Sanskrit Dharma name Bhavyaśīla which was awarded to him by Bodhidharma. In the Kojiki , his name appears as Kamitsumiya no Umayado no Toyosatomimi no Mikoto ( 上宮之厩戸豊聡耳命 ) . In

160-677: Is not traditionally listed. Unless otherwise noted (as BC), years are in CE  / AD   individuals that were given the title of empress posthumously individuals elevated to the rank of empress due to their position as honorary mother of the emperor Shōshi served briefly as honorary empress for her younger brother Emperor Go-Daigo Prince Sh%C5%8Dtoku Prince Shōtoku ( 聖徳太子 , Shōtoku Taishi , February 7, 574 – April 8, 622 ) , also known as Prince Umayado ( 厩戸皇子 , Umayado no ōjî, Umayado no miko ) or Prince Kamitsumiya ( 上宮皇子 , Kamitsumiya no ōji, Kamitsumiya no miko ) ,

192-434: Is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine ( misasagi ) at Osaka. The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Suiko's mausoleum . It's formally named Shinaga no Yamada no misasagi . Sinologist Wm. Theodore de Bary believed that it was not until the reign of Suiko that "consciously written [Japanese] history becomes a reality". He noted the name Suiko can be translated to "conjecture of

224-514: Is translated as "The world is vain and illusory, and the Buddha's realm alone is true." In his correspondence with Emperor Yang of Sui , Shōtoku's letter contains the earliest known written instance in which the Japanese archipelago is referred to by a term meaning "land of the rising sun." The Sui Emperor had dispatched a message in 605 that said, "the sovereign of Sui respectfully inquires about

256-642: The Kujiki was indeed written in the early eighth century CE, before the Kogo Shūi , and as part of the same historiographical movement that produced the Nihon Shoki and the Kojiki . Bentley took the preface, which attributes the work to the early-7th century statesman Prince Shōtoku , to be a later interpolation. In a review for Monumenta Nipponica , Mark Teeuwen criticized Bentley's methodology. Record of

288-857: The Nihon Shoki , in addition to Umayado no ōji , he is referred to as Toyosamimi Shōtoku (豊聡耳聖徳), Toyosatomimi no Nori no Ōkami (豊聡耳法大王), and simply Nori no Ushi no Ōkami (法主王). The name by which he is best known today, Prince Shōtoku , first appeared in Kaifūsō , written more than 100 years after his death in 622 AD. A number of institutes are named after Shōtoku, such as Shotoku Gakuen University and its associated junior college (both in Gifu ). The first syllable of his name (聖), can be read shō in Go-on and can also be read sei in Kan-on . The later reading

320-671: The Mononobe clan , with the Sogas supporting Prince Hatsusebe and the Mononobes supporting Prince Anahobe . The Sogas prevailed once again and Prince Hatsusebe acceded to the throne as Emperor Sushun in 587. However, Sushun began to resent the power of Soga no Umako , the head of the Soga clan, and Umako, perhaps out of fear that Sushun might strike first, had him assassinated by Yamatoaya no Ataikoma ( 東漢直駒 ) in 592. When asked to accede to

352-685: The Twelve Level Cap and Rank System in 603 and the adoption of the Seventeen-article constitution in 604. The adoption of the Sexagenary cycle calendar ( Jikkan Jūnishi ) in Japan is attributed to Empress Suiko in 604. At a time when imperial succession was generally determined by clan leaders rather than the emperor, Suiko left only vague indications of succession to two candidates while on her deathbed. One, Prince Tamura ,

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384-483: The Chrysanthemum Throne, her personal name (her imina ) was Mikekashiya-hime-no-mikoto, also Toyomike Kashikiya hime no Mikoto. Empress Suiko had several names including Princess Nukatabe and (possibly posthumously) Toyomike Kashikiya. She was a daughter of Emperor Kinmei . Her mother was Soga no Iname 's daughter, Soga no Kitashihime . Suiko was the younger sister of Emperor Yōmei. Empress Suiko

416-608: The Edo period: the 30 volumes Shirakawa edition, Shirakawahon Kujiki (白河本旧事紀) (kept by the Shirakawa Hakuou family), the 72 volumes Enpō edition, Enpōhon Sendai Kuji Hongi Taiseikyō (延宝本先代旧事本紀大成経) (discovered in 1679), and the 31 volumes Sazaki succession edition, Sazaki Denhon Sendai Kuji Hongi Taiseikyō (鷦鷯伝本先代旧事本紀大成経). The only complete English translation of the Kujiki was made in 2006 by John R. Bentley , who argued based on his examinations of extant manuscripts that

448-505: The Prince's purple garment lay folded on the coffin. The Prince then sent another messenger to claim the garment, and he continued to wear it just as before. Struck by awe, the people praised the Prince: "How true it is that a sage knoweth a sage." This legend is linked with the temple of Daruma-ji in Ōji, Nara , where a stone stupa was found underground, which is exceedingly rare. Shōtoku

480-566: The Provincial governors ( 国造本紀 , Kokuzō Hongi ) is the tenth volume of the Kujiki Empress Suiko Empress Suiko ( 推古天皇 , Suiko- tennō ) (554 – 15 April 628) was the 33rd monarch of Japan , and the country's first and longest-reigning empress regnant , according to the traditional order of succession . Suiko reigned from 593 until her death in 628 . Before her ascension to

512-709: The authorship of the Sangyō Gisho or "Annotated Commentaries on the Three Sutras" (the Lotus Sutra , the Vimalakirti Sutra , and the Śrīmālādevī Siṃhanāda Sūtra ). The first of these commentaries, Hokke Gisho , is traditionally dated to 615 and thus regarded as "the first Japanese text", in turn making Shōtoku the first known Japanese writer. In the late 6th century, Shōtoku led an enormous national project to promote Buddhism and he commissioned

544-608: The construction of Shitennō-ji . The Buddhist temple was built in Settsu Province (present-day Osaka ) after his military victory against the powerful Mononobe clan , for he is said to have summoned them to crush his enemies. Shōtoku's name has been linked with Hōryū-ji , a temple in Yamato Province , and numerous other temples in the Kansai region . Documentation at Hōryū-ji claims that Suiko and Shōtoku founded

576-456: The guise of a starving beggar. The Prince asked the beggar to identify himself, but the man did not reply. Instead of going ahead, Shōtoku gave him food, drink, and covered him with his purple garment, telling him to "lie in peace". Shōtoku then sang for the starving man. Alas! For The wayfarer lying And hungered for rice On the hill of Kataoka (The sunshiny) Art thou become Parentless? Hast thou no lord Flourishing as

608-658: The life and accomplishments of Prince Shōtoku comes from the Nihon Shoki . The Prince is renowned for modernizing the government administration and for promoting Buddhism in Japan. He also had two different families that fought over his custody. Over successive generations, a devotional cult arose around the figure of Prince Shōtoku for the protection of Japan, the Imperial Family, and for Buddhism . Key religious figures such as Saichō , Shinran and others claimed inspiration or visions attributed to Prince Shōtoku. Parents Wives According to tradition, Shōtoku

640-414: The males of the paternal Imperial bloodline, which is why some conservative scholars argue that the women's reigns were temporary and that male-only succession tradition must be maintained in the 21st century. Empress Genmei , who was followed on the throne by her daughter, Empress Genshō , remains the sole exception to this conventional argument. The actual site of Suiko's grave is known. This empress

672-537: The many achievements under Empress Suiko's reign include the official recognition of Buddhism by the issuance of the Flourishing Three Treasures Edict in 594. Suiko was also one of the first Buddhist monarchs in Japan, and had taken the vows of a nun shortly before becoming empress. The reign of this empress was marked by the opening of relations with the Sui court in 600, the adoption of

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704-445: The past", suggesting that this posthumous title was "bestowed on the empress because the writing of history was considered to be an outstanding achievement of her reign". He commented that "little of the material from the ancient Japanese past can be taken seriously" and the earliest extant Japanese annals were the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki , which both date to the 8th century . Empress Suiko, born as Princess Nukatabe (額田部皇女),

736-517: The sovereign of Wa ," and Shōtoku responded by sponsoring a mission led by Ono no Imoko in 607, who brought along a note reading: "From the sovereign of the land of the rising sun ( hi izuru tokoro ) to the sovereign of the land of the setting sun." He is said to have been buried at Shinaga in Kawachi Province (modern Osaka Prefecture ). A legend claims that when Bodhidharma came to Japan, he met with Prince Shōtoku whilst under

768-607: The temple in the year 607. Archaeological excavations in 1939 have confirmed that Prince Shōtoku's palace, the Ikaruga no miya (斑鳩宮), stood in the eastern part of the current temple complex, where the Tō-in ( 東院 ) sits today. Despite being credited as the founder of Japanese Buddhism , it is also said that the Prince respected Shinto and never visited Buddhist temples without visiting Shinto shrines. A popular quote attributed to Shōtoku that became foundational for Buddhist belief in Japan

800-399: The throne to fill the power vacuum that subsequently developed, Suiko became the first of what would be several examples in Japanese history where a woman was chosen to accede to the throne to avert a power struggle. Suiko's contemporary title would not have been tennō , as most historians believe this title was not introduced until the reigns of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō . Rather, it

832-458: Was a consort to her half-brother, Emperor Bidatsu , but after Bidatsu's first wife died she became his official consort and was given the title Ōkisaki (official consort of the emperor). She bore eight children. After Bidatsu's death, Suiko's brother, Emperor Yōmei , came to power for about two years before dying of illness. Upon Yōmei's death, another power struggle arose between the Soga clan and

864-557: Was a grandson of Emperor Bidatsu and was supported by the main line of Sogas, including Soga no Emishi . The other, Prince Yamashiro , was a son of Prince Shōtoku and had the support of some lesser members of the Soga clan. After a brief struggle within the Soga clan in which one of Prince Yamashiro's main supporters was killed, Prince Tamura was chosen and he acceded to the throne as Emperor Jomei in 629. Empress Suiko ruled for 35 years. Although there were seven other reigning empresses, their successors were most often selected from amongst

896-531: 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-sister. But later, he was adopted by Prince Shōtoken. His parents were relatives of the ruling Soga clan and also he was involved in the defeat of the rival Mononobe clan . The primary source of

928-405: Was appointed regent ( Sesshō ) in 593 by Empress Suiko (554–628), his aunt. Shōtoku, inspired by the Buddha's teachings, succeeded in establishing a centralized government during his reign. In 603, he established the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System at the court. He is credited with promulgating the seventeen-article constitution . Shōtoku was an ardent Buddhist and is traditionally attributed

960-430: Was far from powerless. The mere fact that she survived and her reign endured suggests she had significant political skills. In 599, an earthquake destroyed buildings throughout Yamato Province in what is now Nara Prefecture . Suiko's refusal to grant Soga no Umako's request that he be granted the imperial territory known as Kazuraki no Agata in 624 is cited as evidence of her independence from his influence. Some of

992-411: Was presumably Sumeramikoto or Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi (治天下大王), meaning "the great Queen who rules all under heaven". Alternatively, Suiko might have been referred to as (ヤマト大王/大君) or the "Great Queen of Yamato". Prince Shōtoku was appointed regent the following year. Although political power during Suiko's reign is widely viewed as having been wielded by Prince Shōtoku and Soga no Umako, Suiko

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1024-520: Was the daughter of Emperor Kinmei and his consort ( Hi ), Soga no Kitashihime . Princess Nukatabe had five full sisters and seven full brothers among which the eldest would become Emperor Yōmei . She married her eldest half-brother, Prince Nunakura Futotama-Shiki , born by her father's legal wife and empress consort. The couple had eight children but none would ascend the throne. Unless otherwise noted (as BC), years are in CE  / AD   Imperial Consort and Regent Empress Jingū

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