Emperor Shomu

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Emperor Shomu

Emperor Shomu (???? Shomu Tenno) (701 – June 4, 756

756

Events...
) was the 45th Emperor

Emperor of Japan

The of Japan is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the Japanese people. He is the head of the Imperial House of Japan. Under Japan's present constitution, the Emperor is the "symbol of the state and the unity of the people," and is a ceremonial figurehead in a constitutional monarchy ....
of Japan

Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years 724 through 749.

re his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne

Chrysanthemum Throne

File:Emperor Tenji.jpgThe Chrysanthemum Throne is the English language term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, as in the raised thrones constructed in the Shishin-den for Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun on November 10, 1928 ....
, his personal name (his imina) is not clearly known, but he was known as Oshi-hiraki Toyosakura-hiko-no-mikoto.

Shomu was the son of Emperor Mommu

Emperor Mommu

Emperor Mommu was the 42nd Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 697 through 707....
and Fujiwara no Miyako, a daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito

Fujiwara no Fuhito

Fujiwara no Fuhito was a powerful member of the imperial court of Japan during the Asuka period and Nara periods. Second son of Fujiwara no Kamatari , he had sons by two women, and those sons were the founders of the four principal lineages of the Fujiwara clan: the South, North, Ceremonial, and Capital lineages....
.

Shomu had four Empresses and six Imperial sons and daughters.

u was still a child at the time of his father's death; thus, Empresses Gemmei and Gensho occupied the throne before he acceded.

Shomu continued to reside in the Hezei Palace.

Shomu is best remembered for commissioning, in 743, the sixteen-meter high statue of the Vairocana Buddha (the Daibutsu) in Todai-ji
Todai-ji

, is a Buddhism temple complex located in the city of Nara, Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall , the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu ....
of Nara
Nara, Nara

is the capital cities of Japan of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture....
.

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Emperor Shomu (???? Shomu Tenno) (701 – June 4, 756
756

Events...
) was the 45th Emperor
Emperor of Japan

The of Japan is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the Japanese people. He is the head of the Imperial House of Japan. Under Japan's present constitution, the Emperor is the "symbol of the state and the unity of the people," and is a ceremonial figurehead in a constitutional monarchy ....
of Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years 724 through 749.

Genealogy
Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne
Chrysanthemum Throne

File:Emperor Tenji.jpgThe Chrysanthemum Throne is the English language term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, as in the raised thrones constructed in the Shishin-den for Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun on November 10, 1928 ....
, his personal name (his imina) is not clearly known, but he was known as Oshi-hiraki Toyosakura-hiko-no-mikoto.

Shomu was the son of Emperor Mommu
Emperor Mommu

Emperor Mommu was the 42nd Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 697 through 707....
and Fujiwara no Miyako, a daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito
Fujiwara no Fuhito

Fujiwara no Fuhito was a powerful member of the imperial court of Japan during the Asuka period and Nara periods. Second son of Fujiwara no Kamatari , he had sons by two women, and those sons were the founders of the four principal lineages of the Fujiwara clan: the South, North, Ceremonial, and Capital lineages....
.

Shomu had four Empresses and six Imperial sons and daughters.

Events of Shomu's reign
Shomu was still a child at the time of his father's death; thus, Empresses Gemmei and Gensho occupied the throne before he acceded.

Yoro
Yoro

Yoro is the capital city of the Yoro department of Honduras....
8, in the 1st month (724): In the 9th year of Gensho-tennos reign (????9?), the empress abdicated; and her younger brother received the succession (‘‘senso’’). Shortly thereafter, Emperor Shomu is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’).

Jinki
Jinki

Jinki can refer to:*, a Japanese era*, an item used in Shinto ceremonies to worship kami*Jinki , the form of mecha that exists in the 2005 anime series...
1 (????; 724): The era name is changed to mark the accession of Emperor Shomu.

Shomu continued to reside in the Hezei Palace.

Shomu is best remembered for commissioning, in 743, the sixteen-meter high statue of the Vairocana Buddha (the Daibutsu) in Todai-ji
Todai-ji

, is a Buddhism temple complex located in the city of Nara, Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall , the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu ....
of Nara
Nara, Nara

is the capital cities of Japan of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture....
. At the time, this was such a massive undertaking that later chroniclers accuse him of having completely exhausted the country's reserves of bronze
Bronze

Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive, but sometimes with other chemical element such as phosphorus, manganese, aluminium, or silicon....
and precious metal
Precious metal

A precious metal is a rare metallic chemical element of high economics value. Chemically, the precious metals are less reactivity than most elements, have high lustre , are softer or more ductility, and have higher melting points than other metals....
s. In 752, the Shomu held the Eye-opening Ceremony of the Great Buddha.

Earlier in 741, he established the system of provincial temple
Provincial temple

Emperor Shomu established provincial temples in each Provinces of Japan of Japan. Todai-ji, the provincial temple of Yamato Province, served as the head of all these kokubunji and Hokke-ji held that duty for the kokubun niji....
s, making this the closest anyone ever came to declaring Japan a Buddhist nation.

Shomu is also known as the first emperor whose consort was not born into the imperial household. His consort Komyo was a Fujiwara woman. The two had a son who died in childhood.

Jinki
Jinki

Jinki can refer to:*, a Japanese era*, an item used in Shinto ceremonies to worship kami*Jinki , the form of mecha that exists in the 2005 anime series...
1 (724): Emperor Shomu rises to throne.

Tenpyo
Tenpyo

was a after Jinki and before Tenpyo-kanpo. This period spanned the years from 729 through 749. The reigning emperor was ....
12 740: The capital is moved to Kuni-kyo
Kuni-kyo

Kuni-kyo , was the capital city of Japan between 740 and 744, with the palace built in present-day city of Kizugawa, Kyoto by order of Emperor Shomu....
Tenpyo 13 (741): The Emperor calls for nationwide establishment of provincial temple
Provincial temple

Emperor Shomu established provincial temples in each Provinces of Japan of Japan. Todai-ji, the provincial temple of Yamato Province, served as the head of all these kokubunji and Hokke-ji held that duty for the kokubun niji....
s. Provincial temples ("kokubunji") and provincial nunneries ("kokubunniji") were established throughout the country. The more formal name for these "kokubunji" was "konkomyo-shitenno-gokoku no tera" (meaning "temples for the protection of the cournty by the four guardian deities of the golden light"). The more formal name for these "bokubunniji" was "hokke-metuzai no tera" (meaning "nunneries for eliminating sin by means of the Lotus Sutra").
Tenpyo 15 (743): The Emperor issues a rescript to build the Daibutsu (Great Buddha), later to be completed and placed in Todai-ji
Todai-ji

, is a Buddhism temple complex located in the city of Nara, Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall , the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu ....
, Nara
Nara, Nara

is the capital cities of Japan of Nara Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan. The city occupies the northern part of Nara Prefecture, directly bordering Kyoto Prefecture....
.
Tenpyo 15 (743): The law of Perpetual Ownership of Cultivated Lands (???????) issued
Tenpyo 16 (744): In the Spring, the court was moved to Naniwa-kyo
Naniwa-kyo

is a historical Japanese capital city, which was located in present-day central Osaka.Traces of ancient palaces in Naniwa were found in 1957. Through more recent excavations, the existence of a city was confirmed, at least for the latter period in the 8th century....
which then became the new capital.
Tenpyo 17 (745): The Emperor declares by himself Shigaraki-kyo the capital
Tenpyo 17 (745): The capital returns to Heijo-kyo, construction of the Great Buddha resumes.
Tenpyo 21, in the 4th month (749): Shome, accompanied by the empress, their children and all the great men and women of the court, went in procession to Todai-ji. The emperor stood before the statue of the Buddha and proclaimed himself to be a slave to the three precious precepts of the Buddhist religion, which are the Buddha, the Buddhist law, and the Buddhist church.
Tenpyo 21, in the 7th month (749): After a 25-year reign, Emperor Shomu abdicates in favor of his daughter, Princess Takano-hime, who will become Empress Koken. After his abdication, Shomu took the tonsure, thus becoming the first retired emperor to become a Buddhist priest. Empress Komyo, following her husband’s example, also took holy vows in becoming a Buddhist nun.

Tenpyo-shoho
Tenpyo-shoho

was a after Tenpyo-kanpo and before Tenpyo-hoji. This period spanned the years from 749 through 757. The reigning emperor was ....
4, in the 4th month 752: The Eye-opening Ceremony celebrating the completion of the Great Buddha is held at Todai-ji
Todai-ji

, is a Buddhism temple complex located in the city of Nara, Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall , the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu ....
.

Emperor Shomu died at age 56. Shomu's officially designated Imperial misasagi or tomb can be visited today in Horenji-cho, Tenri City near Nara City. The Imperial tomb of Shomu's consort, Empress Komyo
Empress Komyo

was the Nara period consort of Japanese Emperor Shomu . A member of the Fujiwara clan, her father was Fujiwara no Fuhito and her mother was Agata Inukai no Michiyo ....
, is located nearby.

Kugyo
Kugyo is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan

The of Japan is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the Japanese people. He is the head of the Imperial House of Japan. Under Japan's present constitution, the Emperor is the "symbol of the state and the unity of the people," and is a ceremonial figurehead in a constitutional monarchy ....
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 Shomu's reign, this apex of the Daijo-kan included:
Daijo-daijin(720-735), Toneri-shinno (9th son of Emperor Temmu
Emperor Temmu

was the 40th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He ruled from 672 until his death in 686....
).
Daijo-daijin(737-745), Suzuka-o (son of Prince Takechi
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 , a battle of succession, which resulted in his father becoming Emperor of Japan....
).
Sadaijin
Sadaijin

Sadaijin , most commonly translated as "Minister of the Left", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara period and Heian periods....
(724-729), Nagaya-o
Nagaya

Nagaya was a politician of the Nara period and an imperial prince of Japan, a son of Prince Takechi .His father was Prince Takechi and his mother Princess Minabe ....
(son of Prince Takechi
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 , a battle of succession, which resulted in his father becoming Emperor of Japan....
).
Sadaijin
Sadaijin

Sadaijin , most commonly translated as "Minister of the Left", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara period and Heian periods....
(743-756), Tachibana no Moroe (formerly Katsuragi-o, Prince Katsuragi) (half brother of Empress Komyo
Empress Komyo

was the Nara period consort of Japanese Emperor Shomu . A member of the Fujiwara clan, her father was Fujiwara no Fuhito and her mother was Agata Inukai no Michiyo ....
) .
Udaijin
Udaijin

Udaijin , most commonly translated as the "Minister of the Right", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara period and Heian periods....
(734-737), Fujiwara no Muchimaro
Fujiwara no Muchimaro

File:Fujiwara_no_Muchimaro.jpgwas a Japanese politician of the Asuka period and Nara periods. The eldest son of Fujiwara no Fuhito, founder of Fujiwara clan, he founded Nanke, a kuge family....
(son of Fujiwara no Fuhito
Fujiwara no Fuhito

Fujiwara no Fuhito was a powerful member of the imperial court of Japan during the Asuka period and Nara periods. Second son of Fujiwara no Kamatari , he had sons by two women, and those sons were the founders of the four principal lineages of the Fujiwara clan: the South, North, Ceremonial, and Capital lineages....
).
Nadaijin, Fujiwara no Toyonari (son of Fujiwara no Muchimaro
Fujiwara no Muchimaro

File:Fujiwara_no_Muchimaro.jpgwas a Japanese politician of the Asuka period and Nara periods. The eldest son of Fujiwara no Fuhito, founder of Fujiwara clan, he founded Nanke, a kuge family....
).
Dainagon
Dainagon

, often translated as "Great Councillor," was a government post of the Japanese ritsuryo governmental system, which was in place for much of the classical and feudal periods....
, Fujiwara no Fusasaki
Fujiwara no Fusasaki

Fujiwara no Fusasaki was a member of the Fujiwara clan in Japan and was a high-ranking minister of the court. He was the son of Fujiwara no Fuhito ....
(son of Fujiwara no Fuhito
Fujiwara no Fuhito

Fujiwara no Fuhito was a powerful member of the imperial court of Japan during the Asuka period and Nara periods. Second son of Fujiwara no Kamatari , he had sons by two women, and those sons were the founders of the four principal lineages of the Fujiwara clan: the South, North, Ceremonial, and Capital lineages....
).

Eras of Shomu's life
The years of Shomu's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengo.* Jinki
Jinki

Jinki can refer to:*, a Japanese era*, an item used in Shinto ceremonies to worship kami*Jinki , the form of mecha that exists in the 2005 anime series...
(724-729)
Tenpyo
Tenpyo

was a after Jinki and before Tenpyo-kanpo. This period spanned the years from 729 through 749. The reigning emperor was ....
(729-749)
Tenpyo-kanpo
Tenpyo-kanpo

was a after Tenpyo and before Tenpyo-shoho. This period spanned mere months in 749. The reigning emperor was ....
(749)
Tenpyo-shoho
Tenpyo-shoho

was a after Tenpyo-kanpo and before Tenpyo-hoji. This period spanned the years from 749 through 757. The reigning emperor was ....
(749-757)

Consorts and Children
Empress: Fujiwara no Asukabe-hime(Empress Komyo
Empress Komyo

was the Nara period consort of Japanese Emperor Shomu . A member of the Fujiwara clan, her father was Fujiwara no Fuhito and her mother was Agata Inukai no Michiyo ....
, ????) (701-760), daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito
Fujiwara no Fuhito

Fujiwara no Fuhito was a powerful member of the imperial court of Japan during the Asuka period and Nara periods. Second son of Fujiwara no Kamatari , he had sons by two women, and those sons were the founders of the four principal lineages of the Fujiwara clan: the South, North, Ceremonial, and Capital lineages....

Imperial Princess Abe (Empress Koken
Empress Koken

Empress Shotoku was both the 46th and the 48th Emperors of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. The period in which she was the reigning sovereign stretched from 749 through the year of her death in 770....
) (718-770)
Prince Motoi (727-728)

Bunin: Agatainukai no Hirotoji (?-762), daughter of Agatainukai no Morokoshi
Imperial Princess Inoe (717-775), married to Prince Shirakabe(later Emperor Konin
Emperor Konin

was the 49th Emperor of Japan of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 770 through 781....
)
Imperial Princess Fuwa (?-after 795), married to Prince Shioyaki (son of Prince Niitabe)
Imperial Prince Asaka (728-744)

Bunin: A daughter of Fujiwara no Muchimaro
Fujiwara no Muchimaro

File:Fujiwara_no_Muchimaro.jpgwas a Japanese politician of the Asuka period and Nara periods. The eldest son of Fujiwara no Fuhito, founder of Fujiwara clan, he founded Nanke, a kuge family....
(?-748)

Bunin: A daughter of Fujiwara no Fusasaki
Fujiwara no Fusasaki

Fujiwara no Fusasaki was a member of the Fujiwara clan in Japan and was a high-ranking minister of the court. He was the son of Fujiwara no Fuhito ....
(?-760)

Bunin: Tachibana-no-Hirooka no Konakachi (???????) (?-759), daughter of Tachibana no Sai

See also

Emperor of Japan
Emperor of Japan

The of Japan is the symbol of the state and of the unity of the Japanese people. He is the head of the Imperial House of Japan. Under Japan's present constitution, the Emperor is the "symbol of the state and the unity of the people," and is a ceremonial figurehead in a constitutional monarchy ....
List of Emperors of Japan
List of Emperors of Japan

The following is a traditional list of Emperor of Japan. Dates for the first 28 emperors, and especially the first 16, are based on the Japanese era name system....
Imperial cult
Imperial cult

An Imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor, or a dynasty of emperors , are worshiped as messiahs, demigods or deity. "Cult " here is used to mean "worship," not in the modern pejorative sense....

External links