Editing Emperor Tenji (section)

==Traditional narrative==
[[File:Poem-by-Emperor-Tenchi-(Tenji)-by-Utagawa-Kuniyoshi.png|thumb|Poem by Emperor Tenji]]

He was the son of [[Emperor Jomei]], but was preceded as ruler by his mother [[Empress Kogyoku|Empress Saimei]].

Prior to his accession, he was known as {{nihongo|Prince Naka-no-Ōe|中大兄皇子|Naka-no-Ōe no Ōji}}.

===Events of Tenji's life===
As prince, Naka no Ōe played a crucial role in ending the near-total control the [[Soga clan]] had over the imperial family. In 644, seeing the Soga continue to gain power, he conspired with [[Nakatomi no Kamatari]] and [[Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro]] to assassinate [[Soga no Iruka]] in what has come to be known as the [[Isshi Incident]]. Although the assassination did not go exactly as planned, Iruka was killed, and his father and predecessor, [[Soga no Emishi]], committed suicide soon after. Following the Isshi Incident, Iruka's adherents dispersed largely without a fight, and Naka no Ōe was named heir apparent. He also married the daughter of his ally Soga no Kurayamada, thus ensuring that a significant portion of the Soga clan's power was on his side.

===Events of Tenji's reign===
Naka no Ōe reigned as Emperor Tenji from 661 to 672.

* '''661''': In the {{nihongo|3rd year of Saimei's reign|斉明天皇三年}}, the empress designated her son as her heir; and modern scholars construe this as meaning that this son would have received the succession (''senso'') after her death or abdication. Shortly after, she died, and Emperor Tenji could be said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui'').<ref>Titsingh, p. 54; Varley, H. Paul. (1980). ''Jinnō Shōtōki,'' p. 44; a distinct act of ''senso'' is unrecognized prior to Emperor Tenji; and all sovereigns except [[Empress Jitō|Jitō]], [[Emperor Yōzei|Yōzei]], [[Emperor Go-Toba|Go-Toba]], and [[Emperor Fushimi|Fushimi]] have ''senso'' and ''sokui'' in the same year until the reign of [[Emperor Go-Murakami]].</ref>
* '''662''': Tenji is said to have compiled the first Japanese legal code known to modern historians. The [[Ōmi Code]], consisting of 22 volumes, was promulgated in the last year of Tenji's reign.<ref name="Ponsonby-Fane, Richard 1959 p. 52">Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 52.</ref> This legal codification is no longer extant, but it is said to have been refined in what is known as the [[Asuka Kiyomihara Code|Asuka Kiyomihara ''ritsu-ryō'']] of 689; and these are understood to have been a forerunner of the [[Taihō Code|Taihō ''ritsu-ryō'']] of 701.<ref>Varley, p. 136 n. 43.</ref>
* '''663''': Tenji invaded Korea in an attempt to support a revival of Japan's ally [[Paekche]] (one of Korea's Three Kingdoms, which had been conquered by the Korean kingdom of [[Silla]] in 660) but was seriously defeated at the [[Battle of Baekgang]] by the combined forces of [[Silla]] and [[Tang dynasty|Tang]] China. 
* '''668''': An account in {{Lang|ja-latn|[[Nihon Shoki]]}} becomes the first mention of [[oil|petrochemical oil]] in Japan. In the {{nihongo|7th year of Tenji's reign|天智天皇七年}}, flammable water (possibly [[petroleum]]){{nonspecific|date=September 2012}} was presented as an offering to Emperor Tenji from [[Echigo Province]] (now known as a part of [[Niigata Prefecture]]).<ref>Aston, William George. (1896). {{Google books|_oEfAAAAYAAJ|''Nihongi,'' p. 289 n2.|page=289}}</ref> This presentation coincided with the emperor's ceremonial confirmation as emperor. He had postponed formalities during the period that the mausoleum of his mother was being constructed; and when the work was finished, he could delay no longer. Up until this time, although he had been ''de facto'' monarch, he had retained the title of Crown Prince.<ref name="titsingh54">Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). {{Google books|18oNAAAAIAAJ|''Annales des empereurs du Japon'', p. 54.|page=53}}</ref>
* '''671''': An account in Nihon Shoki becomes the first mention of public announcement of time by [[Japanese clock#History|rōkoku]] (a kind of [[water clock]]) in Japan. In 660 also a mention of this kind of clock exists.

Tenji was particularly active in improving the military institutions which had been established during the [[Taika Reform]]s.<ref>Asakawa, Kan'ichi. (1903). ''The Early Institutional Life of Japan,'' p. 313.</ref>

===Death of the emperor===
[[Image:TenchiTennoRyo.jpg|thumb|right|Memorial Shinto shrine and {{ill|Mausoleum of Emperor Tenji|ja|御廟野古墳}}]]
Following his death in 672, there ensued a succession dispute between his fourteen children (many by different mothers). In the end, he was succeeded by his son, [[Emperor Kōbun|Prince Ōtomo]], also known as Emperor Kōbun, then by Tenji's brother [[Emperor Tenmu|Prince Ōama]], also known as Emperor Tenmu. Almost one hundred years after Tenji's death, the throne passed to his grandson [[Emperor Kōnin]].

:'''Post-Meiji chronology'''
:* '''''In the 10th year of [[Tenji (period)|Tenji]]''''', in the 11th month (671): Emperor Tenji, in the {{nihongo|10th year of his reign|天智天皇十年}}, designated his son as his heir; and modern scholars construe this as meaning that the son would have received the succession (''senso'') after his father's death. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Kōbun is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui'').<ref>Brown, Delmer ''et al.'' (1979). '' Gukanshō'', pp. 268–269.</ref> If this understanding were valid, then it would follow:
::* '''''In the 1st year of [[Kōbun (period)|Kōbun]]''''' (672): Emperor Kōbun, in the 1st year of his reign (弘文天皇元年), died; and his uncle Ōaomi''-shinnō'' received the succession (''senso'') after the death of his nephew. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Tenmu could be said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui'').<ref>Titsingh, pp. 55–58.</ref>

:'''Pre-Meiji chronology'''
:Prior to the 19th century, Ōtomo was understood to have been a mere interloper, a pretender, an anomaly; and therefore, if that commonly accepted understanding were to have been valid, then it would have followed:
:* '''''In the 10th year of [[Tenji (period)|Tenji]]''''', in the 11th month (671): Emperor Tenji, in the {{nihongo|10th year of his reign|天智天皇十年)}}, died; and despite any military confrontations which ensued, the brother of the dead sovereign would have received the succession (''senso''); and after a time, it would have been understood that Emperor Tenmu rightfully acceded to the throne (''sokui'').

The actual site of Tenji's [[grave (burial)|grave]] is known.<ref name="kunaicho">[[Imperial Household Agency]] (''Kunaichō''): [http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/ryobo/guide/038/index.html 天智天皇 (38)]</ref> This emperor is traditionally venerated at a [[memorial]] [[Shinto]] [[shrine]] (''misasagi'') at [[Yamashina-ku, Kyoto]].

The [[Imperial Household Agency]] designates this location as Tenji's [[mausoleum]]. It is formally named ''Yamashina no misasagi''.<ref>Ponsonby-Fane, p. 420.</ref>

===Poetry===
The ''[[Man'yōshū]]'' includes poems attributed to emperors and empresses; and according to [[Donald Keene]], evolving ''Man'yōshū'' studies have affected the interpretation of even simple narratives like "The Three Hills." The poem was long considered to be about two male hills in a quarrel over a female hill, but scholars now consider that Kagu and Miminashi might be female hills in love with the same male hill, Unebi.<ref>Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai. (1969). ''The Manyōshū,'' p. iv.</ref> This still-unresolved enigma in poetic form is said to have been composed by Emperor Tenji while he was still Crown Prince during the reign of Empress Saimei:

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" style="margin:auto; border:1px solid black; background:#e7e8ff;"
|-  style="text-align:center; background:#d7a8ff;"
|Japanese||[[Rōmaji]]||English
|- valign=top
|
<poem style="margin-left: 1.6em;" lang="ja">
香具山は
畝傍ををしと
耳成と
相争ひき
神代より
かくにあるらし
いにしへも
しかにあれこそ
うつせみも
妻を
争ふらしき
</poem>
|
<poem style="margin-left: 1.6em;">''Kaguyama wa''
''Unebi o oshi to''
''Miminashi to''
''Aiarasoiki''
''Kamuyo yori''
''Kaku ni arurashi''
''Inishie mo''
''Shika ni are koso''
''Utsusemi mo''
''Tsuma o''
''Arasourashiki''
</poem>
|
<poem style="margin-left: 1.6em;">
Mount Kagu strove with
: Mount Miminashi
For the love of
: Mount Unebi.
Such is love
: since [[The Age of the Gods|the age of the gods]];
As it was thus
: in the early days,
So people
: strive for spouses
:: even now.<ref>Nippon Gakujutsu Shinkokai,  p. 5.</ref>
</poem>
|-
|colspan=2|
|}

One of his poems was chosen by [[Fujiwara no Teika]] as the first in the popular ''[[Ogura Hyakunin Isshu|Hyakunin Isshu]]'' anthology:

{| cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1" style="margin:auto; border:1px solid black; background:#e7e8ff;"
|-  style="text-align:center; background:#d7a8ff;"
|Japanese||[[Rōmaji]]||English
|- valign=top
|
<poem style="margin-left: 1.6em;" lang="ja">
秋の田の
かりほの庵の
苫をあらみ
わが衣手は
露にぬれつつ 
</poem>
|
<poem style="margin-left: 1.6em;">'' Aki no ta no''
''Kariho no io no''
''Toma o arami''
''Waga koromode wa''
''Tsuyu ni nuretsutsu''
</poem>
|
<poem style="margin-left: 1.6em;">
Because of the coarseness of the rush-mat
Of the temporary-hut
Where the rice of autumn harvest is
As far as my sleeve is concerned
They are becoming wet with dew (or tears).<ref name="m3">MacCauley, Clay. (1900). "''Hyakunin-Isshu'': Single Songs of a Hundred Poets" in ''Transactions of the Asia Society of Japan,'' p. 3.</ref>
</poem>
|-
|colspan=2|
|}

After his death, his wife, [[Empress Yamato]] wrote a song of longing about her husband.<ref>Sato 2008, p. 21.</ref>

===''Kugyo''===
The top {{nihongo|court officials|公卿|Kugyō}} during Emperor Tenji's reign included:

* ''[[Daijō-daijin]]'': {{nihongo|[[Emperor Kōbun|Ōtomo ''no Ōji'']]|大友皇子|}}, 671–672.<ref name="b268">Brown, p. 268.</ref>
* ''Naishin'' (内臣): [[Fujiwara no Kamatari]] (藤原鎌足) (614–669), 645–669.<ref name="b268"/>

Prince Ōtomo (Ōtomo''-shinnō'') was the favorite son of Emperor Tenji; and he was also the first to be accorded the title of ''Daijō-daijin.''<ref>Ponsonby-Fane, p. 53.</ref>