Tenji was the son of
Emperor Jomei, but was preceded as ruler by his mother
Empress Saimei. Prior to his accession, he was known as .
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 , 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). •
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. This legal codification is no longer extant, but it is said to have been refined in what is known as the
Asuka Kiyomihara ritsu-ryō of 689; and these are understood to have been a forerunner of the
Taihō ritsu-ryō of 701. •
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. He was seriously defeated at the
Battle of Baekgang by the combined forces of Silla and
Tang China. •
668: Tenji undergoes his 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. Tenji was particularly active in improving the military institutions established during the
Taika Reforms.
Death of the emperor 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,
Prince Ōtomo, also known as Emperor Kōbun, then by Tenji's brother
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, in the 11th month (671): Emperor Tenji, in the , 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). If this understanding were valid, then it would follow: ::*
In the 1st year of 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). :
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, in the 11th month (671): Emperor Tenji, in the , 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 is known. 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.
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. 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: One of his poems was chosen by
Fujiwara no Teika as the first in the popular
Hyakunin Isshu anthology: After his death, his wife,
Empress Yamato wrote a song of longing about her husband.
Kugyo The top during Emperor Tenji's reign included: •
Daijō-daijin: , 671–672. •
Naishin (内臣):
Fujiwara no Kamatari (藤原鎌足) (614–669), 645–669. ==Non
-nengō period==