生平

中大兄皇子生于626年（推古天皇三十四年）。645年（大化元年），與中臣鎌足計劃討平蘇我氏。繼而以孝德、齊明兩天皇之皇太子身份（孝德為其堂兄、齊明為其生母），從事對大化革新各項政策的擬定和實行。

其間，依百濟之請，派援軍支援朝鮮，但在白江口之戰中大敗于唐朝與新羅的聯軍。660年，齊明天皇死後，從事內政的整頓，遷都于近江的大津京。662年奉皇令與中臣鎌足制訂《近江令》。668年即位。669年10月15日，派東宮皇太弟大海人皇子至內大臣中臣鎌足府，賜姓藤原，次日藤原鎌足卒。670年2月製成《庚午年籍》，是為日本最早的全國性戶籍。陵墓在京都名山科陵。

中大兄取得政權的過程得到其弟大海人皇子的幫助甚大，也因此封大海人皇子為皇太弟，但即位天皇之後仍難以避免政權鬥爭與猜忌，與大海人皇子逐漸疏遠。

家族

日本國誕生

660年唐朝軍隊渡海與新羅軍隊聯合滅了百濟王國後，天智天皇為了倭國國家安全，派出倭國救援軍隊與被滅國的百濟在663年白村江之戰敗給唐帝國軍隊後，此時倭國與唐朝帝國為敵。天智天皇解散原本倭國與日本島內諸國聯盟重新建立覆蓋現今日本列島的統一國家，將倭國首都遷移到「大津」，制定成文法典「」其中規定倭王對外稱號為「明神御宇日本天皇」，此為國號「日本」與「天皇」的明文起源，668年天智天皇於首都大津既位天皇，在唐帝國滅了高句麗王國後，天智天皇為了求和派遣唐使到中國祝賀唐高宗皇帝，670年末，天智天皇派遣到新羅國的使者告知倭國國號改為日本國，此為日本國由來。

參考

• 《日本書紀》——卷廿七　天智天皇　天命開別天皇

關連項目

• 大化改新

• 乙巳之變

• 不改常典

• 近江神宮

• 水時計

• 古代山城

• 御廟野古墳

Traditional narrative

He 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 Tenjis 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 Tenjis 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) but was seriously defeated at the Battle of Baekgang by the combined forces of Silla and Tang China.

• 668: An account in Nihon Shoki becomes the first mention of petrochemical oil in Japan. In the , flammable water (possibly petroleum) was presented as an offering to Emperor Tenji from Echigo Province (now known as a part of Niigata Prefecture). 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.

• 671: An account in Nihon Shoki becomes the first mention of public announcement of time by 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 Reforms.

Death of the emperor

Memorial Shinto shrine and mausoleum honoring Emperor Tenji

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 (弘文天皇一年), 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.

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.

Non-nengō period

The years of Tenji's reign are not linked by scholars to any era or nengō. The Taika era innovation of naming time periods – nengō – languished until Mommu reasserted an imperial right by proclaiming the commencement of Taihō in 701.

• See Japanese era name – "Non-nengo periods"

• See Tenji period (661).

In this context, Brown and Ishida's translation of Gukanshō offers an explanation about the years of Empress Jitō's reign which muddies a sense of easy clarity in the pre-Taiho time-frame:

::"The eras that fell in this reign were: (1) the remaining seven years of Shuchō (686+7=692?); and (2) Taika, which was four years long 695–698. (The first year of this era was kinoto-hitsuji 695.)  ... In the third year of the Taka era 697, Empress Jitō yielded the throne to the Crown Prince."

Consorts and children

Empress: Yamato Hime no Ōkimi (倭姫王), Prince Furuhito-no-Ōe's daughter (son of Emperor Jomei).

Hin: Soga no Ochi-no-iratsume (蘇我遠智娘, d. ), Soga no Kura-no-yamada no Ishikawa-no-maro's daughter

• First Daughter: Princess Ōta (大田皇女), married to Emperor Tenmu

• Second Daughter: Princess Uno-no-sarara (鸕野讃良皇女) later Empress Jitō

• Second Son: Prince Takeru (建皇子, 651–658)

Hin: Soga no Mei-no-iratsume (蘇我姪娘), Soga no Kura-no-yamada no Ishikawa-no-maro's daughter

• Third Daughter: Princess Minabe (御名部皇女), married to Prince Takechi

• Fourth Daughter: Princess Abe/Ahe (阿閇皇女) later Empress Genmei, married to Prince Kusakabe

Hin: Soga no Hitachi-no-iratsume (蘇我常陸娘), Soga no Akae's daughter

• Princess Yamabe (山辺皇女), married to Prince Ōtsu

Hin: Abe no Tachibana-no-iratsume (阿部橘娘, d. 681), Abe no Kurahashi-maro's daughter

• Princess Asuka (明日香皇女), married to Prince Osakabe

• Princess Niitabe (新田部皇女), married to Emperor Tenmu

Court lady: Koshi-no-michi no Iratsume (越道伊羅都売)

• Seventh Son: Prince Shiki (施基皇子/志貴皇子, d. 716), Father of Emperor Kōnin

Court lady (Uneme): Yakako-no-iratsume, a lower court lady from Iga (伊賀采女宅子娘) (Iga no Uneme)

• First Son: Prince Ōtomo (大友皇子) later Emperor Kōbun

• Prince Abe (阿閇皇子, b.648)

• Princess Aga (阿雅皇女, 648-709)

Court lady: Oshinumi no Shikibuko-no-iratsume (忍海色夫古娘), Oshinumi Zokuryu's daughter

• Third Son: Prince Kawashima (川島皇子, 657–691)

• Princess Ōe (大江皇女), married to Emperor Tenmu

• Princess Izumi (泉皇女), Saiō in Ise Shrine (701–706)

Court lady: Kurikuma no Kurohime-no-iratsume (栗隈黒媛娘), Kurikuma Tokuman's daughter

• Princess Minushi (水主皇女)