Emperor Jomei (舒明天皇)
Emperor Jomei (593? - November 20, 641) was the thirty-fourth emperor in Japan (reigned: February 5, 629 - November 20, 641). He called himself Tamura no Miko (Prince Tamura), when he was a prince. The Japanese-style posthumous name was Okinagatarashihi Hironuka no Sumera Mikoto.
The former Empress Suiko did not decide her successor when she died on April 18, 628. SOGA no Emishi came to know that the opinions of retainers or subjects were divided into two, Tamura no Miko and Yamashiro no Oe no O (Prince Yamashiro no oe), thus assigned Tamura no Miko to be the emperor. This man was Emperor Jomei. There are two theories for this; one theory is that Emishi tried to settle a puppet emperor to gain ascendancy, and the other is that Emishi tried to prevent Yamashiro no Oe no O, who was a descendant of the Soga clan, from taking over the emperor's throne so that friction with other major clans would be avoided. Recently another theory has been believed that Emishi just made a realistic decision to solve the conflict over the succession to the Imperial Throne between a direct descendant (Tamura no Miko) of the Emperor Bidatsu who was the legitimate son of the Emperor Kinmei, and a direct descendant (Yamashiro no Oe no O) of the Emperor Yomei who was a child born out of wedlock of the Emperor Kinmei, which also caused a division of Gozoku (local ruling family) into two factions.
At any rate, during the time of the Emperor Jomei, SOGA no Emishi had real political power.
During his reign, he sent first Kento-shi (Japanese envoy to Tang Dynasty China) and received the return visitor, Gao Biaoren from Tang Dynasty China. Not only the envoy but also trainee monks and students visited Tang Dynasty China, and Ryoun the priest, Min the priest, Shoan the priest, TAKAMUKO no Kuromaro and those who visited China during the Sui dynasty, returned to Japan. The envoys from Baekje and Silla also visited Japan.
According to "Honcho koin jounroku" (the Emperor's family tree, made in the Muromachi period) and "Ichidai Yoki" (summary chronicle of each reign), he is thought to have died at the age of 49. Although confirmation using old historical materials is difficult, his age of death is thought to be nearly exact (or with a few years of error), considering the age of his son, the Emperor Tenchi and others, and that his mother, Nukadehime no Himemiko (the name of Tamura was succeeded from her) lived for more than 20 years after his death and died in 664.
Achievements, etc. during his reign
629
February 5:
Ascended to the throne.
630
March 4:
Married with Takara no Himemiko.
April 21:
Goguryeo (kingdom of Korea) and Baekje respectively sent envoys to bring him tributes.
September 19:
Dispatched Kento-shi (Japanese envoy to Tang Dynasty China).
November 24:
Moved to the Asuka Okamoto no miya Imperial residence (Asuka Village).
631
April 10:
Uija of Baekje sent his son Buyeo Pung as a hostage.
October:
Visited the Arima hot springs. Returned in January.
632
August:
Tang Dynasty China dispatched Gao Biaoren and they sent back INUKAMI no Mitasuki and others.
November 24:
Gao Biaoren from Tang Dynasty China arrived at Naniwa no tsu (Naniwa Port).
633
March 14:
Gao Biaoren returned to Tang Dynasty China (according to "與王子爭禮 不宣朝命而還" in "Jiu Tang Shu" [Old Tang History]).
634
February 21:
Constructed Shinbashira (central pillar) of Toyura-dera Temple (Asuka Village) (according to "Shotokutaishi-Denryaku" [biography of Prince Shotoku]).
636
July:
Okamoto Palace suffered a fire. He moved to Tanaka no miya Palace (Tanaka-cho, Kashihara City).
The same year:
Drought and famine took place.
637
The same year:
Due to the rebellion by Emishi, the emperor Jomei sent KAMITSUKENO no Katana as a shogun to subdue it.
638
The same year:
It is said that he built the Hokki-ji temple (Ikaruga Town).
639
August:
He issued the imperial edict to build Omiya and Kudara-daiji Temple (Sakurai City?) along the Kudara-gawa River.
January, 640:
Visited Dogo-onsen Hot Spring. And the Kujunoto (Nine-storey Pagoda) of Kudara-daiji Temple was built.
640
April:
Returned from Iyo and stayed at Umayasaka no miya Palace (Ogaru-cho, Kashihara City).
October:
Moved to Kudara no miya Palace.
641
November 20:
Passed away.
November 29:
The Mogari (funeral) ceremony was performed on the north side of the palace.
His Tanka (31 syllables' poem) is included in "Manyoshu" (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves).
The Asuka period (from the twenty-seventh to the thirty-seventh generations)
Comparative chart of the years of his reign and the Christian years
Imperial mausoleum
Osaka no Uchi no Misasagi Mausoleum (Dannozuka-kofun Tumulus) in Oaza Otsusaka, Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture is thought to be his mausoleum.