Prince Shioyaki (Shioyaki no Okimi) (塩焼王)
Prince Shioyaki (Year of birth unknown - October 21, 764) was a grandchild of Emperor Tenmu and a child of Imperial Prince Niitabe. He was a third generation Imperial family member whose lawful wife was Imperial Princess Fuwa, Princess (older paternal half-sister of Empress Koken) of Emperor Shomu.
He was banished to Izu in 742 due to his inadequate relationship with a court lady. As a background of this incident, the possibility of political confrontation with his father-in-law, Emperor Shomu has been pointed out in relation to the transfer of the capital to Kuni-kyo and giving the right of succession to the Imperial Throne to his younger brother-in-law, Prince Asaka. He was pardoned and returned to the capital in 745. In the selection of a successor to Prince Funado (Funado no Okimi), the deposed Crown Prince in 757, he was not installed as Crown Prince even though he was recommended by FUJIWARA no Toyonari and FUJIWARA no Nagate. In the revolt of TACHIBANA no Naramaro, he was about to be put up for Emperor, due to which he was on the point of being exiled, however he was acquitted under an amnesty. Afterward, he retrieved his lost honor and in the following year, was given a family name of HIKAMI no Mahito being demoted from nobility to commoner, however, many of his family members were caught up in the political confusion. There was a possibility that Prince Shioyaki would succeed to the Imperial Throne in view of the facts that he was the husband of Imperial Princess Fuwa, a Princess of Emperor Shomu, that Prince Shioyaki himself was a grandchild of Emperor Tenmu, and that he was supported by such members of the Fujiwara clan as Toyonari and Nagate. The above situation is presumed to have been caused by the influence of the then powerful person, FUJIWARA no Nakamaro who feared the possibility of Prince Shioyaki's succession to the Imperial Throne. Afterward, he won the confidence of FUJIWARA no Nakamaro by working hard in events including the Imperial funeral for Empress Dowager Komyo, and came to be promoted as if nothing had happened.
In 764, he raised a rebellion (Rebellion of Fujiwara no Nakamaro) to succeed to the throne being helped, ironically, by FUJIWARA no Nakamaro (EMI no Oshikatsu) who had once obstructed a possible succession of Prince Shioyaki to the Imperial Throne. It was, however, not long before the rebellion was put down and he was executed by the Lake Biwa.
He had two children, HIKAMI no Shikeshimaro and HIKAMI Kawatsugu with Imperial Princess Fuwa (However, some say the two children were the same person).