Kagami no Okimi (鏡王女)
Kagami no Okimi (year of birth unknown - August 5, 683) was a legal wife of FUJIWARA no Kamatari. She was one of the famous poets of Manyoshu (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves).
In "Manyoshu," her name appears as '鏡王女' while in "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan) it is '鏡姫王.'
She was also referred to as 鏡女王. A convincing theory states that she was the birth mother of FUJIWARA no Fuhito.
Her origin is even more mysterious than that of Nukata no Okimi; although a theory states that Kagami no Okimi was an older sister of Nukata no Okimi, there is no description in "Nihonshoki" to indicate that they were sisters, and thus no proof for the theory. That is why no scholar these days strongly supports the theory of their sisterhood. Even if Kagami no Okimi was not related by birth to Kagami no O, the father of Nukata no Okimi, the word 'Kagami' (a mirror) in their names indicates a possibility that they were raised by the same clan of mirror makers. Another theory states that Kagami no Okimi was a princess of Emperor Jomei.
She was at first Emperor Tenchi's wife, but later became a legal wife of FUJIWARA no Kamatari. To pray for the recovery of Kamatari's illness, she established Yamashina-dera Temple (later Kofuku-ji Temple) in 669.
In the chapter of July 683 in "Nihonshoki," it is stated that '秋七月 丙戌朔己丑 天皇幸鏡姬王之家 訊病 庚寅 鏡姬王薨' which means, on July 4 (old lunar calendar; August 4) Emperor Tenmu paid a sympathy visit to Kagami no Okimi but she passed away on August 5, 683, the following day. "Manyoshu "includes four of her poems. These are poems in the form of question and answer with Emperor Tenmu, Nukata no Okimi, and FUJIWARA no Kamatari.
Kamunabi no Ihase no mori no Yobukodori Itaku na nakiso Waga koi masaru' means 'Do no cry so painfully, Calling bird, In the forest, Of sacred Iwase - My love only increases.'
This poem is said to be made by Kagami no Okimi after Kamatari's death, in the memory of her husband.
Today, a small tumulus in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture is presumed to be her grave, which is near Jomei Tenno-ryo Tumulus and managed by Tanzan-jinja Shrine.