Ioi no Kujira (廬井鯨)
IOI no Kujira (date of birth and death unknown) lived during the Asuka period of Japan.
According to the old Japanese syllabary characters, it is considered that his name had been pronounced as 'Ifowi no Kudira.'
His kabane (hereditary title) was Miyatsuko. In the Jinshin War of 672, he became Suke-no-Ikusanokimi (assistant commander) of the army of Otomo no Miko (Prince Otomo who has been called Emperor Kobun after the Meiji period); he fought at the old road of Yamato and lost.
The Ioi clan (written as 廬井氏 or 五百井氏) was a family having their base in Ioi, Kurumoto County, Omi Province. The rank of IOI no Kujira at the outbreak of the Jinshin War is unknown, however, he was Suke-no-Ikusanokimi when INUKAI no Ikimi, Ikusanokimi (commander) of the army of Otomo no Miko (Emperor Kobun), advanced south to capture Yamato (Yamato Province) the enemy's troops had camped.
Ikimi advanced to Muraya and built a camp, and ordered Kujira lead two hundreds selected soldiers to attack the main camp of commander OTOMO no Fukei who was supporting the enemy's army. Although the Kujira's troop was not formed of a lot of soldiers, Fukei also didn't have many soldiers there at that time. However, the Kujira's troop could not go further because the Fukei's soldiers including Tokomaro fought back with arrows. During the battle, the left wing of the Otomo no Miko's army (which Kujira had been supporting) was defeated at the old roads of Yamato, and from there, the enemy's troops led by MIWA no Takechimaro and OKISOME no Usagi came to join the battle at the Fukei's camp. The Kujira's troop was attacked by those enemy's troops from behind, and ran away.
Kujira also ran away on a white horse, however the horse got stuck in the mud of a field.
Fukei saw him and ordered a brave man from Kai Province, 'That man on the white horse is IOI no Kujira. Go after him right away and shoot him.'
When the brave man came closer, Kujira whipped his horse quickly. The horse got out of the mud and he could ride away. There remain no records about Kujira after that.