Ifukube no tsumuji (伊福部都牟自)
Ifukube no tsumuji (year of birth unknown, April 21, 658) is a member of Ifukube clan which was an ancient local ruling family in Inaba Province.
Career
According to "Inaba no Kuni Ifukube no Omi Koshi," the genealogy of Ifukube clan compiled by Ifukube no Tomishige in 784, Ifukube no tsumuji is the child between his father, Ifukube no kujira and his mother, Kumahime, and he is the twenty sixth generation of the Ifukube clan. In 646 (the period of Emperor Kotoku), he established 水依評 for the first time in Japan, and he was appointed to kori no kami (district chieftains) and 小智冠 was granted at the same time. In 647, 小黒冠 was granted to him, and daiotsuge (the sixteenth grade of nineteen grades of cap rank, which corresponds to Juhachiinojo and Juhachiinoge, Junior Eighth Rank, Upper and Lower Grades of Taiho Ritsuryo, Taiho Code) was granted in 649. Thereafter, he promoted to daiotsujo (the fifteenth grade of nineteen grades of cap rank, which corresponds to Shohachiinojo and Shohachiinoge, Senior Eighth Rank, Upper and Lower Grades of Taiho Ritsuryo, Taiho Code) in 658 (the period of Empress Saimei), established Takakusa County in January 658 after braking 水依評, and passed away on April 21, 658. He had three children, Ifukube no kunitari, the child of Ihizume; the daughter of a member of the same clan, Ifukube no yosari, the child of Komiyatoji; the daughter of a member of the Iwa clan in Ajino, and Ifukube no yosofu. Kunitari became the hereditary district magistrate (the generic name which refers to chief magistrates and assistant magistrates) of Homi county, while Yosari and Yosofu became the hereditary district magistrates of Omi county.
The year when hyo (unit of the local administration) and county were established should be reviewed since "Kokufucho shi" indicated that 'it was intentionally selected the lucky year to establish hyo.'
There are two theories in terms of the establishment of Takakusa Country; the theory that 水依評 became Takakusa County, based on "Koshi" which states '始壊水依評、作高草郡,' and another theory that 水依評 was divided into two counties, Homi and Omi to establish Takakusa County. Anyway, if "the establishment of Takakusa County," which was stated in "Koshi," was true, it would be the oldest example of establishing a county.