Oe no Otondo (大江音人)
OE no Otondo (811 - December 15, 877) was a noble and scholar who lived in the Heian period. He was the eldest son of OE no Mototaka. He held the office of Sangi (councilor) and rose to the rank of Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank). He called himself Kosoko.
He studied Kidendo (the study of the histories) under SUGAWARA no Kiyokimi. He was in charge of the selection for the "Jogan Kyakushiki Code" (Regulations and Procedures of the Jogan Era) along with SUGAWARA no Koreyoshi and others. He was involved in compiling the "Nihon Montoku Tenno Jitsuroku" (fifth of the six official national history books), "Gunseki Yoran" (directory of the armed forces), and "Koteihan" (political textbook).
In 866, he changed his family name from '大枝' (large branch) to '大江' (large river) because he thought that: a large branch may cause the trunk of the tree to break, which is rather inauspicious. Since he was given the family name "大枝" by Emperor Kanmu, he could not completely change his family name and thus changed only the Chinese Character with the pronunciation unchanged. For the family name of '大江' (large river), he hoped that his descendants would remain prosperous like a large river.
There are some theories that: Otondo was in fact the first son of Imperial Prince Abo, but as the Imperial Prince was demoted to Dazai-fu (local government office in the Kyushu region) by being implicated in the Kusuko Incident, he was adopted by OE no Mototaka; and Otondo's mother who (from the Nakatomi family) was originally a waiting woman for Imperial Prince Abo, and after she got pregnant by Imperial Prince Abo, she became the wife of Mototaka and gave birth to Otondo, therefore Otondo may be the brother of ARIWARA no Yukihira or ARIWARA no Narihira.
Record of offices and ranks held
Date according to old lunar calendar
833: He became monjosho (student of literary studies in the Imperial University).
838: He was appointed in Bicchu Province.
842: He was deported to Owari Province.
844: He returned to Kyoto in fall
January 13, 846: He was appointed as Shonaiki (an official working at Nakatsukasa - the Ministry of the Central Office).
844: He was awarded the rank of Jugoinoge (Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade). He retained his position as Shonaiki. On February 24, he was transferred to Dainaiki (Senior Secretary of the Ministry of Central Affairs).
November 25, 850: He was appointed as Togu gakushi (Teacher of the Classics of the Crown Prince).
November 1, 852: He served concurrently as Minbu shoyu (Junior Assistant Minister of Popular Affairs).
July 1, 853: He served concurrently as Dainaiki. He retained his positions as Minbu shoyu and Togu gakushi.
January 7, 854: He rose to the rank of Jugoinojo (Junior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade) and retained his positions as Minbu shoyu, Togu gakushi, and Dainaiki.
January 11, 856: He served concurrently as Sashoben (Minor Controller of the Left). He retained his position as Togu gakushi. He was also appointed as the chief of the repair section of Todai-ji Temple Great Buddha.
March 18, 858: He served concurrently as Tanba no kami (the governor of Tanba Province). He left the office of Sashoben. On November 7, he rose to the rank of Shogoinoge (Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade) and retained his positions as Togu gakushi and Tanba no kami. On November 25, he concurrently served as Shikibu shoyu (Junior Assistant of the Ministry of Ceremonies). He left the office of Tanba no kami. On December 8, he served concurrently as Uchuben (Middle Controller of the Right).
December 859: He was appointed as Gon Sachuben (Provisional Middle Controller of the Left). He retained his position as Shikibu shoyu.
November 16, 860: He rose to the rank of Jushiinoge (Junior Forth Rank, Lower Grade) and retained his positions as Gon Sachuben and Shikibu shoyu.
January 13, 861: He was appointed as Sachuben (Middle Controller of the Left). He retained his position as Shikibu shoyu.
February 10, 863: He was appointed as Udaiben (Major Controller of the Right).
January 16, 864: He was appointed as Sangi.
(According to "Nihon Sandai Jitsuroku" - the sixth of the six classical Japanese history texts: he was appointed as Kugyo [one of the top court officials] on January 13.)
He retained his position as Udaiben.
March 9, 865: He served concurrently as Harima gon no kami (provisional governor of Harima Province).
January 7, 866: He rose to the rank of Jushiinojo (Junior Fourth Rank, Upper Grade) and retained his positions as Sangi, Udaiben, and Harima gon no kami. On March 23, he rose to the rank of Shoshiinoge (Senior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade) and retained his positions as Sangi, Udaiben, and Harima gon no kami. On October 15, he changed his family name from 大枝 to 大江.
January 12, 867: He served concurrently as Sadaiben (Major Controller of the Left). He left the office of Udaiben.
May 26, 868: He served concurrently as Kageyu no kami (chief investigator of the records of outgoing officials). In September, he served concurrently as Mino no kami (the governor of Mino Province). He left the office of Harima gon no kami.
870: He left the office of Mino no kami.
February 15, 872: He served concurrently as Omi no gon no kami (Provisional Governor of Omi Province).
January 7, 874: He rose to the rank of Jusanmi (Junior Third Rank) and retained his positions as Sangi, Sadaiben, and Omi no gon no kami. On February 29, he served concurrently as Saemon no kami (captain of the Left Division of Outer Palace Guards). He left the office of Sadaiben. On March 7, he served concurrently as Kebiishi no betto (Superintendent of the Imperial Police).
875: He left the office of Omi no gon no kami.
November 3, 877: He died. Died at the age of 67. On this occasion, he held the offices of Kebiishi no betto, Sangi, and Saemon no kami and the rank of Jusanmi.