Otomo no Tauchi (大伴手拍)
OTOMO no Tauchi (year of birth unknown and died on September 17, 713) was an aristocrat in the Aska period and the Nara period in Japan. His kabane (the hereditary title given by the Imperial Court) was Sukune. Other readings of his name were 'Teuchi' and 'Tegashiwa'. He belonged to the powerful clan, the Otomo clan, but his genealogy is unknown. His official title was Zogukyo (the head of Zogusho, the Ministry where officials planned to construct or refurbish the Imperial Palace), Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade).
Achievement
He was first described in the article of the Emperor Jito on June 2, 689 of "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan). On that day, Prince Shiki, SAMI no Sukumaro, HANEDA Sei, IYOBE no Umakai, TSUKI no Okina, OTOMO no Tauchi and KOSE no Tayasu were appointed to be Sen Zengen no Tsukasa (officials in charge of compiling instructive tales from Chinese classics and Japanese traditional literature with the aim of giving education to the Imperial family. At that time, the official rank of OTOMO no Sukune Tauchi was Mui Daisan (the twenty-first grade of the forty-eight official ranks) and around this time, a person with the highest official rank of the OTOMO clan was OTOMO no Miyuki.
At the event of Daijo-sai festival (a festival to celebrate the enthronement of an emperor) on November 23, 698, ENOI no Ason Yamatomaro, a member of the branch family of the Mononobe clan put up a giant shield and OTOMO no Tauchi put up a shield and a spear with four prongs. Putting up a shield and a spear with four prongs in front of the gate of Daijo-gu (a temporary shrine prepared at the Palace for Daijo-sai festival) by the established military clans, the Mononobe clan and the Otomo clan was a traditional practice in Daijo-sai festival. At that time, Tauchi's official rank was Jiki Koshi (the twenty-eighth of the forty-eight official ranks).
After Miyuki died in 701, a person with the highest official rank of the Otomo clan was Miyuki's brother, OTOMO no Yasumaro followed by Tauchi. On May 9, 705, Shogoinoge (Senior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade), Tekashiwa became Owari no Kami (the governor of Owari Province).
On March 13, 708, he rose to the official rank of Shogoinojo (Senior Fifth Rank, Upper Grade) and became Zogukyo (the head of the Ministry where officials planned to construct and refurbish the Imperial Palace). It was an important role of creating Heijokyo (the ancient capital of Japan in present-day Nara Prefecture). On January 1, 709, he was promoted to the official rank of Jushiinoge (Junior Fourth Rank, Lower Grade) from Shogoinojo. On September 17, 713, he died at the official rank of Zogukyo, Jushiinoge.