Sakamoto no Takara (坂本財)
SAKAMOTO no Takara (year of birth unknown-June 21, 673) was a person from the Asuka Period in Japan. In the old Japanese syllabary characters, his name was pronounced in the same way. His Kabane (hereditary title) was Omi. In the Jinshin War which broke out in 672, SAKAMOTO fought for Prince Oama (Emperor Tenmu) to defend the enemy coming from Kawachi Province to Yamato (Yamato Province). However he and his troops were defeated in the battle.
On August 1, 672, when OTOMO no Fukei rose in arms and occupied Asuka and advanced northward, SAKAMOTO no Takara was involved in the troops. Presumably on August 3, 672 when the troops reached Hieda, Fukei got the information of a large enemy force coming from Kawachi Province. So, Fukei organized three military units comprised of some hundred members for each and dispatched them to defend the attack from the direction of Kawachi. SAKAMOTO no Takara, NAGAO no Masumi, KURAKAKI no Maro, TAMI no Oshibi, and TANI no Ne Maro were involved in the troops as the commanders of the 300-member unit that headed for Tatsuta. After they set up camps at Hiraishino on the same day, the commanders were informed that there was the enemy in Takayasunoki Castle, so they climbed the mountain where the castle was located to attack the enemy. Omi forces (the army on the Emperor Kobun's side) fled from the castle after setting fire to storehouses.
In the next morning (5th) they saw a large enemy force led by IKI no Karakuni approaching from both Otsu-chi Road and Tajihi-michi Road which were located on the west side of the castle. They left the castle and advanced the troops across Egakawa River, and the battle broke out on the west side of the river. However, they were defeated and gathered at the camp which had been set up by KI no Oto in Kashikosaka after the withdrawal. Among the troops of Karakuni, the winner, KUME no Shioko, Kawachi no kuni no kami (Governor of Kawachi Province), was gathering the troops to take the side of Prince Oama. Karakuni detected Shioko's betrayal, and Shioko committed suicide knowing that his plot was failed. Two days later, probably on 7, the commanders decided to pull out their troops without fighting against the Omi forces as they saw the enemy attacking from every direction.
SAKAMOTO no Takara was believed to have continued fighting for OTOMO no Fukei after this battle, but nothing was mentioned about him in "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan). He passed away on June 21 the following year with his rank Daikinjo (the seventh grade of twenty-six of cap rank, which corresponds to Shoshii, Senior Fourth Rank and Jushii, Junior Fourth Rank of Taiho Ritsuryo, Taiho Code). He was conferred Shoshi (the sixth grade of twenty-six of cap rank, which corresponds to Jusanmi, Junior Third Rank of Taiho Ritsuryo, Taiho Code) for his services in the Jinshin War.