Sami no Sukunamaro (佐味宿那麻呂)
SAMI no Sukunamaro was a person from the Asuka Period in Japan. Sukunamaro is also written in different Kanji characters, 少麻呂. In the old Japanese syllabary characters, his name was pronounced in the same way. His Kabane (hereditary title) was Kimi, later Ason. In the Jinshin War, in 672, he fought for Prince Oama (Emperor Tenmu), and defended the road of Osaka against the enemy force which advanced from Kawachi into Yamato. In 685 he became an envoy of Sanyo-do Road patrol and Yogoto Tsukuri no Tsukasa (an official post to select and compile admonitions) in 689.
OTOMO no Fukei rose in arms and attacked Asuka on August 1, 672 and dispatched messengers to Prince Oama in Fuwa no miya, Mino Province, to inform the success of the initial action. Sukunamaro became one of the messengers with OTOMO no Yasumaro and SAKANOUE no Okina. At that time, Prince Oama was in Nogami near Fuwa, and he was gathering the main force of the army in Fuwa County.
After reporting the success, Sukunamaro returned to the camp of Fukei and joined the troops heading for north, Narayama (Nara City). On his way to Narayama, Fukei received information in Hieda that a large enemy force was approaching from Kawachi Province, probably on August 3. Fukei organized three military units comprised of some hundred members for each and dispatched them for the defense. SAMI no Sukunamaro led several hundred people and stationed in Osaka. The Osaka is not present-day Osaka Prefecture but one of the roads which go through Ikoma Mountain Range from east to west. According to "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan), the troops of 300-member units including SAKAMOTO no Takara which were dispatched to Tatsuta fought a series of battles, but nothing is mentioned about the troops of SAMI. It is unknown whether they fought in cooperation with the troops of SAKAMOTO or stayed in the camp. In either case, all the troops were forced to retreat when a large enemy force of IKI no Karakuni started the attack presumably on August 6.
On December 15, 684, 52 clans including SAMI no Kimi were conferred hereditary title of Ason.
On October 21, 685, the emissaries were dispatched throughout the country to carry out the inspection on the work performance of Kokushis (provincial governors), Gunjis (local magistrates) and working and living conditions of peasants. SAMI no Ason Sukunamaro, Jikikoushi (the sixteenth grade of jikiko rank for vassals of the forty-eight grades of cap rank, which corresponds to Jugoinoge, Junior Fifth Rank, Lower Grade of Taiho Ritsuryo, Taiho Code), was appointed to an envoy of Sanyo-do Road patrol with a Hangan (inspector) and a Shi (clerk).
On June 27, 689, Prince Shiki, SAMI no Sukunamaro, HATA no Sai, IYOBE no Umakai, TSUKI no Okina, OTOMO no Tauchi, and KOSE no Tayasu were appointed to Yogoto Tsukuri no Tsukasa. His rank was Jikikoushi then.