Why did he kill the Minister of Tsubura?-Desire of Ohatsuse Wakatakeru-no-Mikoto ②

Why did he kill the Minister of Tsubura?

In the second year of Emperor Richu, Minister Tsubura (Katsuragi Tsubura : his father was Tamada Sukune and his great-grandfather was Katsuragi Sotsubiko) took part in national affairs and donated the abundant rice and grains collected from Katsuragi no Agata to the imperial family. As a relative, he solidified his unshakable position.

However, in the 3rd year of Emperor Anko (around AD 456?), Prince Mayowa caused the assassination of Emperor Anko, and Prince Mayowa and Prince Kurohiko Sakaai, who were chased by Ohatsuse Wakatakeru no Mikoto (later Emperor Yuryaku), fled to the Tsubura Minister's mansion.

Ohatsuse Wakatakeru no Mikoto requests that the two be handed over, but the Tsubura Minister refuses the request.

At this time, I think that the Tsubura Minister crossed his mind to hand over the two to Ohatuse no Mikoto. However, even if the two were handed over, the fact that he had betrayed the imperial family members who had relied on him would be a sufficient reason to be punished later, especially in the case of Ohatsuse Wakatakeru no Mikoto, who would take advantage of such a thing, judging from his behavioral principles up until now.

If he dies with disgrace, he dies with honor. That was the decision of Minister Tsubura , and a slight resistance to Ohatsuse no Mikoto.

Tsubura no mikoto's mansion was besieged by Ohatsuse Wakatakeru no Mikoto‘s army, and Tsubura begged for forgiveness by presenting his daughter Karahime and Katsuragi's seven wards (seven his owned land in Katsuragi), but Ohatsuse was not forgiven, including the prince who fled, all burnt to death.

Prince Sakaai Kurohiko and Tsubura Minister were killed even though they had nothing to do with the assassination of Emperor Anko.

Behind this lies a bloody regime struggle.

Around the same time, there was a prince named Ichibe Oshiiwa, who was broad-minded and gentle in nature, and was in a powerful position to succeed to the throne, and Emperor Anko entrusted his future affairs.The backing was Minister of Tsubura (Mr. Katsuragi).

As Wakatakeru no Mikoto was driven by the need to weaken Prince Ichibe Oshiiwa because he wanted to take the throne.

Prince Ichibe Oshiiwa has a lot of Katsuragi blood (his father, Emperor Richu, and his mother, Kurohime no Mikoto, are both grandsons of Katsuragi Suguhiko).

Ohatsuse Wakatakeru no Mikoto's obsession with the succession to the imperial throne was beyond common sense, and there was no option to keep the Tsubura Minister alive from the beginning in order to isolate Prince Ichibe Oshiiwa. I think.

On the other hand, Tsubura Minister is a person who has risen to the highest rank among civilians called ministers. He can't be ignorant of political subtleties. I think he was convinced that the person Ohatsuse Wakatakeru no Mikoto really wanted to kill was not King Mayowa, but himself.

(According to the National History Taikei, Katsuragi Agata is said to have existed near Katsuragi Agata Shrine in the photo. Emperor Yuryaku obtained Karahime and Katsuragi Agata at this time, and Katsuragi Agata seems to have become a direct jurisdiction area of the imperial family.)

Katsuragi Agata Shrine: 15 minutes walk west from Kintetsu Shinjo Station. Taken on February 12, 2007

Nomi no Sukune and Izumo: Examples of Place Names Based on Historical Facts

In the field of research on ancient Japanese history, the term ``chimei setsuwa'' is often used.

Geographical tales are

"Fictitious tales were created based on place names." is used.

However, I don't think there are any examples of place name narratives that have been proven with concrete grounds.

In reality, I think the place names are based on historical facts.

One example of this is the place name 'Izumo' where Nomi no Sukune and Tagima no Haya fought sumo during the reign of Emperor Suinin and Nomi no Sukune won.

Kegima no Haya is a person who boasts of his strength, saying, ``Even if I search any directions, there will probably be no one who can match my strength.'' There is a story that the emperor heard about it, and the emperor summoned Nomi no Sukune, who lived in Izumo, as a partner.

In other words, Nomi no Sukune came from Izumo Province to the Yamato Asakura region.

The place where the two wrestled was identified as Junihashira Shrine, 2.6 kilometers east of Yamato-Asakura Station.

In the Nihonshoki (Chronicles of Japan), it is written that ``the two stood facing each other and kicked each other. Killed (two people stood up against each other, each leg was killed, the rule was broken, and the knee was killed)."

This fight is considered to be a historical fact (the style of sumo wrestling is also far from modern times).

The area where the Junibashira Shrine is located is still called “Izumo” today.

Izumo is a famous old country name known to all Japanese people in Shimane Prefecture. It is unnatural that it is attached to an area in Nara Prefecture, and I think it is the basis for the fact that the article in the Chronicles is not a narrative but a historical fact.

By the way, Nomi no Sukune's mound is located on the other side of the national highway from this shrine, and Tagima no Haya's mound still exists in Tagima, Katsuragi City, where he was born. In addition, Nomi no Sukune, who won, was given the land of Tagima no Haya, which is called Koshioreda, and is identified as Isokabe, Kashiba City, Katsuragi City (about 2 km from Tagima-dera Temple).

(A display of Izumo Ward in Sakurai City, Nara Prefecture, next to Junibashira Shrine. The monument to Nomi no Sukune is on the left.)

Beside Junibashira Shrine: 32 minutes walk east from Yamato-Asakura Station. Taken on August 31, 2022

Struggle to succeed to the throne: Desire of Ohatsuse Wakatakeru-no-Mikoto ①

The Chronicles of Japan record the history of the formidable power struggles within the Yamato Imperial Court.

Here, let's look at the period before the enthronement of Emperor Yuryaku (reigned AD 456?-479).

Ohatsuse Wakatakeru no Mikoto (later Emperor Yuryaku: the twelfth) was able to kill princes who were rivals to him one after another without any reason.

Ohatsuse Wakatakeru no Mikoto killed many people, including Prince Yatsuri Shirohiko, Prince Sakaai Kurohiko, and Prince Mayowa.

When Emperor Anko (older maternal brother of Ohatsuse Wakatakeru no Mikoto) was assassinated by Prince Mayowa, Prince Yatsuri no Shirohiko and Prince Sakaai Kurohiko were killed because their reactions were slow. It is written in the Chronicles of Japan, but most of them were killed without any hesitation.

It is written that Prince Yatsuri Shirohiko was grabbed by the neck and his eyes popped out when he was buried in Oharita.

It seems that the essence of the matter was that his two older brothers were a hindrance to his accession to the throne.

Prince Yatsuri Shirohiko and Prince Sakaai Kurohiko are also brothers by the same mother of Ohatsuse Wakatakeru no Mikoto, and if power is to be transferred peacefully, these two will be higher in the line of succession to the throne..

Since both of them are older brothers who share the same mother as Ohatsuse Wakakeru no Mikoto, Ohatsuse Wakatakeru no Mikoto caused a horrific incident that transcends common sense.

Even after taking the throne, Emperor Yuryaku had a terrifying impatience when he went out hunting and killed his vassals because they were slow to respond. There is no doubt that the entire archipelago was surrounded by considerable tension during this period.

(The picture is of Hakusan Shrine, which is said to be the site of Emperor Yuryaku's Hatsuse Asakura Palace. Emperor Yuryaku is thought to have had many enemies because he ascended the throne after a series of cruel incidents. It is believed that the shrine was placed in a heavily defended area with mountains behind it.)

Hakusan Shrine: 20-minutes walk east from Yamato-Asakura Station. Taken on August 31, 2022