Chikatsu Asuka (近津飛鳥)

Technically, there are several areas that are “Asuka”. The area in the Southeast Nara Basin seems to be where many sovereigns had their palaces, but there is also an area further to the west that might make more sense as “Near” Asuka, especially if Chikatsu Asuka was on the way between Naniwa and Isonokami. (Note that the map is approximate).

Banzai (万歳) — not bonsai

This is still used in modern Mandarin, or Putonghua, as “Wansui”. In both cases it is the same meaning, with the Japanese term originating in the Han dynasty or even earlier. It literally means “10,000 years”.

FWIW, “Bonsai” (盆栽) is something else—trees or similar plants that have been carefully trimmed and kept as a miniature version, usually very carefully and painstakingly shaped to look appropriately “natural”, sometimes specifically trained to a particular landscape. Groups will get together and often display their work to the public at castles, shrines, temples, and elsewhere.

While people may wish “banzai” to their “bonsai”, try not to confuse the two!

Kyokusui no En (曲水宴)

The “Winding Stream Poetry Banquet” is one of the hallmarks of Japanese noble poetic culture, and comes directly from the continent. Sometimes it is read as “Gokusui no En”, but it is the same idea. These parties were a big hit, and special streams were built for them.

Extant feeder stream uncovered at Motsuji, in Hiraizumi.

Unfortunately, over time many of these streams have been demolished, though there is at least one remaining stream—a feeder stream for the pond at Motsuji temple in Hiraizumi, in the Tohoku region. Back in the Heian era, elites in Hiraizumi did their best to emulate the culture of the capital even out in the provinces, leaving us things like this.

Today there are various temples and shrines that hold regular “Kyokusui no En” events, with people coming out in Heian era garments and re-enacting these poetry events.

Takami Musubi

We’ve discussed Takami Musubi before. He is one of several kami using the designation of “Musubi”, including “Kammu Musubi”. Takami Musubi is said to have come around before even Izanagi and Izanami, who are otherwise seen as the “creation” kami.

Ki no Ohiha

Probably “Ki no “Opipa” back in the day, and nowadays maybe more appropriately as “Ki no Oiwa”. The Ki family is known to have been active in various campaigns on the Korean peninsula.

Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo’s Chronicles of Japan. My name is Joshua, and this is Episode 67: Woke’s Grab Bag
Warning up front: this episode we are covering a bunch of different events from the reign of Woke, aka Kenzo Tenno, in the late 5th century. I’m not sure that I could say there is clearly a single thread, but many of them have something interesting, at least in my opinion. So here you go.
In the last episode we saw how the brothers Ohoke and Woke, sons of Ichinobe, were found and returned to their position as royal princes in rather remarkable and poetic circumstances. The elder, Ohoke, was designated Crown Prince, but after the sovereign passed away, he abdicated his position in favor of his younger brother, Woke. As Ohoke and Woke went back and forth about who would sit on the throne, their dithering left it empty and so it was their sister—or possibly aunt—Ihitoyo who took her place upon the royal throne, putting an end to the back and forth between the brothers. Regrettably, Ihitoyo’s time on the throne would be cut short as she unexpectedly passed away less than a year after she had taken the throne, which is given as the main reason why she is not included in the list of official sovereigns, though some sources do name her as Ihitoyo Tennou.
And so, with the throne empty, the two brothers were soon back at it, bickering over who should be the next sovereign.
Finally, Woke gave in to the pressure from his elder brother and the Yamato court and agreed to take the throne. He is remembered to us, today, as Kenzou Tennou. Early on in his reign, he had a focus on finding justice—both for his father, Ichinobe, and for acts committed for or against him and his brother while they were in exile. We detailed these in the last episode, episode 67.
But that isn’t all of Woke’s reign. There was certainly more.
According to the Nihon Shoki, it started with him setting up his palace of Yatsuri in “Chikatsu Asuka”. Traditionally historians locate this in the southeast corner of the Nara basin, between the areas of Kashihara and Sakurai. This is the area we typically talk of as “Asuka”, referencing the area from which various sovereigns ruled relatively unopposed from the 6th to 7th centuries. It makes sense as it is also in the general region of Hase, where Wakatake is said to have had his court, and all in all it makes a logical location from which to set up the government.
On the other hand, there are others that place “Chikatsu Asuka” around the area of Asuka near modern Habikino—there is even a museum to this area. This all makes more sense from the earlier descriptions—back in Episode 54 you may recall that Izaho Wake fled an attempted assassination attempt when they burned down his palace in Naniwa, and he traveled to Isonokami. Along the way he passed by Chikatsu Asuka, nearby Asuka, as well as Tohotsu Asuka, or Distant Asuka. The Asuka in the southeast Nara basin is out of the way for such a distinction—if one were going from Naniwa, or modern day Osaka, to Isonokami, it makes much more sense to take the route through Habikino and then on across the basin to the eastern side.
It leads me to wonder just where this palace was. Of course, it could also be that this isn’t the palace at all, and may have simply been the coronation site. There are apparently records of an Ikeno palace and Mikakuri, which is also said to have been the site of his predecessor, Shiraga’s, palace, which is also identified as being in the area of Sakurai, just north of the historical Asuka region.
So, wherever his palace actually was, once settled on the throne, Woke took his wife, Naniwa no Wono, and made her his queen. She was the daughter of Wakugo of Oka, a descendant through prince Iwaki of Woasatsuma Wakugo no Sukune, aka Ingyo Tenno. Or so we are told. Once again, the Chronicles are emphasizing the need for an official queen—not just a consort—to be a descendant, herself, of the royal line. After all, we don’t want that family tree to get too wild on us.
The fact that she was apparently of Naniwa is also not insignificant. That was still the main port for accepting goods from the continent.
To celebrate all of this we are told that “general amnesty” was made—though whether this was actually the case or simply something to bolster Woke’s reputation I couldn’t say.
There is also another note here—something that could easily be passed by. It is said that the various ministers gathered and wished the new sovereign ten thousand years. Or, in other words, “Banzai”.
You are probably aware of this phrase, and no, it isn’t the same as bonsai, those miniature trees and landscapes. It is phrase used much as we might use “to your health”, and comes originally from a phrase in the Han dynasty, or possibly earlier. It literally means “10,000 years old”, though “10,000” in this case is a standard trope meaning a long time or a large number—hence a wish for a “long life”.
It is perhaps most widely known as the chant you would hear during WWII movies, especially from groups like the kamikaze pilots. Nationalist fervor had gripped the nation, and the cry became a shortened form of a longer cry of “long life for the emperor” or “Tennou Heika Banzai”, and it was not uncommon that Japanese soldiers would shout “Banzai” when they charged forward in an often fearsome attack. Whether or not it was actually shouted by any of the kamikaze pilots on their final approach, one cannot say, since most of them did not survive to tell us.
That said, it is often used, today, outside of this nationalist and imperialist setting, though I’d say there are still some right-wing strings attached. In those instances, however, it can be a more general exhortation to give it your all or best wishes for some person, group, or idea.
Now, assuming that the dating in the Nihon Shoki is accurate, this would appear to be the first use of the phrase, at least that I can tell. It is later used in more reliably historical parts of the Chronicle, so it was at least in use by the 8th century, and likely much earlier.
And the use of this phrase happened in the third month, on the day of the snake—which seems to have been designated for another activity, at least during Woke’s reign. You see, he apparently was fond of poetry competitions, and he sponsored one on the day of the snake, every third month.
You may recall that Woke’s ties to poetry were strong. He had announced himself and his brother in poetry during a celebration for a new muro, and the Kojiki has a story about how he entered into a poetry battle over the hand of a woman—though that may actually have happened during another reign.
Poetry competitions were certainly a big deal in the later Japanese court – which I’ll talk about a little later – but it’s interesting that there are only three of these gatherings mentioned by the Chroniclers, and all of them are found only here, in Woke’s reign. They read simply, but there are enough contextual clues that we can surmise more about it.
First off is the fact that these are not just random poetry get togethers. They are all described in the same way and they all happen on the same day every year. Clearly this was a date of some importance, though it only seems to show up in Woke’s reign for some time. Literally: 3rd month, Day of the Snake only seems to show up in the Nihon Shoki three times, and it is all in Woke’s reign.
That said, this festival is something that has continued down to us, even today, as the day of the Snake would have been the third day in the third month, which some of you may recognize as Hinamatsuri, also known as Girl’s Day or the Doll Festival.
This is one of five seasonal festivals, or Sekku. The first is on the 7th day of the first month. The other four are on double days. That is, a day where the number of the day and the month match. These are the third day of the third month, the fifth day of the fifth month, the seventh day of the seventh month, and the ninth day of the ninth month.
It is said that a festival on the third day of the third month, known today, at least, as the Shangsi festival, started in the Zhou dynasty, with a dinner party at the Qushui River. Others suggest that it started with a ritual bathing festival. Whatever the actual reason, it seems that the early festival was related to water.
Which fits with what we see in the Chronicles, as it talks about a “poetry water banquet”, a “kyokusui no en”. The image this brings is of a classic poetry gathering around a winding stream, which also brings up the idea of a dinner party at the river.
Such a winding stream party seems to have been associated with the spring festival from at least the middle of the fourth century, when cups of rice wine were floated on the waters down to the participants, who composed poetry and when the cup reached them they were expected to drink and recite their work.
In later centuries, at least, Japanese nobles would come out in their finest, set up around a winding stream, eating and drinking and sharing poetry and songs.
This stream could be natural, but we have plenty of evidence that streams would be deliberately built as part of a garden specifically for these kinds of soirees. The stream would be gentle—by at least the Heian era, the image is one of nobles with servants who could run back and forth to the stream in their stead while they, themselves, worked out their poetic verses.
Was this how it worked back in Woke’s day, in the late 5th century? It is hard to say, but it certainly looks like the roots of just such a celebration. Then again, it could be a complete anachronism, thrown in here to give the practice an even greater veneer of antiquity, and associated with Woke specifically because of his mad poetry skilz.
Now besides coining a new phrase and possibly importing a new excuse to sit around drinking and composing poetry, there was also a somewhat more spiritual development during this reign, having to do with the deities of the Sun and the Moon, and a tenuous connection with the Korean peninsula.
You see, in the 2nd month of 487 Kotoshiro Ahe no Omi had been sent to Nimna. To what purpose I’m not sure, but while he was there he met a man who had a vision from the Moon God themselves. Kotoshiro was told that they should make an offering to the Moon God and to his myriad relatives, including Takami Musubi. Thus upon Kotoshiro’s return, the court dedicated the Utaarasu rice fields to this purpose and put Oshimi no Sukune in charge of their worship.
Two months later, Kotoshiro once again got a spiritual knock on the door, this time from the sun goddess, who told him to dedicate the Iware rice fields to Takami Musubi. This was done and the Atahe of Shimo no Agata, in Tsushima, was put in charge of this.
So why do we care?
Obviously, we can’t state for a fact that Kotoshiro had communication of some kind with actual spirits. But the timing and connection do seem intriguing.
First off, there is the fact that he received his first vision in Nimna or on the voyage to or from. I’m sure there are plenty of scholars who would point out the transnational nature of many seemingly indigenous kami, and here we see that play out once again in the form of the moon god. In fact, this messaging is coming from someone—presumably a spiritual medium of some sort—on the Korean peninsula, which certainly suggests some connection to a peninsular tradition.
It is also interesting that in both cases we see them named as simply the ‘moon god’ and the ‘sun god’.
We first brought up the stories of the creation of the moon god, aka Tsukiyomi, and the sun goddess, aka Amaterasu, back in episode 15. There they were created by Izanagi, with Tsukiyomi, the moon, being created specifically as a counterpoint to the sun, Amaterasu. Meanwhile, Takami Musubi is one of the first deities to arise, even before Izanagi.
Also, as we detailed in Episode 22, both Takami Musubi and Amaterasu were claimed as ancestors of the royal family—specifically the Heavenly Grandchild. In fact, Takami Musubi is sometimes the sole ancestor—it is only in some of the stories that Amaterasu is mentioned.
That relates here as, once again, we see a de-emphasis of Amaterasu—she is simply mentioned as the “sun god”, and not even given one of the various names from earlier on. Furthermore, she isn’t asking for fields to be set up for her, but both the sun and the moon are requesting fields be set up to support the worship of Takami Musubi, who is actually worshipped at the court, whereas Amaterasu and Tsukiyomi are both mentioned as being worshipped at sites outside of the court itself.
This is an example of the kind of evidence we see in the Chronicles for the evolution of belief in the archipelago. Even though the Chronicles present an apparently chronological series of events, the first two sections are about the quote-unquote “Age of the Gods”, but it seems pretty clear that many of the stories were created—or at least codified—in a much later period.
For example, the similarities between entrances to the underworld and later kofun, where people are often entering through a doorway in a hill or similar structure to go down into the land of the Yomi—the dark land of the dead. This imagery doesn’t make much sense for a story from the early kofun period, as the kofun mounds of that time were simply that, mounds. The graves were actually vertical pits dug into the tops of the mounds, not unlike a burial on the ground, but with a more monumental surrounding.
It wasn’t until later—some time in the 5th or 6th century—that we really see the horizontal entrance into a stone chamber. These kofun, which appear to be influenced by continental tombs, have chambers made of stone that are entered from the side, rather than from the top. These sometimes even have evidence of people going into them multiple times, whereas the vertical pit would have to be completely dug out. These horizontal entrances provide a much better analogy with the various stories of death and the underworld, likely meaning that those same stories—or elements—evolved in the later part of the kofun period.
On the other hand, we have glimpses of interactions with deities in the sections from Jimmu onwards. In these we can see that aspects of belief have been co-located in the Chronicles with an apparent time period. Even if they aren’t fully accurate, that puts some veneer of chronology on those actions. The further along we are in the Chronicles, the more reliable these are.
So, for example, in many of the early stories we see kami represented by snakes, often living on mountains, like Mt. Miwa. This isn’t exactly how kami are usually depicted, today, but it is not impossible to think that this may be a reference to early beliefs in the archipelago.
Likewise, what we have here suggests to me that Amaterasu may not yet have taken her place as the chief goddess of Yamato and the royal family. We saw, early on, the Miwa cult, where Takami Musubi was emphasized, but a quick search of the Nihon Shoki demonstrates that Takami Musubi really doesn’t show up after Iware biko, aka Jimmu Tenno’s, reign until now, the reign of Woke. I suspect that this current account, where Kotoshiro is explicitly told to make offers to Takami Musubi, could indicate the *actual* founding of Takami Musubi’s worship by the court. Even then, I don’t see him much in the Chronicles, afterwards, but he does show up elsewhere, such as in the Kamuyogoto recited by the Izumo no Kuni no Miyatsuko when they arrived at the Yamato court to take up their office from at least the 8th century onward.
Speaking of Izumo, Takami Musubi shows up in several of the stories having to do with the subjugation of Izumo. Another name that shows up in those stories is none other than Kotoshiro. In that instance it is Kotoshiro Nushi, whose name is the same as that of the member of Ahe no Omi who traveled to Nimna and brought back the commandment from the moon god in the first place. Does this mean that Kotoshiro is the same as Kotoshiro Nushi? I am not prepared to go that far, but it does seem interesting that he shows up here.
Unfortunately, we don’t have too much more during Woke’s reign, as almost immediately after setting up the worship of Takami Musubi, Woke dies. We don’t know why, exactly—but then, this was a time when they likely didn’t know, either. There were so many things that were just considered a “natural death”.
However, there is an odd epilogue in the Nihon Shoki’s account, and like the account of the Moon God, it too had to do with Nimna, on the Korean Peninsula.
According to this story, Ki no Ohiha no Sukune made a base of operations in Nimna, and from there he made contact with the kingdom of Goguryeo. Now Ohiha had ambitious plans: he was going to establish a government, claim that he was a deity—a kami—and take control of the “Three Han of the West”. The Three Han, or Samhan, is traditionally a reference to the area of the Mahan, Jinhan, and Pyeonhan, which covered the areas of Baekje, Silla, and Kara, including Nimna. On the other hand, it also was used, later, to refer to just Baekje, Silla, and Goguryeo, encompassing all of the Korean peninsula. In this case I honestly couldn’t tell you what was meant, exactly, but it was clear that Ohiha was ambitious.
Together with several others he conspired and assassinated the heir to the Baekje throne. He then built a castle at a place called Tesan and “stood on the defensive as regards the eastern province.” More specifically he cut off access to one of the major harbors through which supplies were transported. That likely means somewhere along the southern coast of the peninsula, referencing supplies between the archipelago and the rest of the peninsula. A single area along the coast might be avoidable, generally, speaking, but you still generally wanted to keep sight of land as much as possible or else follow tried and true pathways across the straits. So there are several areas where I imagine one could effectively take control of the trade routes along various chokepoints.
All of this—though I suspect especially the assassination—pissed off Baekje to no end. The king of Baekje sent men against Tesan, but the castle held out against the initial assault, putting the men to route.
This was, however, a minor victory. Ohiha may have had positional advantage, but his forces were minor compared to those of the continent—and apparently Goguryeo wasn’t really getting involved. As such he was one against a hundred, and as such Baekje was able to surround Tesan and cut it off from outside supplies. After a while, the siege worked, and the defenders eventually ran out of supplies. Ohiha was able to escape, departing Nimna and returning, presumably to the archipelago. His co-conspirators and their men, however, were not so lucky, and we are told they were put to death.
This is one of those odd stories that I suspect has deeper connections if we really look into the characters. Because otherwise, why do we care? The Ki family is certainly implicated in many of the adventures against the Korean peninsula, so that isn’t out of the ordinary, but otherwise it doesn’t look like Ohiha has much impact on the narrative. This may simply set up later relations between Baekje, Nimna, and Yamato.
Personally, I think it is probably indicative of the fact that Yamato’s control remained somewhat tenuous. There were still various actors out there who were able to rouse forces and cause trouble. In fact, the lack of any action by Yamato in this matter is interesting. Why weren’t they rushing to help their ally, Baekje? Why weren’t they ensuring the trade ports remain open? Were they actually supporting Ohiha in some way? Unfortunately, I’m not sure what to tell you, as this doesn’t really appear in the other Chronicles that I’ve seen.
And that’s where the reign of Woke ends, in 487. The Nihon Shoki says that he reigned for a mere three years—the Kojiki generously gives him eight, but it seems less reliable in such matters, generally speaking. I guess it is possible, once again, that there were co-rulers—perhaps Ohoke and Woke were ruling together. Whatever the truth, it is still obscured by the past.
Woke passed away without any direct descendants to take the throne, and so it would go to his older brother, Ohoke, who would come to be known as Ninken Tennou. Expect to hear his story in the next episode.
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And that’s all for now. Thank you again, and I’ll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo’s Chronicles of Japan.

References

Ō, Yasumaro, & Heldt, G. (2014). The Kojiki: An account of ancient matters. ISBN978-0-231-16389-7.
Bentley, John. (2006). The Authenticity of Sendai Kuji Hongi: a New Examination of Texts, with a Translation and Commentary. ISBN-90-04-152253.
Chamberlain, B. H. (1981). The Kojiki: Records of ancient matters. Rutland, Vt: C.E. Tuttle Co. ISBN4-8053-0794-3.
Aston, W. G. (1972). Nihongi, chronicles of Japan from the earliest times to A.D. 697. London: Allen & Unwin. ISBN0-80480984-4
Philippi, D. L. (1968). Kojiki. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press. ISBN4-13-087004-1