Emperor Nintoku

Emperor Nintoku was the 16th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He is sometimes called the Saint Emperor due to his reputation for goodness in the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki. He reigned from 313 to 399, according to the pseudo-historical Kiki and Nihon Shoki, but this date is doubted by scholars. He had four sons and four daughters, including Emperors Richū, Hanzei, Ingyō and Ōenoizahowake. He is regarded by historians as a ruler of the early 5th century. His contemporary title would not have been tennō, as most historians believe this title was not introduced until the reigns of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. Rather, it was presumably Sumeramikoto or Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi, meaning "the great king who rules all under heaven". Alternatively, Nintoku might have been referred to as Yamato Ōkimi or the "Great King of Yamato". The name "Nintoku" was created for him posthumously by later generations. Nintoku's reign is marked by Japan's first large-scale engineering projects. He is said to have ordered the construction of dikes and canals to improve agriculture and prevent floods. He also exempted the people from taxes and corvée for three years. According to legend, he was so benevolent that the rice plants grew high and the magpies built their nests low to show their gratitude. Nintoku is venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine which is associated with his burial mound. The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Nintoku's mausoleum. It is formally named Mozu no Mimihara no naka no misasagi. Nintoku's kofun is the largest in Japan and one of the largest in the world.