Emperor Tenji

Emperor Tenji was the 38th emperor of Japan who reigned from 668 to 672. He was the son of Emperor Jomei and Empress Kōgyoku, and his children included Empress Jitō, Empress Genmei, and Emperor Kōbun. He was also the brother of Emperor Tenmu, who succeeded him after a succession dispute. As prince, Tenji played a crucial role in ending the near-total control the Soga clan had over the imperial family. In 644, he conspired with Nakatomi no Kamatari and Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro to assassinate Soga no Iruka in what has come to be known as the Isshi Incident. Although the assassination did not go exactly as planned, Iruka was killed, and his father and predecessor, Soga no Emishi, committed suicide soon after. Following the Isshi Incident, Iruka's adherents dispersed largely without a fight, and Tenji was named heir apparent. He also married the daughter of his ally Soga no Kurayamada, thus ensuring that a significant portion of the Soga clan's power was on his side. Tenji implemented a series of reforms that strengthened the central government in accord with the Chinese model and restored power to the emperor. He established a new government and carried out political reforms. He then assumed real political power as the crown prince of both the Kōtoku and Saimei Emperors. Despite the death of Emperor Saimei, he did not accede to the throne for seven years, and came to the throne after the relocation of the capital to Ōmi in 668. He created Japan's first family register, the Kōgo Nenjaku, and the first code of law, the Ōmi Code. He also improved the military forces and supported the allied kingdom of Paekche in Korea against the invasions of Silla. Tenji died of leprosy in 672, and was succeeded by his son Kōbun. However, his brother Prince Ōama, who had retired to a Buddhist monastery, challenged Kōbun's legitimacy and raised an army against him. This resulted in the Jinshin War, a civil war that lasted for several months. Ōama eventually defeated Kōbun and became Emperor Tenmu, the 40th emperor of Japan. Tenji was buried at Yamashina no misasagi, a memorial Shinto shrine in Kyoto. He is also known for his poetry, one of which is included in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu, a classical anthology of Japanese waka poems.