Empress Komyo
Encyclopedia
was the Nara period
consort of Japanese Emperor Shōmu
(701–756).
A member of the Fujiwara clan, her father was Fujiwara no Fuhito
and her mother was Agata Inukai no Michiyo (県犬養三千代). During her life she was also known as Asukabehime 安宿媛, Kōmyōshi 光明子, and Tōsanjō 藤三娘. She is buried in Nara Prefecture's Hōrenji-cho in the mausoleum Sahoyama no Higashi no Misasagi 佐保山東陵 near Emperor Shōmu
in the southern mausoleum.
She married Emperor Shōmu at the age of 16, and gave birth to the princess Abe at the age of 18. She gave birth to her first prince at the age of 27. Unfortunately, he died soon after birth. The Fujiwara clan insisted that Prince Nagaya had killed the prince by the curse. She became an empress at the age of 29; and she was the first to be raised to the rank of kogo in historical times.
A ritsuryo
office was created for the queen-consort, the Kogogushiki; and this bureaucratic innovation continued into the Heian period.
Artifacts connected with Kōmyō and Shōmu are among the treasures housed at the Shōsōin
. Four of her poems are included in the Man'yōshū imperial anthology. As a devout adherent of Buddhism, Kōmyō encouraged the construction and enrichment of various temples, including Shinyakushi-ji (Nara), Hokke-ji
(Nara), Kōfuku-ji
(Nara), and Tōdai-ji
(Nara).
Kōmyōike Station
in southern Osaka Prefecture
takes its name from a nearby artificial lake named after Empress Kōmyō. This toponym comes from a supposed association with the empress's birthplace in the province of Izumi
.
Emperor Shōmu's officially designated Imperial misasagi or tomb can be visited today in Hōrenji-cho, Nara City. The Imperial tomb of Shōmu's consort, Empress Kōmyō, is located nearby.
Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from AD 710 to 794. Empress Gemmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō . Except for 5 years , when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capital of Japanese civilization until Emperor Kammu established a new capital, Nagaoka-kyō, in 784...
consort of Japanese Emperor Shōmu
Emperor Shomu
was the 45th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Shōmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 723.-Traditional narrative:...
(701–756).
A member of the Fujiwara clan, her father was Fujiwara no Fuhito
Fujiwara no Fuhito
Fujiwara no Fuhito was a powerful member of the imperial court of Japan during the Asuka and Nara periods...
and her mother was Agata Inukai no Michiyo (県犬養三千代). During her life she was also known as Asukabehime 安宿媛, Kōmyōshi 光明子, and Tōsanjō 藤三娘. She is buried in Nara Prefecture's Hōrenji-cho in the mausoleum Sahoyama no Higashi no Misasagi 佐保山東陵 near Emperor Shōmu
Emperor Shomu
was the 45th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Shōmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 723.-Traditional narrative:...
in the southern mausoleum.
She married Emperor Shōmu at the age of 16, and gave birth to the princess Abe at the age of 18. She gave birth to her first prince at the age of 27. Unfortunately, he died soon after birth. The Fujiwara clan insisted that Prince Nagaya had killed the prince by the curse. She became an empress at the age of 29; and she was the first to be raised to the rank of kogo in historical times.
A ritsuryo
Ritsuryo
is the historical law system based on the philosophies of Confucianism and Chinese Legalism in Japan. The political system in accord to Ritsuryō is called "Ritsuryō-sei"...
office was created for the queen-consort, the Kogogushiki; and this bureaucratic innovation continued into the Heian period.
- Tenpyō 20 (749): After a 25-year reign, Emperor Shōmu abdicated in favor of his daughter, Princess Takano-hime, who would become Empress KōkenEmpress Koken, also known as , was the 46th and the 48th emperor of Japan respectively, according to the traditional order of succession. Empress Kōken first reigned from 749 to 758, then she reascended the throne as Empress Shōtoku from 765 until her death in 770....
; and some time later, Shōmu took the tonsure, thus becoming the first retired emperor to become a Buddhist priest. Empress Kōmyō, following her husband’s example, also took holy vows in becoming a Buddhist nun.
Artifacts connected with Kōmyō and Shōmu are among the treasures housed at the Shōsōin
Shosoin
The is the treasure house that belongs to Tōdai-ji, Nara The building is in the azekura log-cabin style, with a raised floor. It lies to the northwest of the Daibutsuden...
. Four of her poems are included in the Man'yōshū imperial anthology. As a devout adherent of Buddhism, Kōmyō encouraged the construction and enrichment of various temples, including Shinyakushi-ji (Nara), Hokke-ji
Hokke-ji
, is a Buddhist temple located in the city of Nara, Japan.Hokke-ji was built by Empress Kōmyō in 745, originally as a nunnery temple on the grounds where previously her father Fujiwara no Fuhito's mansion stood. According to records kept by the temple, the initial construction went on until around...
(Nara), Kōfuku-ji
Kofuku-ji
is a Buddhist temple in the city of Nara, Nara Prefecture, Japan. The temple is the national headquarters of the Hossō school and is one of the eight Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.-History:...
(Nara), and Tōdai-ji
Todai-ji
, is a Buddhist temple complex located in the city of Nara, Japan. Its Great Buddha Hall , the largest wooden building in the world, houses the world's largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana, known in Japanese simply as Daibutsu . The temple also serves as the Japanese headquarters of the ...
(Nara).
Kōmyōike Station
Komyoike Station
is a train station on the Semboku Rapid Railway located in Minami-ku, Sakai, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. Nearby are , Mitami Shrine, , a bookstore, Kamotani Park, Mikita Middle School, Mikita High School, department stores, and residential areas. It is named for Komyoike Pond, an artificial lake that...
in southern Osaka Prefecture
Osaka Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto area.- History :...
takes its name from a nearby artificial lake named after Empress Kōmyō. This toponym comes from a supposed association with the empress's birthplace in the province of Izumi
Izumi Province
was a province of Japan. It is also referred to as . It lay in Kinai, and its area today composes the south-western part of Osaka Prefecture . The Ōshōji in Sakai was the border with Settsu Province, until the beginning of the Meiji period, when the boundary was changed to be at the Yamato River...
.
Emperor Shōmu's officially designated Imperial misasagi or tomb can be visited today in Hōrenji-cho, Nara City. The Imperial tomb of Shōmu's consort, Empress Kōmyō, is located nearby.