Emperor Keitai

Japanese: 継体天皇 - けいたいてんのう

Year of birth: Unknown
The 26th emperor (great king) in the first half of the 6th century. His given name was Otoko-no-Oji. He is said to be the 5th generation descendant of Emperor Ojin. According to the "Nihon Shoki," Emperor Keitai was born when King Hikoshihito welcomed Princess Furihime from Sakanakai, Mikuni, Echizen Province (Mikuni Town, Fukui Prefecture) to his villa in Mio, Takashima County, Omi Province (Takashima Town, Shiga Prefecture). After King Hikoshihito's death, Furihime returned to her hometown and raised Emperor Keitai. With the death of Emperor Buretsu, the royal line came to an end, so Emperor Keitai was welcomed from Echizen by Otomo no Kanamura and others, ascended to the throne at Kuzuha Palace (Hirakata City), and Princess Teshiraka, daughter of Emperor Ninken, became his empress. However, he moved to Tsutsugi Palace (Tsujiki County, Kyoto Prefecture) and Oguni Palace (Muko City), and it is said that it was only 20 years after his accession that he finally moved to Iwaya Tamaho Palace (Sakurai City) in Yamato. The circumstances of his accession were extremely unusual, and in fact, he had no blood ties to the previous royal line, and it is believed that he became emperor due to his character and qualities. The clans who became Emperor Keitai's wives (such as the Okinaga, Mio, Ibaraki, and Owari clans), and the clans who had fictitious blood ties with Emperor Keitai, were the chiefs of a region that spread from the various counties of Omi Province and Echizen Province to Mino Province (Gifu Prefecture), Owari Province (Aichi Prefecture), and Kawachi Province (Osaka Prefecture), and it is believed that these chiefs, who were connected by water transportation on Lake Biwa and the Yodo River, supported the emperor. After his accession to the throne, Emperor Keitai faced two major challenges. The first was how to respond to the international situation surrounding the Gaya countries, which were being invaded by Silla and Baekje. He basically allied with Baekje and intervened in various ways, such as by sending Omi no Keno to provide military assistance. The second was how to respond to the instability of order caused by the rise of local chiefs who aimed to form strong political power, as symbolized by the Iwai Rebellion (527). This unrest was not overcome, and after Emperor Keitai's death, it gave rise to the Xinhai Incident (a struggle for royal power). According to the Nihon Shoki, he died in the 21st year of the reign of Emperor Keitai (531), the year of the Xinhai Incident. His tomb is believed to be the Ota Chausuyama Tomb in Ibaraki City, but this does not fit the time period, and Imashirozuka Tomb in Takatsuki City is considered the more likely candidate. <References> Hayashiya Tatsusaburo, "The Disintegration of the Ancient Nation," Okada Seiji, "The Origin and Background of Emperor Keitai and Its Background" (Japanese History Research, No. 128), Hirano Takuji, "The Yamato Royal Power and Omi and Echizen" (New Edition of Ancient Japan, Vol. 5)

(Takuji Hirano)

Source: Asahi Japanese Historical Biography: Asahi Shimbun Publications Inc. About Asahi Japanese Historical Biography

Japanese:

生年：生没年不詳
6世紀前半の第26代に数えられる天皇(大王)。諱は男大迹。応神天皇の5世孫という。『日本書紀』によれば,彦主人王が近江国高嶋郡の三尾(滋賀県高島町)の別宅に越前国三国の坂中井(福井県三国町)から振姫を迎えて継体天皇が誕生。彦主人王の死後,振姫は郷里に帰り継体天皇を養育した。武烈天皇の死去でその王統が絶えたため,大伴金村らによって継体天皇が越前から迎え入れられ,樟葉宮(枚方市)で即位し,仁賢天皇皇女の手白香皇女を皇后とした。しかし,筒城宮(京都府綴喜郡),弟国宮(向日市)と移り,即位後20年にしてようやく大和の磐余玉穂宮(桜井市)に入ったという。その即位事情は極めて異常で,実は,前王統とは血縁関係がなく,その人格,資質により大王となったと考えられる。継体天皇の后妃となった氏族(息長,三尾,茨田,尾張の各氏など),および継体天皇と擬制的血縁関係を持つ氏族は,近江国諸郡と越前国を中心に美濃(岐阜県),尾張(愛知県),河内国(大阪府)に広がる地域の諸首長であり,琵琶湖,淀川の水上交通により結び付いたこれらの首長たちが天皇を支えていたとみられる。即位後の継体天皇はふたつの大きな課題に直面した。ひとつは新羅,百済に侵攻される伽耶諸国をめぐる国際情勢への対応で,基本的には百済と結び,近江毛野の派遣など軍事的援助などさまざまな介入を行った。もうひとつは磐井の乱(527)に象徴されるように,強い政治権力の形成をめざす地方首長の台頭によって引き起こされる秩序の動揺への対応であった。この動揺は克服されず,継体天皇の死後,「辛亥の変」(王権争い)を生じさせることとなった。没年は『日本書紀』によれば,継体21(531)年,すなわち辛亥の変の年。陵墓は茨木市の太田茶臼山古墳に比定されるが,時代的に合わず,高槻市の今城塚古墳が有力視される。<参考文献>林屋辰三郎『古代国家の解体』,岡田精司「継体天皇の出自とその背景」(『日本史研究』128号),平野卓治「ヤマト王権と近江・越前」(新版『古代の日本』5巻)

(平野卓治)

出典　朝日日本歴史人物事典：（株）朝日新聞出版朝日日本歴史人物事典について　情報

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