Empress Komyo

Japanese: 光明皇后 - こうみょうこうごう

Year of death: Tenpyo Hoji 4.6.7 (760.7.23)
Year of birth: Taiho 1 (701)
Empress of the Nara period. Daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito and Inukai Michiyo. Her name was Yasuyadohime. She was also called Kōmyōshi because of her radiant beauty. She became the wife of Prince Suku (Shomu) at the age of 16. Prince Moto, born after Shomu ascended to the throne, died shortly after being made crown prince. After removing obstacles during the Nagaya no O Incident, she became empress in 729, carrying out the wishes of the Fujiwara clan and carrying out the "Shirihe (later) government". She inherited the majority of her father Fuhito's assets and mansion, and established the Empress's Palace Office within the mansion. She worked hard to spread Buddhism, establishing the Seyakuin and Hidain temples, and encouraging the emperor to build the Kokubunji temple, Kokubunniji nunnery, and Todaiji temple. This gave rise to the legend that she washed the grime of 1,000 people in her bath and sucked out the pus from lepers. In 749, she became empress dowager when her daughter Abe no Himeshinno (Koken) ascended to the throne. She established the Shiwei Chudai, which expanded the duties of the empress's court, and appointed her nephew Fujiwara no Nakamaro as its chief, effectively seizing control of national politics. In 749, together with Shomu and Koken, she received the precepts from the Chinese monk Ganjin in front of the Great Buddha Hall. In 750, when Shomu passed away, she donated her beloved possessions to the Great Buddha of Todaiji Temple. These are now Shosoin Treasures. Her words in the petition, "When I see the items that the former emperor liked, I break down in tears, thinking of the past," also reveal her feelings for her husband Shomu. Her signature "Fujisanjo" and the seal "Tsukuzen Fujike" remaining in her handwritten calligraphy show her pride as the person responsible for the prosperity of the Fujiwara clan, and compared to Shomu's serious and delicate handwriting, her handwriting has been pointed out as being free and bold. Some believe she likened herself to the Chinese Empress Wu Zetian of the same period. <References> Rikurou Hayashi “Empress Komyo”

(Akiko Yoshie)

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

Japanese:

没年：天平宝字4.6.7(760.7.23)
生年：大宝1(701)
奈良時代の皇后。藤原不比等と県犬養三千代の娘。名は安宿媛。光り輝く美しさから光明子といったとも。16歳で首皇子(聖武)の妃になる。聖武即位後に生まれた基皇子は,立太子後まもなく死去。長屋王の変で障害を除いたのち,天平1(729)年,藤原氏の希望を担って「しりへ(後)の政」を行う皇后になった。父不比等から主要な財産,邸宅を受け継ぎ,邸内に皇后宮職を設置。施薬院,悲田院を置き,国分寺,国分尼寺,東大寺の創建を天皇に勧めて実現させるなど,仏教の広布に力を尽くす。ここから後世,浴室で自ら1000人の垢を洗い,癩病患者の膿を吸いとったという伝説も生まれた。天平勝宝1(749)年,娘阿倍内親王(孝謙)の即位に伴い皇太后となり,皇后宮職を拡充した紫微中台を設置,甥の藤原仲麻呂を長官に任じて実質的に国政を掌握した。同6年には聖武,孝謙と共に大仏殿前で唐僧鑑真より受戒。同8年,聖武が崩じると,遺愛の品を東大寺大仏に献じた。現在の正倉院宝物である。願文の「先帝の好まれた品々をみるとありし日を思い泣き崩れてしまう」との言葉にも,夫聖武への想いがにじむ。自筆の書に残る「藤三娘」の自署や,「積善藤家」の印には藤原氏の隆盛を担う者としての自負がうかがえ,聖武のきまじめで繊細な筆跡と比較して,のびのびとした剛胆さが指摘されている。同時期の中国の則天武后に自らをなぞらえていたとの見方もある。<参考文献>林陸朗『光明皇后』

(義江明子)

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