Genri Takamuku - Kuromaro Takamuku

Japanese: 高向玄理 - たかむくのくろまろ

Year of death: Hakuchi 5.5 (654)
Year of birth: Unknown
A scholar and national doctor in the mid-7th century. Also known as "Takamuko no Kuromaro," he is written as Takamuko no Hoshi Genri, Takamuko no Hakase Kuromaro, and Takamuko no Kuromaro. Genri is a Chinese-style spelling, and may have been called Takamuko Genri during his stay in the Sui and Tang dynasties. He was a Han Chinese immigrant of Baekje descent who lived in Takamuko (Kawachinagano City) in the Nishiki area of Kawachi, and was one of eight students and scholars who accompanied Ono no Imoko, an envoy to Sui, to study in Sui in 608. In 640, he returned to Japan after 32 years, passing through Silla with Nanen Shoan and others. In the new government of the Kōtoku era that was established after the Isshi Incident (645), he became a national doctor along with the monk Min, and based on his many years of study of Confucianism and other academic and philosophical subjects in China, as well as his real-life experiences, he played the role of an ideologue for the emperor and ruling class, and a brain in national politics. In 646, he served as a Japanese envoy to Silla to negotiate diplomatic relations with the kingdom, and returned to Korea the following year accompanied by Kim Chunchu (later King Muyeol), who was in charge of the government of the other side. In 647, he was involved in the establishment of the central government offices, and then traveled to Tang China via Silla as a Japanese envoy to Tang China to explore diplomatic routes, and met with Emperor Gojong, but the negotiations were unsuccessful and he died there.

(Yasutami Suzuki)

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

Japanese:

没年：白雉5.5(654)
生年：生年不詳
7世紀中ごろの学者で国博士。「たかむこのくろまろ」ともよみ,高向史玄理,高向博士黒麻呂,高向黒麻呂などと書かれる。玄理は中国風の表記で,隋唐滞在中に高玄理と称したか。河内の錦部の高向(河内長野市)に住んだ百済系渡来人の漢人の出で,推古16(608)年遣隋使小野妹子に従って隋へ留学した学生,学問僧8人のうちのひとり。舒明12(640)年南淵請安らと共に新羅を経て32年ぶりに帰国。乙巳の変(645)後に成立した孝徳朝の新政権で僧旻と並んで国博士になり,中国における長年の儒教をはじめとする学問,思想の研鑽と現実の体験をもとに,天皇や支配層のイデオローグあるいは国政上のブレーンの役割を担った。大化2(646)年には遣新羅使として新羅との外交折衝に当たり,翌年,その相手方の政権を担当する金春秋(のちの武烈王)を伴って帰国した。同5年,中央官司の設置に関与したのち,遣唐押使として外交路線を探るため新羅経由で唐に渡り,高宗に会見したが,不調のままその地で客死した。

(鈴木靖民)

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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