Princess Tajima

Japanese: 但馬皇女 - たじまのひめみこ

Year of death: 25th June 1st Wadō (17th July 708)
Year of birth: Unknown
A princess from the late 7th century. Her father was Emperor Tenmu, and her mother was his wife, Fujiwara no Hikami no Musume. During the reign of Jitō (686-97), she was at the palace of her half-brother Prince Takaichi, and although there is no mention of her as a consort, it is believed that she lived with him as his wife. In the Man'yōshū, there are love poems between the princess and her half-brother Prince Hozumi from this time, and there is also a poem by the princess expressing her feelings for Prince Hozumi, who was sent to a mountain temple in Omi by imperial decree. Prince Takaichi died within a few years, but her relationship with Prince Hozumi after that is unknown. Among the wooden tablets found at the site of the Fujiwara Palace, there is one in which Yogo's nephew, the steward of Princess Tajima's family, requests medicine from the Bureau of Medicine. At the time of her death, he was ranked third rank. Prince Hozumi left behind a poem in which he laments the snow falling on the princess's grave in the winter after her death. It seems that they had no children, but there seems to be room for debate as to whether her love affair with Prince Hozumi can be considered a tragic one, as is commonly believed.

(Kyoko Kojima)

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

Japanese:

没年：和銅1.6.25(708.7.17)
生年：生年不詳
7世紀後半の皇女。父は天武天皇,母はその夫人藤原氷上娘。持統朝のころ(686～97)には異母兄高市皇子の宮にあり,妃などの記述はないが妻として同居していたものと思われる。『万葉集』には,このころの皇女と,同じく異母兄穂積皇子との相聞歌が残り,勅により近江の山寺に遣わされた穂積皇子への想いをうたった皇女の歌もある。それから数年のうちに高市皇子は死去するが,その後の穂積皇子との関係は不明。藤原宮趾木簡に,多治麻内親王家家令の陽胡甥が典薬寮に薬を請求しているものがある。亡くなったときは三品。穂積皇子は皇女没後の冬に,その墓に雪が降るのを思いやる歌を残している。子はなかったようであるが,穂積皇子との恋愛を通説のように悲恋とみなすことができるかどうかは考える余地がありそうである。

(児島恭子)

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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