Nagayaou

Japanese: 長屋王 - ながやおう

Year of death: Tempyo 1.2.12 (729.3.16)
Year of birth: Unknown. A royal official in the Nara period. Grandson of Emperor Tenmu. Son of Prince Takichi. His mother is thought to be Princess Minabe, daughter of Emperor Tenchi. His wives include Princess Kibi, Lady Ishikawa, and Abe no Otachiji. In 704, he was promoted from no rank to Junior Fourth Rank, and thereafter served as Minister of the Imperial Household, Minister of Ceremonies, and Dainagon. After the death of Fujiwara no Fuhito, he became Minister of the Right in 721, and when Emperor Shomu ascended to the throne in February 724, he became Minister of the Left with Junior Second Rank. He led the political world as a royal politician, and is also thought to have been a strong candidate for the succession to the throne. When Shomu issued an imperial decree giving the title of Daifujin to his mother, Fujiwara no Miyako, she submitted a petition in March of the same year asking whether the imperial decree or the decree should be used, since the Taiho Code should read "Kotafujin," and Shomu retracted the imperial decree and changed it to "Kotafujin" when written and "Omizo" when spoken. In February of the same year, she was reported as plotting to overthrow the nation, and after being questioned, she committed suicide. Princess Kibi and her sons, Prince Zenfu, Prince Kuwata, Prince Katsuragi, and Prince Kagitori, also committed suicide (the Nagaya Incident). The couple were buried on Mount Ikoma. This incident is considered to have been a plot by the Fujiwara clan to make Kōmyōshi the empress of Shomu. One version has it that she was 46 years old, while another says she was 54. In 712 (Wadō 5) to mourn the death of Emperor Monmu, and in 713 (Jinki 5), she had 600 volumes of the Great Prajnaparamita Sutra copied for her parents, the Emperor, and others. The house was located in Sabo and was called Sabo House or Sakuhoro. Banquets were often held there, and many Chinese poems composed there, including those by the king himself, appear in the "Kaifuso". The "Manyoshu" also includes songs by the king. According to the "Tō Yamato Jōtōsei-den", the Tang Dynasty's Ganjin decided to come to Japan because he was inspired by the king's reverence for Buddhism and the fact that he made 1,000 robes for Chinese monks. In recent years, about 36,000 wooden tablets, including one with the inscription "Nagaya Shinno Palace Abalone Large Sacrifice Ten Pieces," have been excavated from the remains of the mansion, which occupies about 60,000 m2, an area of 13.2 m2 (ancient land plot) in the area of Heijō-kyō Sanjō Nibō in Nara City, proving that the king's residence was located there. Many of the wooden tablets show the names of the king's family, including the king's wives, such as Princess Kibi, Lady Ishikawa, and Abe no Otoshi. Furthermore, in addition to the calligraphers, copyists, box makers, doctors, monks and nuns involved in copying sutras, we have discovered the existence of technicians such as blacksmiths, casters and painters, as well as chouchi (attendants given to princes and princesses), attendants such as young sons, and estates such as Yamashiro no Mita, Mimishi no Mita, Oba no Mita and Tsuge Himuro. However, there is debate as to whether the Saho residence is the same as the remains of this mansion. There are two circular burial mounds in Heguri Town, Nara Prefecture that are said to be the graves of Nagaya no O and his wife. <References> Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, ed., "The Mansion and Wooden Tablets of Nagaya no O in Heijo-kyo"

(Kazumi Tateno)

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

Japanese:

没年：天平1.2.12(729.3.16)
生年：生年不詳
奈良時代の王族官人。天武天皇の孫。高市皇子の子。母は天智天皇の娘御名部皇女とみられる。妻は吉備内親王,石川夫人,安倍大刀自など。慶雲1(704)年,無位から正四位へ昇進し,以後宮内卿,式部卿,大納言を歴任。藤原不比等没後の養老5(721)年右大臣,神亀1(724)年2月,聖武天皇が即位すると正二位左大臣となり,王族政治家として政界を主導するとともに,有力な皇位継承候補者でもあったとみられる。聖武が母藤原宮子の称号を大夫人とする勅を出したことに対し,同年3月,大宝令では「皇太夫人」とあるべきで,勅と令のいずれをとるべきかと奏言した結果,聖武は勅を撤回し,書くときは皇太夫人,いうときは大御祖とすると改めた。同6年2月,国家を傾けようとしていると密告され,糺問を受け自尽。吉備内親王および子の膳夫王,桑田王,葛木王,鉤取王らも自殺(長屋王の変)。夫妻は生駒山に葬られた。この事件は,光明子を聖武の皇后にしようとした藤原氏による企てとみられている。時に46歳とする所伝と54歳説とがある。和銅5(712)年文武天皇の死を悼み,また神亀5年父母,天皇などのため,それぞれ大般若経600巻を書写させた。その宅は佐保の地にあり,佐保宅,作宝楼などと称され,しばしば宴が催され,王自身のものも含めそこで詠まれた多くの漢詩が『懐風藻』にみえる。また『万葉集』にも王の歌が収められている。『唐大和上東征伝』によると,唐の鑑真が日本への渡来を決意したのは,王が仏法を崇敬し,1000の袈裟を作り唐僧に施したことに感じたためという。近年奈良市内の平城京左京三条二坊に当たる地のうちの4坪(古代の土地区画)分,約6万m2を占める邸宅跡から「長屋親王宮鮑大贄十編」と記す木簡をはじめ,約3万6000点の木簡が出土し,そこに王邸があったことが判明した。木簡には吉備内親王,石川夫人,安倍大刀自などの王の妻をはじめとする王の一族の名が多くみえる。また写経にかかわる書法模人,書写人,帙師や医者,僧尼のほかに,鍛冶,鋳物師,画師などの技術者や帳内(親王,内親王に与えられる従者),少子らの従者,山背御田,耳梨御田,大庭御薗,都祁氷室などの所領の存在がわかった。ただし佐保宅とこの邸宅跡の異同については議論がある。奈良県平群町に長屋王夫妻の墓と伝える2基の円墳がある。<参考文献>奈良国立文化財研究所編『平城京長屋王邸宅と木簡』

(館野和己)

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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