Fujiwara no Kamatari - Fujiwara no Kamatari

A politician of the 7th century. The founder of the Fujiwara clan. As a close aide to Prince Nakano Oe (Emperor Tenji), he defeated Soga no Emishi and Iruka. As an inner minister, he led the Taika Reforms, and from then until his death, he was a leading figure in the political world, laying the foundations of the Ritsuryo national system. His real surname was Nakatomi no Muraji. He was the eldest son of Shotokukan Nakatomi no Muraji Mikeko, who was a former affairs officer (maetsukimi) and priest in the reigns of Empress Suiko and Jomei, and his mother was Lady Otomo, the daughter of Daitokukan Otomo no Kui. He also took the name Kamako, and his pen name was Nakaro. He was the father of Joe, Fuhito, Hikami no Iratsume (wife of Emperor Tenmu), and Ioe no Iratsume (wife of Emperor Tenmu). According to the biography of Kamatari, "Taishokukanden" ("Fujishi Kaden" Vol. 1, compiled by Fujiwara no Nakamaro), he was born in 614 (the 22nd year of the reign of Empress Suiko) at the residence of Fujiwara in Takechi County, Yamato Province (Nara Prefecture), but there is also a theory that his birthplace was Kashima in Hitachi Province (Ibaraki Prefecture), as stated in the later "Okagami." The "Daisorikanden" (The Tale of the Great Crown) states that at the beginning of the reign of the Emperor Shumei, a son of a noble family was chosen to be the heir to the throne, but Kamatari refused and retired to his villa in Mishima (Settsu Province), and the "Nihon Shoki" (Chronicles of Japan) places this in 644 (the third year of the reign of Empress Kogyoku). He memorized the military strategy book "Rikuto" and studied the Book of Changes and Confucianism under the monks Min and Minamibuchi no Shoan. Determined to overthrow the tyranny of the Soga clan, he first approached Prince Karu (Emperor Kotoku), and then gained the favor of Prince Naka no Oe. However, the stories about what happened during that time in the "Nihon Shoki" and "Daishokanden" contain exaggerations and embellishments and cannot be trusted.

In 644, he took advantage of the internal conflict within the Soga clan to win over Soga no Kurayamada Ishikawamaro to his side, and the following year he plotted to assassinate Iruka at Asuka Itabuki Palace and execute the Minister of State, Emishi, at his own residence. Both of the above books attribute the success of this coup to Kamatari, but considering his status in the political world, the role of Ishikawamaro should be given more weight than Kamatari. In the new Taika government, he was appointed as an naishin, but 'naishin' is a term meaning a favored minister or a subordinate minister, and is not an official government position. As the brains behind the Crown Prince Nakano Oe, who was a proponent of reforms, Kamatari was in opposition to the conservative Left and Right Ministers Abeno Kurahashimaro and Soga no Ishikawamaro. His actions during this time are unclear, but it is speculated that he was also involved in the assassination of Prince Furuhito no Oe in 645 (Taika 1) and Soga no Ishikawamaro in 649. It is believed that he was awarded the Daikinkan (Great Crown) under the new crown ranking system in 647, and in 654 (Hakuchi 5) he was awarded the Purple Crown, the ministerial rank, and was further promoted to Daishikan (Great Purple Crown). This may have been in the wake of the death of the Right Minister Otomo no Nagatoko in 651. The Daiorikanden (Records of the Great Crown) records that he was given an additional fief at this time, with a fief of 15,000 households. In 664 (the third year of the reign of Emperor Tenchi), he sent the monk Shamon Chijo to Guo Mu-sun, an emissary of Baekje commander Liu Renyan, to receive gifts, and in 668 he accompanied the Silla envoy Kim Dong-gon to present a ship to Silla's upper vassal Kim Yu-shin, thus promoting peace efforts against Tang and Silla after the defeat at Baekgang.

Furthermore, according to the "Daishoukanden," in 668, he wrote about etiquette and published the Ritsuryo Code, and was involved in the compilation of the Omi Code. He also defended Prince Oama (Emperor Tenmu) who incurred the Emperor's wrath at a drinking party in the New Year of the same year, and gained the Emperor's trust. He died in Omi on October 16, 669 (the 8th year of Emperor Tenchi), and was given the title of Daishoukan Naidaijin and the surname Fujiwara no Ason at the time of his death. Kamatari had a strong faith in Buddhism, and in addition to having his eldest son, Jokei, enter the priesthood, he also held the Vimalakirti Ceremony in 657 (the third year of the reign of Emperor Saimei), and since the Hakuho (Hakuchi) period, he has used his family wealth to support the preaching of the "Shodaijoron" at Gangoji Temple. The Abuyama Tomb in Takatsuki City, Osaka Prefecture, is believed to be his grave.

[Kenkichi Kato]

"Tamura Enju's 'Fujiwara Kamatari' (1966, Hanawa Shobo)" ▽ "Yokota Kenichi's 'The World of Hakuho and Tenpyo' (1973, Sogensha)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

7世紀の政治家。藤原氏の祖。中大兄(なかのおおえ)皇子（天智(てんじ)天皇）の側近として、蘇我蝦夷(そがのえみし)・入鹿(いるか)を打倒。内臣(うちつおみ)となって大化改新を主導し、以後その死まで政界の重鎮として律令(りつりょう)国家体制の基礎を築いた。本姓は中臣連(なかとみのむらじ)。推古(すいこ)・舒明(じょめい)朝の前事(ぜんじ)奏官（大夫(まえつきみ)）兼祭官であった小徳冠(しょうとくかん)中臣連御食子(みけこ)の長子で、母は大徳冠大伴囓(おおとものくい)の女(むすめ)の大伴夫人。名を鎌子にもつくり、字(あざな)を仲郎という。定恵(じょうえ)、不比等(ふひと)、氷上娘(ひかみのいらつめ)（天武(てんむ)天皇夫人）、五百重娘(いおえのいらつめ)（天武天皇夫人）らの父にあたる。鎌足の伝記の『大織冠(たいしょくかん)伝』（『藤氏(とうし)家伝』上、藤原仲麻呂撰(なかまろせん)）によれば、614年（推古天皇22）に大倭(やまと)国（奈良県）高市(たけち)郡藤原の第(だい)（邸宅）に生まれたとあるが、後世の『大鏡』のように出生地を常陸(ひたち)国（茨城県）鹿島(かしま)の地とする説もある。『大織冠伝』に、舒明朝の初め、良家の子を簡(えら)び錦冠(きんかん)を授け宗業を嗣(つ)がしめたが、鎌足だけは固辞して三島(みしま)（摂津(せっつ)国）の別業(なりどころ)（別邸）へ退いたとあり、『日本書紀』はこれを644年（皇極天皇3）のこととする。兵法書の『六韜(りくとう)』を暗記し、僧旻(みん)、南淵請安(みなみぶちのしょうあん)の門に周易や儒教を学んだ。蘇我氏専制体制打倒の意志を固め、まず軽(かる)皇子（孝徳(こうとく)天皇）に接近、ついで中大兄皇子の知遇を得た。ただその間の経緯について『書紀』や『大織冠伝』の伝える話には誇張や潤色がみられ、かならずしも信用できない。

　644年、蘇我一族内部の対立に乗じて蘇我倉山田石川麻呂(そがのくらのやまだのいしかわのまろ)を味方に引き入れ、翌年謀略をめぐらし飛鳥板蓋宮(あすかのいたぶきのみや)内において入鹿を暗殺、大臣(おおおみ)蝦夷を自邸に誅(ちゅう)した。このクーデター成功の功労者を上記2書はいずれも鎌足とするが、政界での地位を考慮すると鎌足よりもむしろ石川麻呂の役割を重視すべきであろう。大化の新政府では内臣に任じたが、「内臣」は寵幸(ちょうこう)の臣、帷幄(いあく)の臣を意味する語で、正式の官職ではない。鎌足は改新推進派の皇太子中大兄皇子のブレーンとして守旧派の左・右大臣阿倍倉梯麻呂(あべのくらはしまろ)、蘇我石川麻呂と対立する立場にあり、この間の動向は不明であるが、645年（大化1）の古人大兄(ふるひとのおおえ)皇子、649年の蘇我石川麻呂の謀殺にも荷担していたと推測される。647年の新冠位制により大錦冠(だいきんかん)を授与されたとみられ、654年（白雉5）には大臣の位である紫冠を授かり、さらに大紫冠(だいしかん)に昇進した。651年に没した右大臣大伴長徳(おおとものながとこ)の後を襲ったものか。『大織冠伝』に、このとき増封され、前後1万5000戸の封戸を賜ったとある。664年（天智天皇3）百済(くだら)鎮将劉仁願(りゅうじんがん)の使者郭務悰(かくむそう)のもとに沙門智祥(しゃもんちじょう)を派遣し物を賜り、668年には新羅(しらぎ)使金東厳(きんとうごん)に付して新羅の上臣金庾信(きんゆしん)に船一隻を賜るなど、白村江(はくそんこう)敗戦後の対唐・新羅和平策を進めた。

　さらに『大織冠伝』によれば、668年、礼儀を撰述し、律令を刊定したとあり、近江(おうみ)令の編纂(へんさん)に携わったことを伝えており、同年正月の酒宴の席において天皇の怒りに触れた大海人(おおあま)皇子（天武天皇）を弁護し、その信任を得たという。669年（天智天皇8）10月16日、淡海(おうみ)の第に薨(こう)じたが、死に際して大織冠内大臣の位と藤原朝臣(あそん)姓を賜った。鎌足は仏教への信仰厚く、長子定恵を出家させたほか、657年（斉明天皇3）に維摩会(ゆいまえ)を開き、また白鳳(はくほう)（白雉(はくち)）期以来、元興(がんごう)寺の『摂大乗(しょうだいじょう)論』講説の資とするため、家財を割いてこれを援助している。大阪府高槻(たかつき)市の阿武山(あぶやま)古墳はその墓とされる。

［加藤謙吉］

『田村円澄著『藤原鎌足』（1966・塙書房）』▽『横田健一著『白鳳天平の世界』（1973・創元社）』

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