Emperor Uda

Japanese: 宇多天皇 - うだてんのう

Year of death: Johei 1.7.19 (931.9.3)
Year of birth: 867
Emperor of the early Heian period. First head of Ninna-ji. Son of Emperor Koko and Princess Hanshi (daughter of Imperial Prince Nakano). His name was Teishin. Also known as Teishi-in and Emperor Kanpei. He was called O-shiju because he became a chamberlain. In 884 (Gangei 8), he was given the surname Minamoto and demoted to commoner status, but in August 887 (Ninna 3), he was recommended by Fujiwara no Mototsune and restored to his princely status, which was an unusual move, and he ascended to the throne. Immediately after the ceremony, he sent an imperial letter to Mototsune expressing his gratitude for his assistance, but four months later, trouble arose over the interpretation of the word "Ako no nin" (the position of Ako) used in the imperial letter requesting Mototsune to assume the position of regent (Ako Incident), and Mototsune gave him a hard time. When Mototsune died in 891, he did not appoint a chancellor, but instead appointed Sugawara no Michizane, who had remonstrated with Mototsune at the time of the incident, together with Fujiwara no Tokihira (Mototsune's son), and he himself enthusiastically implemented policies (Kanpei era), but after 10 years in power, at the age of 31, he abdicated the throne to Crown Prince Atsushi (later Emperor Daigo). The admonition he gave to the 13-year-old new emperor is known as the "Kanpei Goikai," but it seemed as though he was consulting only with Michizane about the abdication, and this excessive trust led to Michizane's demotion to Dazaifu in 901. Upon hearing of the demotion, Uda stormed into the Imperial Palace, but the palace gates were closed, and he sat down to protest, but his protest was not heard. In 899, he became a nun (his posthumous Buddhist name was Kuri, later Kongokaku, the first example of a retired emperor) at Ninna-ji Temple (Omuro, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City). As the palace within the temple was honored with the title Omuro, Omuro eventually became the name of the surrounding area, and the temple came to be known as "Omuro's Ninna-ji Temple." He was an elegant man who loved waka poetry and music, and often hosted poetry gatherings, the "Teiji-in Poetry Contest" held in 1571 being particularly famous. The "Diary of Emperor Uda" is the first example of an emperor's diary. He died at Ninna-ji Omuro and was buried in the Ouchiyama Mausoleum, north of the temple. The "Ninna-ji Gyobutsu Jitsuroku" is a list of the items stored in the temple treasure house just before his death, and shows some of the acceptance of Chinese goods in the early Heian period. Fujiwara no Atsushi (daughter of Mototsune), Fujiwara no Ineshi (daughter of Takafuji, mother of Emperor Daigo), and Sugawara no Enshi (daughter of Michizane) entered the imperial court as consorts.

(Takinami Sadako)

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

Japanese:

没年：承平1.7.19(931.9.3)
生年：貞観9(867)
平安前期の天皇。仁和寺第1世。光孝天皇と班子女王(仲野親王の娘)の子。名は定省。亭子院,寛平法皇とも。侍従となったことから王侍従と称された。元慶8(884)年,源姓を賜って臣籍に下ったが仁和3(887)年8月に至り,藤原基経の推挙により親王に復して立太子するという異例の措置を経て即位した。儀式終了後直ちに基経に勅書を送り,援助に謝意を表明しているが,4カ月後,基経の関白就任を要請する勅書に用いた「阿衡の任」の解釈をめぐってトラブルが起こり(阿衡事件),基経に煮え湯をのまされた。寛平3(891)年に基経が没すると,関白を置かず,この事件の際基経に諫言した菅原道真を,藤原時平(基経の子)と共に起用し,自らも意欲的に政策を展開したが(寛平の治),在位10年,31歳で皇太子敦仁親王(のちの醍醐天皇)に譲位した。13歳の新帝に与えた訓誡は「寛平御遺誡」として知られるが,譲位のことを道真ひとりに相談しているように,過度の信任が延喜1(901)年,道真の大宰府への左遷に発展した。左遷と聞き,宇多は内裏に押しかけたが宮門は閉ざされ,座り込んで抗議したが聞き入れられなかった。これより先昌泰2(899)年,仁和寺(京都市右京区御室)で出家(法名は空理のち金剛覚。法皇の初例),寺内の御所が御室と尊称されたことから,いつしか御室が付近一帯の地名となり,寺は「御室の仁和寺」と呼ばれるようになった。和歌や音楽を好む風流人で,しばしば詩宴を主催したが,特に延喜13年の「亭子院歌合」は有名。『宇多天皇日記』は天皇日記としての初例である。仁和寺御室で没し,寺の北方,大内山陵に葬られた。『仁和寺御物実録』は,没する直前寺家宝蔵に納められた物品の目録であるが,平安初期における唐物受容の一端を示す。藤原温子(基経の娘),同胤子(高藤の娘,醍醐天皇生母),菅原衍子(道真の娘)などが女御として入内。

(瀧浪貞子)

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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