Wake no Kiyomaro (和気 清麻呂; 733–799) was a high-rankingJapanese official during the Nara period. He was born inBizen Province (nowWake, Okayama) to a family of politically important, devotedBuddhists who hoped to keepBuddhism and politics separate through religious reform. He became a trusted advisor toEmperor Kanmu, a position which he used to encourage the development ofBuddhism in a direction which would prevent it from posing a threat to the government.[1][2] According to theShoku Nihongi, he was sent to theUsa Shrine to receive a divine message; stating that only those of descent fromAmaterasu could become emperor, it refuted the previous divine message claimingDōkyō was to be the next emperor afterEmpress Kōken (later Empress Shōtoku).[3] This report angered Dōkyō, who used his influence with the Empress to have an edict issued sending Kiyomaro into exile; he also had thesinews of Kiyomaro's legs cut, and only the protection of theFujiwara clan saved him from being killed outright.[4]
The following year, however, Empress Shōtoku died. She was succeeded byEmperor Kōnin, who in turn exiled Dōkyō toShimotsuke Province and not only recalled Wake no Kiyomaro from exile, but also appointed him as bothkami (governor) ofBizen Province andUdaijin (junior minister of state).[4][5] The following year, he petitioned the governor ofDazaifu to send officials to Usa to investigate allegations of "fraudulent oracles"; in his later report, Wake no Kiyomaro stated that out of five oracles checked, two were found to be fabricated. This resulted in the government relievingUsa no Ikemori of his position as head priest and replacing him with the previously-disgracedŌga no Tamaro. Following this, Wake no Kiyomaro returned toYamato.[5] He remained a trusted advisor to Emperor Kammu; in the spring of 793, he convinced the emperor to abandon the delay-plagued construction of a capital atNagaoka and instead seek another location to the northeast, atHeian-kyō (modern-dayKyōto.[3]
His face appeared on10-yen notes issued from 1888.[6]
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