| Emperor Nintoku 仁徳天皇 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Woodblock print byToyohara Chikanobu, 1886 | |||||
| Emperor of Japan | |||||
| Reign | 313–399 (traditional)[1] | ||||
| Predecessor | Ōjin | ||||
| Successor | Richū | ||||
| Born | Ohosazaki no Mikoto (大鷦鷯尊) 290[2] | ||||
| Died | 399 (aged 108–109) | ||||
| Burial | Mozu no Mimihara no naka no misasagi (百舌鳥耳原中陵) (Osaka) | ||||
| Spouses | |||||
| Issue among others... | Emperor Richū | ||||
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| House | Imperial House of Japan | ||||
| Father | Emperor Ōjin | ||||
| Mother | Nakatsu-hime | ||||
| Religion | Shinto | ||||
Emperor Nintoku (仁徳天皇,Nintoku-tennō), also known asOhosazaki no Sumeramikoto (大鷦鷯天皇) was the 16thEmperor of Japan, according to the traditionalorder of succession.[3][4][5] Due to his reputation for goodness derived from depictions in theKojiki andNihon Shoki, he is sometimes referred to as theSaint Emperor (聖帝,Hijiri-no-mikado).
While his existence is generally accepted as fact, no firm dates can be assigned to Nintoku's life or reign. He is traditionally considered to have reigned from 313 to 399,[6] although these dates are doubted by scholars.[7]
The Japanese have traditionally accepted Nintoku's historical existence, and a mausoleum (misasagi) for Nintoku is currently maintained. The following information available is taken from thepseudo-historicalKojiki andNihon Shoki, which are collectively known asKiki (記紀) orJapanese chronicles. These chronicles include legends and myths, as well as potential historical facts that have since beenexaggerated and/or distorted over time. TheKiki states that Nintoku was born to Nakatsuhime no Mikoto (仲姫命) sometime in 290 AD, and was given the name Ohosazaki no Mikoto (大鷦鷯尊).[2] According to theNihon Shoki, he was the fourth son ofEmperor Ōjin.[8]
Nintoku is regarded by historians as a ruler during the early 5th century[9] whose existence is generally accepted as fact without attributing all of the things he allegedly accomplished.[7] Nintoku's contemporary title would not have beentennō, as most historians believe this title was not introduced until the reigns ofEmperor Tenmu andEmpress Jitō. Rather, it was presumablySumeramikoto orAmenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi (治天下大王), meaning "the great king who rules all under heaven". Alternatively, Nintoku might have been referred to asヤマト大王/大君 or the "Great King of Yamato". The name "Nintoku" also might have been regularized centuries after the lifetime ascribed to him, possibly during the time in which legends about the origins of theimperial dynasty were compiled as the chronicles known today as theKojiki.[10][11]
Although theNihon Shoki states that Nintoku ruled from 313 to 399, research suggests those dates are likely inaccurate.[12]William George Aston notes that if they were factual, Nintoku would be 312 years old in his 78th year of reign assuming that the traditional accounts are correct.[13] Outside of theKiki, the reign ofEmperor Kinmei[a] (c. 509 – 571 AD) is the first for which contemporary historiography has been able to assign verifiable dates.[14] The conventionally accepted names and dates of the early Emperors were not confirmed as "traditional" though, until the reign ofEmperor Kanmu[b] between 737 and 806 AD.[10]
Hidehiro Okada identifies him withDei of Wa,[15] a king who preceded the better knownFive kings of Wa.[16]: 11
According to theNihon Shoki, he was the fourth son ofEmperor Ōjin and his mother was Nakatsuhime no Mikoto (仲姫命), a great-granddaughter ofEmperor Keikō. He was also the father of EmperorsRichū,Hanzei, andIngyō. His name was Ohosazaki no Mikoto (大鷦鷯尊).
Empress (Kōgō):Princess Iwa (磐之媛命), poet and daughter of Katsuragi no Sotsuhiko (葛城襲津彦) (first)
Empress (Kōgō):Princess Yata (八田皇女),Emperor Ōjin's daughter (second)
Consort (Hi) : Himuka no Kaminaga-hime (日向髪長媛), Morokata no Kimi Ushimoroi's daughter
Consort: Uji no Wakiiratsume (宇遅之若郎女), daughter ofEmperor Ōjin
Consort: Kuro-hime (黒日売), daughter of Kibi no Amabe no Atai (吉備海部直)
Daisen Kofun (the largesttomb in Japan) inSakai, Osaka, is considered to be his final resting place. The actual site of Nintoku'sgrave is not known.[3]
The Nintoku-ryo tumulus is one of almost 50 tumuli collectively known as "Mozu Kofungun" clustered around the city, and covers the largest area of any tomb in the world. Built in the middle of the 5th century by an estimated 2,000 men working daily for almost 16 years, the Nintoku tumulus, at 486 meters long and with a mound 35 meters high, is twice as long as the base of the famous Great Pyramid of Pharaoh Khufu (Cheops) in Giza.[17]
The Imperial tomb of Nintoku's consort,Iwa-no hime no Mikoto, is said to be located in Saki-cho,Nara City.[18] Bothkofun-type Imperial tombs are characterized by a keyhole-shaped island located within a wide, water-filledmoat.Imperial tombs andmausolea arecultural properties; but they are guarded and administered by theImperial Household Agency (IHA), which is the government department responsible for all matters relating to the Emperor and his family. According to the IHA, the tombs are more than a mere repository for historicalartifacts; they are sacred religious sites. IHA construes each of the Imperial grave sites assanctuaries for the spirits of the ancestors of the Imperial House.[12]
Nintoku is traditionally venerated at amemorialShintoshrine (misasagi) atOsaka. TheImperial Household Agency designates this location as hismausoleum. It is formally namedMozu no Mimihara no naka no misasagi.[19]
Posthumous names for the earthlyMikados were invented in the reign of Emperor Kanmu (782–805), i.e., after the date of the compilation of theRecords and theChronicles.
According to legend, the first Japanese Emperor was Jimmu. Along with the next 13 Emperors, Jimmu is not considered an actual, historical figure. Historically verifiable Emperors of Japan date from the early sixth century with Kimmei.
| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Emperor of Japan: Nintoku 313–399 (traditional dates) | Succeeded by |
| Legendary |
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| Yamato |
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| Nara |
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| Heian |
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| Kamakura |
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| Northern Court |
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| Muromachi |
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| Azuchi–Momoyama |
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| Edo |
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| Empire of Japan |
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| Japan |
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 Unless otherwise noted (as BC), years are inCE / AD *Imperial Consort andRegentEmpress Jingū is not traditionally listed. | |||||||||
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