Sakanoue no Tamuramaro

Death, memorial and legends

In the year 811 (Kōnin 2, 3rd month), Tamuramaro died at age 54, to the great regret of Emperor Saga, who expressed his sense of loss by distributing large quantities of silk cloth, cotton cloth and rice in honour of his dead counsellor. His bow, arrows, quiver and sword were placed in his coffin by order of the Emperor.

The Tomb of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro is located in Kanshuji Higashikurisunocho, Yamashina Ward, Kyoto, Japan. He is not the samurai buried at Shōgun-zuka as that was a ceremonial statue of a warrior buried by Emperor Kanmu when he decided to move the capital to Heian-kyo, present day Kyoto. His descendant Urabe no Suetake inherited his bow.

After his death, Tamuramaro became a legendary figure featured in many stories. In these legends, Tamuramaro is not always a warrior who wages war against barbarians, but a hero who exterminates oni and bandits in various areas. According to legend, Ootakemaru, one of the Great Three Evil Yokai of Japan, was slain by Tamuramaro. Other stories connect him to Suzuka Gozen, whom he marries and/or slays. He had a daughter with her named Shourin. According to the Otogi-zoshi, Shourin is said to have become the guardian deity of the Suzuka Mountains, while in the Okujoruri, it is said she ascended to the level of the Jizō Bodhisattva after her death. He had the swords named Sohaya no Tsurugi and Sanmyo no Ken. He was blessed by Senju Kannon and Takeminakata.

Ancestry

Tamuramaro's family, the Sakanoue clan, was a cadet branch of the Yamato no Aya clan from Baekje according to the Nihon Shoki (720). The Yamato no Aya clan's founder, Achi no Omi was first mentioned in an older source called the Kojiki (712) before being mentioned again in the Nihon Shoki. However, later stories found in sources such as the Shoku Nihongi (797) and Shinsen Shōjiroku (815) claim that Achi no Omi was in fact a descendant of Chinese emperors (Shoku Nihongi claiming descent from Emperor Ling of Han while Shinsen Shōjiroku claimed descent from Emperor Xian of Han). However in recent years, the claim surrounding the existence of Achi no Omi is heavily scrutinized with the Yamato no Aya clan being classified of being Gaya descent (specifically from Ara Gaya) therefore, making the Sakanoue clan being of Gaya descent.

The lack of extensive detail on Sakanoue no Tamuramaro’s life has led to a number of theories regarding aspects of his life, such as his birthplace, among others:

Legend of Sakanoue no Tamuramaro

Tamura story

That he was of Emishi origin

That he was born in Oshu

Honours

Senior second rank (May 27, 811; posthumous)

official rank at the time of death:Senior Third Rank, Senior Counselor, Major Captain of the Right Division of Inner Palace Guards (正三位, 大納言, 右近衛大将)