New Kindle E-book: A Turbulent Transition
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Ross Bender
Aug 1, 2026, 7:09:50 PM (5 days ago) Aug 1
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The digital version is now available:
A Turbulent Transition: Emperor Kōnin, 770-775 : A Translation from Shoku Nihongi
After the death of Female Emperor Shōtoku in 770, Prince Shirakabe, a grandson of Emperor Tenji, took the throne as Emperor Kōnin. His reign was heralded by a prophetic folksong, a wazauta, and the appearance of two auspicious white tortoises. Upon his accession Kōnin changed the era name to Hōki (‘Jeweled Tortoise’). The new emperor named his consort Imperial Princess Inoue, a daughter of Emperor Shōmu, as his Empress, and her son Osabe as Crown Prince. Two years later, in 772, he deposed both Inoue and Osabe, accusing them of sorcery. In 773 he named Imperial Prince Yamabe, the son of an obscure lady who was a descendant of a Korean king, the Crown Prince; Yamabe later became Emperor Kanmu. Later that year Kōnin’s sister died; Inoue and Osabe were again accused of sorcery in causing her death and were imprisoned in a government mansion. In 775 both died on the same day.
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