TV-Series
Description
Empress Kōmyō, originally named Fujiwara Asukabehime, lived from 701 to 760. She was the consort of Emperor Shōmu and a distinguished member of the Fujiwara clan, the daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito and Agatainukai-no-Tachimana no Michiyo.
In 716, she married Crown Prince Obito, the future Emperor Shōmu. Their daughter, Princess Abe, was born in 718 and would later rule as Empress Kōken and Empress Shōtoku—the only woman in Japanese history to be named crown prince. In 727, Empress Kōmyō gave birth to a son designated as crown prince, but the infant’s death sparked rumors that Prince Nagaya had cursed him through black magic, leading to the prince’s forced suicide.
She was formally appointed kōgō, or queen-consort, in 729, a role that secured precedence for her children in the line of succession. During her tenure, the unique office of Kōgōgūshiki was established for the queen-consort, an administrative precedent that endured into the Heian period. She wielded significant political influence, often mediating tensions between Fujiwara and non-Fujiwara factions at court.
A deeply devout Buddhist, Empress Kōmyō began copying sutras in 727 to ensure the safe delivery of her son. She maintained an active scriptorium, initially linked to her household and later associated with Tōdaiji, becoming one of the most prolific sutra patrons of the eighth century. She championed the Kokubunji system, promoting the construction of paired monasteries and nunneries in every province. Inspired by Buddhist compassion and bodhisattva ideals, she also funded charitable works including medicinal dispensaries and shelters for the poor. In 754, she received the bodhisattva precepts alongside Emperor Shōmu.
She was interred at Sahoyama no Higashi no Misasagi in Nara Prefecture, close to the southern mausoleum of Emperor Shōmu.
In later centuries, Empress Kōmyō became a figure of veneration, surrounded by legends that portrayed her as a bodhisattva incarnate and a guardian of nuns. One famous tale recounts how she bathed a leper who revealed himself as a buddha in disguise. Yet she also faced criticism; medieval scholar Kokan Shiren deemed the leper-bathing story unfit for a consort. Another legend claimed she was condemned to hell for breaking the gates of Tōdaiji in an attempt to enter as a woman.
Artifacts pertaining to Empress Kōmyō and Emperor Shōmu are preserved in the Shōsōin repository. Four of her poems appear in the Man'yōshū anthology. She actively supported the construction and ornamentation of temples such as Shinyakushi-ji, Hokke-ji, Kōfuku-ji, and Tōdai-ji.
In 716, she married Crown Prince Obito, the future Emperor Shōmu. Their daughter, Princess Abe, was born in 718 and would later rule as Empress Kōken and Empress Shōtoku—the only woman in Japanese history to be named crown prince. In 727, Empress Kōmyō gave birth to a son designated as crown prince, but the infant’s death sparked rumors that Prince Nagaya had cursed him through black magic, leading to the prince’s forced suicide.
She was formally appointed kōgō, or queen-consort, in 729, a role that secured precedence for her children in the line of succession. During her tenure, the unique office of Kōgōgūshiki was established for the queen-consort, an administrative precedent that endured into the Heian period. She wielded significant political influence, often mediating tensions between Fujiwara and non-Fujiwara factions at court.
A deeply devout Buddhist, Empress Kōmyō began copying sutras in 727 to ensure the safe delivery of her son. She maintained an active scriptorium, initially linked to her household and later associated with Tōdaiji, becoming one of the most prolific sutra patrons of the eighth century. She championed the Kokubunji system, promoting the construction of paired monasteries and nunneries in every province. Inspired by Buddhist compassion and bodhisattva ideals, she also funded charitable works including medicinal dispensaries and shelters for the poor. In 754, she received the bodhisattva precepts alongside Emperor Shōmu.
She was interred at Sahoyama no Higashi no Misasagi in Nara Prefecture, close to the southern mausoleum of Emperor Shōmu.
In later centuries, Empress Kōmyō became a figure of veneration, surrounded by legends that portrayed her as a bodhisattva incarnate and a guardian of nuns. One famous tale recounts how she bathed a leper who revealed himself as a buddha in disguise. Yet she also faced criticism; medieval scholar Kokan Shiren deemed the leper-bathing story unfit for a consort. Another legend claimed she was condemned to hell for breaking the gates of Tōdaiji in an attempt to enter as a woman.
Artifacts pertaining to Empress Kōmyō and Emperor Shōmu are preserved in the Shōsōin repository. Four of her poems appear in the Man'yōshū anthology. She actively supported the construction and ornamentation of temples such as Shinyakushi-ji, Hokke-ji, Kōfuku-ji, and Tōdai-ji.