Emperor Kotei

• Period: Legenedery Period
• Family: Emperor Yuhi (father)

Emperor Kotei

Emperor Kotei is said to have been the son of Emperor Yuhi, and is mentioned in the Folktale The Shinansha.

He ascends as Emperor after his father, quickly becoming troubled by the rebel Shiyu who wished to take his throne. And so he declares war upon him and fights him on the plains of Takuroku.

Shiyu, as a magician, summons forth fog disorienting the Emperor and his forces and so the rebel retreats from battle.

Due to this set back, Emperor Kotei then tries to devise a way in which to better Shiyu, eventually leading to him creating The Shinansha (Artefact), an item which always points south. Returning to battle they push back the forces of Shiyu who takes himself and his forces across a swollen river using his magic and hides in a fortress.

The Emperor then devises another invention, after seeing a Spider use a leaf to cross the river, and so he invents the first ever boat. Crossing the river with his forces he then destroys Shiyu and his forces.

After he is said to have ruled for 100 years and brought peace to the realm, eventually ascending to Heaven with his Empress after a Dragon decends from Heaven to take him.¹

Footnotes

1. Ozaki, Y.T. (1903) “The Japanese Fairy Book”. Westminster: Archibald Constable & Co. Ltd.

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