Takeuchi no Sukune

• • Period: Legendary Period
  • Occupation: Prince / Ōomi / Prime Minister
  • Family: Hikofutooshimakoto (father/grandfather?) Yamashitakage (mother?) Hatanoyashiro (son) Kosenookara (son) Soga no Ishikawa (son) Hegurinotsuki (son) Kinotsunu (son) Mato of Kume (daughter) Princess Nunoiro (daughter) Kadzurakinonagayenosotsubiko (son) Wakugo (son)
  • Birth: –
  • Death: –

Takeuchi no Sukune

Takeuchi no Sukune (武内宿禰) was a legendery statesman.

Family

He is said to have been the son of Yamashitakage and Hikofutooshimakoto according to the kojiki.¹² The nihongi states that Hikofutooshimakoto was instead his grandfather with his parents being Yanushioshihodakewogoro and Kagehime.³

He is listed as having had nine children, these being Hatanoyashiro, Kosenookara, Soga no Ishikawa, Hegurinotsuki, Kinotsunu, Mato of Kume, Princess Nunoiro, Kadzurakinonagayenosotsubiko and Wakugo.¹²

Birth

We see him mentioned during the reign of Emperor Seimu where it says he was born on the same day as the Emperor which is why the Emperor held a lot of affection for him.³⁴

Reign of Keikō

It appears though he served the previous Emperor Keikō as he was instructed in the 25th year of his reign to make enquiries of the geography of the Northern and Eastern Provinces, and of the well being of the people.

He returned in the 27th year saying Yemishi lived in a place called Hitakami, and that they dress by tieing up their hair and have tatoos upon their bodies. He recomended attacking them for their fertile lands.³

In the 51st year of Keikō’s reign he is said to have made Takeuchi no Sukune prime minister³⁵ and the future Emperor Seimu prince Imperial. This was following on from a feast in which the two of them did not attend, as they chose to stand guard so the other Ministers could enjoy themselves; this made the Emperor happy.³

Reign of Seimu

In the 3rd year of Seimu’s reign he gave Takeuchi the title of Ōomi (大臣)⁴⁵ a position he would hold through five reigns.⁴

The kojiki says he was given the title to oversee the Ōkuniōkuni no kuni no miyatsuko (Rulers of the Great Countries and Small Countries) and Ōagata ōagata no agata nushi (Department Lords of the Great and Small Departments).¹²

Footnotes

1. Yasumaro. O, translated by Gustav Heldt. (2014) “Kojiki. An Account of Ancient Matters”. New York: Columbia University Press.
2. Chamberlain, B. H. (1932) “Translation of the Kojiki.” Kobe: J.L. Thompson & Co.
3. Aston. W.G. (1896) “Nihongi Volume 1: Chronicles of Japan from the Earliest Times to AD697”. Tuttle Publishing.
4. Ponsonby, F. (1959) “The Imperial House of Japan.” Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society.
5. Varley, H.P (1980) “A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns: Jinnō Shōtōki of Kitabatake Chikafusa.” New York: Columbia University Press.

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