09 Emperor Ohjin After Enperor Chuuai passed away during the Kyuushuu campaign, a prince was born. This prince eventually ascended to the throne as Emperor Ohjin (r. latter half of 4th century). Till his adulthood his mother was the Regent. She solved in a superb manner grave domestic and international problems that created extremely difficult crises for Japan. For this reason Chronicles of Japan (Nihon Shoki) devoted a sparate chapter to record and praise her accomplishments. She was given the posthumous name of Empress Jinguu, meaning Divine Merit. At this time Japan prospered as the result of the campaign to the Korean Peninsula. Silla was quelled, Paekche was saved, and by proceeding to Pyongyang, Japan fought off the military power in Manchuria. This prosperity does not refer merely to military strengthening and accomplishment. As the result of the war, communication between Japan and the Korean Peninsula, and farther to the Chinese continent decame more frequent. With increase in immigration, foreign civilization was drawn into Japan. The agriculture and industry of Japan rapidly developed. Chronicles of Japan (Nihon Shoki) records how Korean immigrants constructed a pond, which was named "Koreans' Pond"; how the King of Peakche sent two expert seamstresses, who became the ancestors to the Kume Clan, the group specialized in tailoring; a man called Achiki accompanied two supreme horses, which were presents from the King of Paekche; trained seamstresses were recruited from southern China, and four came to Japan. Yet the most important result was that writing and scholarship were imported to Japan at this time. Achiki who brought over the two horses as offering could read the Chinese classics, so the Crown Prince Uji no Waki Iratsuko studied with him. When Achiki was asked by Emperor Ohjin, "Are there other learned men superior to thee?' He answered and said: - 'There is Wang-in, who is superior." The Emperor sent a messenger to Peakche to invite Wang-in (Japan: Wani), who was indeed a superb scholar, versed in all the classics. Thus the Crown Prince pursued his studies further with Wang-in. The descendants of Achiki became Achiki no Fuhito (Scribes), and Wang-in's descendants are called Fumi no Obito (Chiefs of Writing). They transmitted various kinds of scholarship, and were responsible for compiling histories. Two important events took place because Crown Prince Uji no Waki Iratsuko pursued his studies. First, the Crown Prince spotted a disrespectful usage of Chinese characters in a diplomatic document sent by Koguryo. The Prince scolded the envoy and tore up the document. Moreover, this Crown Prince was so bright and learned that his father Emperor Ohjin fondly invested him as his successor even though he had an elder son. After Emperor Ohjin passed away, Prince Uji no Waki Iratsuko suggested that his elder brother ascend to the throne. He asserted that being younger, he should not precede him in the succession. The elder brother would not accept, insisting that it was Empeor Ohjin's will that the younger brother ascend to the throne. Thus they both declined in turn, with the result that for three years there was no Emperor. A fisherman came to present a fresh fish to the Emperor, and took it to the younger prince's palace in Uji. Told that there was no Emperor there, the fisherman was instructed to take the fish to the palace in Naniwa. At the Naniwa palace he was in turn told: "No, take it to Uji." The entry in Chronicles of Japan (Nihon Shoki) states that in the process of coming and going, the fish spoiled, and the fisherman wept. After three years, Prince Uji no Waki Iratsuko committed suicide, seeing that his existence hindered solution of this problem. The elder brother was deeply saddened, but as there was no other way, he finally ascended to the throne as Emperor. This is Emperor Nintoku (r. early 5th century).

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