09a Emperor Ohjin During the reign of Emperor Nintoku, the capital was located in Naniwa (Ohsaka). The Emperor's palace here was humble in the extreme. At one time the Emperor went up the tower and viewed the country, and he saw no cooking smoke rising from the houses, which meant that the people had nothing to eat. Learning that the people were impoverished, the Emperor relieved them from forced labour and consctription for three years. During these years the palace was managed most frugally. When the three years were up, Emperor went up the tower, and he could see cooking smoke rising everywhere. The Emperor said to the Empress, "We are now prosperous. What can there be to grieve for?" There is a well-known poem: "Up in the tower, Viewing the country, I see smoke rising from the houses. People are well off; thier stoves are busy." This was composed by someone of a later generation describing the Emperor's mind and praising his virtue. It expresses well his benevolence. During the fair-minded reigns of Emperors Ohjin and Nintoku, the wealth of the nation became consolidated in both militaly and cutural aspects. This can be seen from the imperial tomb sites. Emperor Ohjin's tomb is located in Kawachi Province (Furuichi, Ohsaka Prefecture), and is called the Imperial Tomb at Ega no Mofushi Hill. The record states that its east-west and north-south axes were 545 meters. But when actual measurements are made, the tomb is enormous. It is the keyhole style, where the front is rectangular, and the back is circular: total length: 415 meters. width of the front part: 330 meters. height of the front part: 35 meters. diameter of the back circular part: 267 meters. height of the back circular part: 36 meters. The tomb site of Emperor Nintoku, the successor, is in Izumi Province (Sakai city, Ohsaka Prefecture) and is called the Imperial Tomb Inside Mozu no Mimihara Plain. According to the record, is east-west and north-south axes were 872 meters. We are stunned at the scale of its actual measurements: total length: 475 meters. width of the front part: 300 meters. height of the front part: 27 meters. diameter of the back circular part: 245 meters. height of the back circular part: 30 meters. His successor Emperor Richuu's tombsite is situated to the south of Emperor Nintoku's tombsite, with the name Imperial Tomb at the South of Mozu no Mimihara Plain. According to the record its east-west end north-south axes were 545 meters. Actual measurements are: total length: 363 meters. width of the front part: 236 meters. height of the front part: 23 meters. diameter of the back circular part: 203 meters. height of the back circular part: 25 meters. When compared by area, Emperor Nintoku's tomb is larger than the pyramid of Giza, Egypt, and the tomb site of Emperor Shi of the ancient Qin dynasty in China. In other words, it is the largest in the world. This indicates the great national strength acquired during the reigns of Emperors Ohjin and Nintoku. People were obedient to the imperial power, a sign that Japan continued its sound development as a nation. The accomplishments of Emperor Nintoku and subsequent Emperors appear in History of Song Dynasty (Songshu) of China. Accoording to the entry, Japan assumed the position of a protector of various kingdoms in the Korean Penninsula such as Peakche, Shilla, and Mimana, and this role was recognized by Song Dynasty China. Incidentally, China went through many dynastic changes: Qin, Former Han, Later Han, Three Kingdoms, and Jin. Then invasion by the northern tribes divided the country into several kingdoms, called the five barbarian territories and sixteen kingdoms. This brought great confusion to Northern China. Jin meanwhile kept southern China intact as the Eastern Jin. Eventually the five barbarian territoties and sixteen kingdoms were united into Northern Wei, and Eastern Jin became Song, which brought the era of North (Wei) and South (Song) Dynasties. It was this Song that retained diplomatic relations with Japan. History of Song Dynasty (Songshu) shows how at that time Japan rose in international stature, and many cultural exchanges took place. A while ago, a sword bearing a Chinese inscription appeared from the archeological site of Funayama Tomb in Higo Province (Eta Village, Tamana District, Kumamoto Prefecture, Kyuushuu). Some parts are illegible, but Emperor Yuuryaku's name was engraved. Editor's note: In the original text, the inscription was identified as Emperor Hanzei, according to the widely accepted theory of the time. Subsequently an identical inscription was found on a sword excavated from Inariyama Tomb, located at Sakitama, Gyouda City, Saitama Prefecture. As the result, the inscription was re-idenyified as referring to the "Great King Waka Takeru," who was Emperor Yuuryaku. Emperor Yuuryaku was a nephew of Emperor Hanzei, and riegned in the latter nalf of the 5th century. In view of this development, "Emperor Hanzei" in the original text was changed to "Emperor Yuuryaku"; the essence of the writing remains the same. These archeological artifacts support the recort in Chronicles of Japan (Nihon Shoki) and Record of Ancient Matters (Kojiki). The sword with his name engraved was discovered in a tomb in a corner of Kyuushuu. This proves that the power of the imperial house reached to all peripheral areas of Japan. Five hundred years had passed then, since Emperor Jinmu founded the nation. The Generals of the Four Roads were sent out to the local Provinces by Emperor Sujin two hundred years previous. It had been a hundred and fifty years since the campaigns of Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, and some fifty years since Empress Jinguu's Korean campaign across the ocean. By this time, the authority of the imperial house must have reached like a ray of light to the island of Kyuushuu.

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