Poetry love triangle

The relationship between Nukatano okimi and two emperors (Tenchi and Tenmu) is said to be the oldest love triangle in Japanese history. It is said that after Nukatano okimi had a daughter (Princess Toichi) with Prince Oama (Emperor Tenmu), she entered the palace at the request of Emperor Tenchi. The song, which begins with the famous exchange between the two Nukatano okimi and Prince Oama, ``Akanesasu,'' and the song in return, captivates the public as a song that confirms their continued love for each other even after she became Emperor Tenchi's wife.

In the poem, he says that he was worried about being discovered by the Nomori(Emperor Tenchi's vassal), but I wonder if Yakamochi Otomo, who compiled the Manyo-shu(the oldest Collection of poems) about 100 years later, was worried about whether it was okay to include scandals in the imperial family.

These two emperors were brothers born from the same parents (Emperor Jomei and Emperor Kogyoku), and after the Taika Reform, they belonged to the imperial lineage of Emperor Bidatsu, which became the main line in the new order of the anti-Soga clan. It is certain that they viewed each other as rivals. With the rules for nominating the Imperial Prince and Crown Prince (younger brother) still vague, there is a high risk of succession disputes occurring between clans, and I imagine that the only way to avoid it would be to unite the clans through marriage. It is said that Emperor Tenchi presented four of his princesses to Emperor Tenmu when he adopted Nukatano okimi as his wife. His legal wife, Emperor Jito, and Princesses Ota, Nittabe, and Oe became Empress Tenmu, and the other four princesses married Princes Takechi, Kusakabe, Otsu, and Osakabe, respectively. In other words, eight princesses joined the Emperor Tenmu family. On the Tenmu family's side, Prince Nukatano okimi's daughter (Princess Toichi) married Prince Otomo, and two other princesses married Tenchi's prince, so three princesses entered the Tenchi family.

If you look at the genealogy of brothers and sisters who exchanged most of their children and married many times, the confusion increases. I'm not sure how to interpret it, but (1) there were many conflicts between the imperial families, so there were no families left who were suitable for marriage arrangements; (2) the number of people to whom the princess could be married was narrow (only the imperial family), so the number of potential partners was naturally limited. (3) It was considered best to have multiple marriages between children in order to eliminate conflicts between siblings. Despite such efforts, the Jinshin Rebellion could not be avoided in the end, and after that, Emperors of the Tenmu lineage continued until the end of the Nara era, and then Emperor Konin, the grandson of Emperor Tenchi, ascended the throne, and the Tenchi lineage connected the current lineage. It's a long story, but Nukatano okimi's daughter had a boy (Prince Kadonono with Prince Otomo (Emperor Kobun was given the posthumous title in the Meiji period), and their descendants were later reduced to vassal status and called themselves the Ohmi clan.

I have touched on the active private life of Izumi Shikibu (daughter of Masamune Oe) in a separate article, but in brief, (1) she became the wife of Michisada Tachibana, who was in the same zuryo class（local governors) as her father, and had a daughter named Koshikibu. (2) Love with Emperor Reizei's son, Prince Tametaka; at this time, he had not divorced Michisada, but the prince passed away after a while; (3) Love with his younger brother, Prince Atsumichi, and feud with his lawful wife. (There seems to have been a son named Eikaku who later became a monk, but his poems seem to have been included in the Shinkokinwakashu (the official collection of poems), so blood cannot be disputed. (4) Other relationships with Masamichi Minamoto and Shunken ⑤ She married Yasumasa Fujiwara again and moved to Tango, where he was assigned.

In the (3) era, Imperial Prince Atsumichi's legal wife was from a prestigious family (his father was Dainagon(high class noble) and his sister was Empress Sanjo), and Izumi Shikibu came to live in the Imperial Prince's mansion, and the princess's pride was hurt. She discussed this with her sister and left the house. The prince seemed to be calm about what was wrong, but our Izumi Shikibu, who confidently moved into her lover's mansion and gave birth to a child.

I think it's a mistake to judge the marriage system and morals of the medieval aristocrats from a modern perspective, but imagining such a picture the lawful wife left the mansion, complaining that a naive husband was attracted to a notorious woman, I can't help but laugh when I see the image of such a picture the lawful wife left the mansion with house-servants in tow, complaining that a naive husband was attracted to a notorious woman.

As in the case of Nukatano okimi, the story is about two brothers competing for a woman, but the former has politics and intrigue behind it, and there is a gap between the freshness of the song, while the latter is a peaceful and stable aristocrat. It is a story of the love journey of a female poet who innocently causes ripples in society, and I will feel like rooting for her, regardless of ethics. Incidentally, Teika chose Izumi Shikibu and his daughter (Koshikibu) for Hyakunin Isshu( Best 100 poets), but he did not choose Nukatano okimi.