The Heian period history book Shoku Nihon Kōki (Volume 9) records that Emperor Junna (the retired emperor), who passed away in 840, requested that his ashes be scattered, and that he was cremated and then scattered at the summit of Nishiyama in Oharano. By order of Emperor Junna (the retired emperor), his body was cremated and then scattered at the summit of Nishiyama in Oharano (Oharano Minami Kasuga-cho, Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture).
On his deathbed, Emperor Junna (reigned 823-833) told Crown Prince Tsunesada, "I personally do not like ostentatious displays. I do not want to cause trouble to people or things, or waste anything. All funeral preparations should be kept simple." He also reportedly ordered, "I have heard that when a person dies, their spirit returns to heaven, and that demons will take up residence in empty tombs, eventually causing curses and bringing long-lasting misfortune. After my death, my bones should be crushed into powder and scattered throughout the mountains."
Why did Emperor Junna wish to have his ashes scattered? It was for the common people. At the time, the greater the power of the powerful, the more lavish the funeral ceremonies, and the expense and time required placed a strain on the lives of the common people. Therefore, the Taika Edict for Simple Funerals, issued in 646, aimed to simplify the costly and laborious funerals of aristocrats and powerful families, thereby alleviating the plight of the common people. Emperor Junna's will read, "Let my bones be crushed into powder and scattered in the mountains." After his death, his close aides cremated him as instructed, crushed his remains, and scattered them in the mountains above Seirei. Emperor Junna (786-840, died at the age of 55) was the third son of Emperor Kanmu, who built Nagaoka-kyo, and his mother was Tabiko, the daughter of Fujiwara no Momokawa. He succeeded his older brother, Emperor Saga, to the throne.
However, Emperor Junna was not the first person in Japan to have his ashes scattered. The same Shoku Nihongi, Volume 9, also contains a record of Emperor Junna's close aide, Chunagon Fujiwara no Yoshino, urging him to reconsider the practice, stating, "Scattering the ashes of princes and below is an example, but I've never heard of it being done for an emperor, and a mountain ridge should be built." In other words, Fujiwara no Yoshino's advice was based on the premise that scattering the ashes of those of princes and below and commoners had been practiced, suggesting that scattering the ashes of the general public, apart from emperors, was not particularly unusual.
This may have been influenced by the Taika Edict on Simple Funerals. According to the Nihon Shoki, the "Simple Funeral Edict" was issued in the second year of the Taika era (646). Modeled after Chinese funeral regulations, it detailed regulations on the size and number of people allowed in graves for each social class. This is thought to have triggered the cessation of kofun construction. Subsequently, tombs became smaller and simpler, the construction of keyhole-shaped tombs ceased, and the Kofun period effectively came to an end.
Oharano Nishiminekami Mausoleum, located at the summit of Mount Koshio (642m above sea level) in Ukyo Ward, Kyoto City, is a tomb dedicated to Emperor Junna and is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Household Agency. At the foot of the mountain, there are scattered tombs, including the Emperor Junna Cremation Tomb, where Emperor Junna is said to have been cremated, and the Kurumazuka, which is said to have housed his hearse. The cremation tomb is located in Muko City, Kyoto Prefecture. At the eastern foot of Mount Koshio, where the tomb is located, there is a town called Haigatacho, named after the direction in which Emperor Junna's ashes flew when they were scattered.
・Oharano Nishiminejo Mausoleum (Oharano Minamikasuga-cho, Nishikyo Ward, Kyoto City)
This is the most difficult imperial tomb to reach. While there is a paved forest road, it is reserved for those working at the radio tower. The entrance to the road is gated and private vehicles are not permitted. Instead, visitors must hike the mountain trail to the summit of Mount Koshio, which is 642 meters above sea level. While the hiking trail from Oharano on the east side of Mount Koshio is the largest, with a difference in elevation of 550 meters from the trailhead to the summit, it is the most challenging. |
