HIMEMIKO*WEB

Ohku no Himemiko's social position was the highest of the 17 himemikos listed in this website, because her mother, Ohta no Himemiko, was the only himemiko that was a daughter of a himemiko. Other himemikos' mother's title was just iratsume or otome (lady), not himemiko (Imperial princess).

She was born on 1st month, 8th day, 661, in the cabin of the Imperial ship which dropped anchor at the sea of Ohku on the Empress Saimei's way to Tsukushi. Her name derived from her birthplace.

She had a younger brother named Ohtsu no Miko, who was born three years later in Na no Ohtsu, Tsukushi.

Her mother, Ohta no Himemiko, died when she was seven years old.

In the 10th month of 673, when she was twelve, she was appointed the Saio by her father, Emperor Temmu. She was sent to the Abstinence-palace near the shrine of Ise Jingu and spent 13 years there as the Saio to serve the Goddess Amaterasu-ohmikami that dwells in the shrine.

Her brother, Ohtsu no Miko, earned the Emperor's trust and became one of the candidates of his successor. In 686, when the Emperor is dying, Ohtsu no Miko secretly visited to her residence and saw her. (Probably he went and see her in order to tell her that he was likely to succeed the Imperial Dignity after the current Emperor died.) She was very pleased to see him again and celebrated his promotion.

However, he could not be the next emperor after the Emperor died. Because Uno no Sarara no Himemiko was the Empress-consort and had so much power that she declared that her son, Kusakabe no Miko, should be appointed the next emperor. She told that Ohtsu no Miko was a riot, and ordered the officers to arrest him. He was captured on the 10th month 2nd day, and a day later death by hanging was bestowed to him in his house of Wosada.

His death shocked Ohku very much. More than that, she was dismissed from the position of the Saio on account of her near relative's death (Because death was considered as impure, no persons with their near relative's death can serve to God or Goddess anymore.) and returned to the capital from Ise. After returning to the capital, she composed the following three verses of lament for the sake of her brother, which are collected in Man'yoshu:

Ohtsu no Miko leaving Ise for certain death

To speed my brother
Parting for Yamato,
In the deep of night I stood
Till wet with the dew of dawn.
The lonely autumn mountains
Are hard to pass over
Even when two go together-
How does my brother cross them all alone!

Arriving in the capital after Ohtsu no Miko's death

Would that I had stayed
In the land of Ise
Of the Divine Wind.
Why have I come
Now that he is dead!
Now that he is no more --
My dear brother-
Whom I so longed to see,
Why have I come,
Despite the tired horses!

On the removal of Ohtsu no Miko's remains to the Futagami mountains

From tomorrow ever
Shall I regard as brother
The twin-peaked mountain of Futagami-
I, daughter of man!
I would break off the branch
Of the flowering staggerbush
Growing on the rocky shore;
But no one says he lives
To whom I would show it!

She neither did what was recorded in the chronicle nor married anybody after that. Her only work we know was the erection of a temple of Natsumi at the Nabari district in the province of Iga by her vow.