was the 29th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.
Traditional narrative
Kinmei's contemporary title would not have been tennō, as most historians believe this title was not introduced until the reigns of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. Rather, it was presumably , meaning "the great king who rules all under heaven". Alternatively, Kinmei might have been referred to as or the "Great King of Yamato".
Events of Kinmei's life
Because of several chronological discrepancies in the account of Emperor Kinmei in the Nihon Shoki, some believe that he was actually ruling a rival court to that of Emperors Ankan and Senka. Nevertheless, according to the traditional account, it was not until the death of Emperor Kinmei's older brother Emperor Senka that he gained the throne.
Before he came to the throne (at least according to the Nihon Shoki) he was hesitant and refused to wield power stating:
The Empress, Kasuga no Yamada, refused this believing Kinmei was compassionate and smart enough to rule. However, historians such as William George Aston have questioned this with Aston himself noting that:
and succession passed to the third son of Emperor Keitai. This Imperial Prince was the next youngest brother of Emperor Senka. He would come to be known as Emperor Kinmei. He established his court at in Yamato.
The Emperor's chief counselors were:
- Ōomi (Great Imperial chieftain): Soga no Iname no Sukune, also known as Soga no Iname. Its status as the emperor's actual resting place, alongside other graves of the early Emperors, are held in dispute by some historians and archaeologists.
Genealogy
Emperor Kinmei's father was Emperor Keitai and his mother was Emperor Ninken's daughter, .