yellow above and black beneath,[1] and was about six inches in length.
Autumn, 9th month, 1st day. Tsuratari, Adzumi no Muraji, was sent to Silla.
In this year water-mills were made; and therewith iron smelted.[2]
A.D. 671. 10th year, Spring, 1st month, 2nd day. Soga no Akaye no Omi, of Upper Daikin rank, and Kose no Hito no Omi, of Lower Daikin rank, advanced in front of the Palace and offered their congratulations on the New Year.
5th day. Nakatomi no Kane no Muraji, of Upper Daikin rank, made an announcement of Kami matters.[3]
On this day the Imperial Prince Ohotomo was appointed Dajōdaijin,[4] Soga no Akaye no Omi was made Prime Minister of the Left:[5] Nakatomi no Kane no Muraji was made Prime Minister of the Right.[6] Soga no Hatayasu no Omi, Kose no (XXVII. 25.) Hito no Omi, and Ki no Ushi no Omi were made Daibu of the Censorate.[7]
- ↑ The colours of Heaven and Earth, according to the Chinese. In this tortoise they were inverted, the yellow (Earth) being above, and the black (Heaven) beneath. This was regarded as a sign of a change of reign.
- ↑ The briefness of this notice is very tantalizing to any one interested in the history of Japanese metallurgy. The word for mill does not mean merely a water wheel, but something for pounding or grinding. Perhaps the trituration of the ore is intended. The character for smelt is 冶, which might also be rendered fuse. Florenz has "gesmiedet," i.e. "forged," and one Japanese dictionary has kitafu, which has the same meaning. But no such meaning is given in Giles, and as the Interlinear Kana has wakasu, "to melt," I have little doubt that smelting is intended. Evidently the writer was familiar with the process of smelting. It is the use of a mill in connection with it that is deemed worthy of record.
- ↑ It is not quite clear what this means—probably some kind of Shintō religious celebration.
- ↑ i.e. Prime Minister. The Wamiōshō gives for this the Japanese phrase, Oho-matsuri-goto no Oho-matsu-kimi, the great lord who attends to matters of the great government, but it is difficult to believe that so clumsy an expression was ever in general use. Dajōdaijin is sufficiently cumbersome.
- ↑ Sadaijin.
- ↑ Udaijin. It will be observed that the Left takes precedence of the Right.
- ↑ Censors, whose duty it is to keep the Emperor informed on all matters of public importance. Giles.
