Prince Asukabe (安宿王)

The Prince Asukabe (year of birth and death unknown) was a bureaucrat who lived in the Nara period. His father was the Prince Nagaya, and his mother was FUJIWARA no Nagako, who was a daughter of FUJIWARA no Fuhito.

After becoming the Genba no Kami (Director of the Bureau of Buddhism and Aliens) in 737, he successively held the posts of Nakatsukasa no taifu (Senior Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Central Affairs), Sanuki no kuni no kami (Provincial Governor of Sanuki), and Harima no kuni no kami (governor of Harima Province). During the course of his careers, he was appointed as an imperial envoy to welcome Ganjin (Jianzhen), who was a priest of Tang. In 757, following the revolt of TACHIBANA no Naramaro, he was exiled to Sado Province. Later he was forgiven and granted the surname of the Takashina clan and Shinjin kabane (a hereditary title [used by people in the socially high class in ancient Japan to denote ranks and political standings]). His waka poems are selected in Manyoshu (Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves).

[Original Japanese]