The Soga clan was one of the most powerful clans in Yamato Japan. For many generations, in the 6th and 7th centuries, the Soga monopolized the position of Great Royal Chieftain (Ō-omi) and was the first of many families to dominate the Imperial House, influencing the order of succession, and policy both domestic and foreign. History of Japan Paleolithic Jomon Yayoi Yamato period ---Kofun period ---Asuka period Nara period Heian period Kamakura period Muromachi period Azuchi-Momoyama period ---Nanban period Edo period Meiji period Taisho period Showa period ---Japanese expansionism ---Occupied Japan ---Post-Occupation Japan Heisei The Yamato period (大和) (better known as the Kofun... Official language Japanese Capital Tokyo Largest City Tokyo Emperor Akihito Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Area  - Total  - % water Ranked 60th 377,835 km² 0. ...

Soga no Iname served as Great Minister from 536 until his death in 570, and was the first of the Sogas to carry to extreme lengths the domination of the Throne by the nobility. One of the chief ways he exerted his influence was through marital connections with the Imperial family; Iname married one of his daughters to Emperor Kinmei. In an ironic way, the Soga unified and strengthened the country by expanding the power of the Emperor as a symbol and spiritual leader, even as they, a line of non-imperial nobles, took control of secular matters. Events June 8 - St. ... Events First mention of the Spear of Destiny (approximate date). ... Emperor Kimmei (欽明天皇) (509-571) was the 29th imperial ruler of Japan and the first to whom contemporary historiography assigns clear dates. ... His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito of Japan The Emperor of Japan (天皇, tennō) is Japans titular head of state and the head of the Japanese imperial family. ...

When Buddhism was first introduced, many opposed it, disliking foreign ideas and resisting its spread. The Soga family, however, supported the introduction of Buddhism, placing a holy image of the Buddha in a major Shinto shrine; Soga no Iname claimed that Buddhism brought with it a new form of government that would subvert the independence of the clans, unifying the Japanese people under the Emperor. After fifty years of ideological war, Buddhism, defended and protected by the Soga, began to take hold in Japan. Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... A stone image of the Buddha. ... A torii at Itsukushima Shrine Shintō (Japanese: 神道) is the native religion of Japan. ... Statues of Buddha such as this, the Tian Tan Buddha statue in Hong Kong, remind followers to practice right living. ... His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito of Japan The Emperor of Japan (天皇, tennō) is Japans titular head of state and the head of the Japanese imperial family. ...

However, by 644, the heads of the Soga clan were no longer satisfied to act behind the scenes. Soga no Emishi and his son Iruka began to build more and more elaborate palaces and tombs for themselves, styling themselves sovereigns. There seems little doubt that they intended to do away with the reigning dynasty, making themselves the new imperial line. But the leader of the Nakatomi clan, Nakatomi no Kamatari, conspired with Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro and Prince Naka no Ōe, and arranged for Iruka's assassination. Emishi's followers dispersed, and many were subsequently killed. The Soga clan's hold over the imperial family was broken once and for all. Two years later, Emperor Kōtoku enacted the Taika Reforms, further unifying Japan, and returning power to the Throne, especially power over the nobility. Events Births Deaths Paulinus of York, bishop of Northumbria November: Omar, Second caliph of Islam by assassination. ... Fujiwara no Kamatari (藤原鎌足, 614–669 A.D.) was the founder of the Fujiwara clan in Japan. ... Tomb of Emperor Tenji, Kyoto Emperor Tenji (天智天皇) (626-672), also known as Tenchi, was the 38th imperial ruler of Japan. ... Emperor Kōtoku (孝徳天皇) (597-654) was the 36th imperial ruler of Japan. ... The Taika Reforms (大化改新 taikakaishin) were a set of doctrines established by the Emperor Kotoku in the year 646. ...

Some Important Members of the Soga Clan:

• Soga no Iname - head of the Clan, served as Great Minister from 536 until his death in 570.
• Soga no Umako - succeeded to post of Great Minister in 570.
• Soga no Emishi - attempted to overthrow Imperial family in 640s
• Soga no Iruka - son of Yemishi
• Soga no Kurayamada no Ishikawa no Maro - conspirator against Emishi and Iruka; became Minister of the Right in 645.

Events June 8 - St. ... Events First mention of the Spear of Destiny (approximate date). ... Events End of the reign of Empress Kogyoku of Japan Emperor Kotoku ascends to the throne of Japan Byzantines recapture Alexandria from the Arabs Births Empress Jito of Japan Categories: 645 ...

References

• Sansom, George (1958). 'A History of Japan to 1334'. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press.
• Hall, John Whitney, et al (1993). 'The Cambridge History of Japan: Volume 1 Ancient Japan'. Cambridge University Press.