Hatsukashibe no Shiki (はつかし部視枳)

HATSUKASHIBE no Shiki is a person who lived during Japan's Asuka Period, although his birth and death dates are not known. A kanji character in his family name, 埿 (hatsukashi) is a combination of 泥 (mud) and 土 (clay), with clay placed under mud. A kanji for the first character of his first name is in fact a variant character of 視, consisting of a left-side component 目 and a right-side component 氐, a character with a line added below 氏. During the Jinshin War of 672, Hatsukashibe took side of Oama no Miko (Prince Oama, who later became Emperor Tenmu), and accompanied in Prince Otsu's escape.

A kanji character in his family name 埿 (hatsukashi) is also written as 泥土 meaning mud and clay, and together, Hatsukashi means to produce something using mud and clay. In the Heian period, there were villages named Hatsukashi in the Provinces of Yamashiro and Settsu, but it is not clear whether HATSUKASHIBE no Shiki was born in either of these or not.

When the Jinshin War broke out, HATSUKASHIBE no Shiki was believed to be in Otsu where Omi no miya was located. When Oama no Miko (Prince Oama) decided to raise an army, his two sons, Takechi no Miko (Prince Takechi) and Prince Otsu, left Otsu where their enemy had a headquarters, and followed their father, each taking a different route. Of the two parties, Prince Otsu arrived at the Suzuka-no-seki Checkpoint in the Ise Province around midnight on the 25th, and joined the other party by the Too-gawa River in Asake-no-kori. Hatsukashibe was a member of the Prince Otsu party. Other members who arrived in Asake-no-kori with Prince Otsu were OKIDA no Esaka, NANIWA no Mitsuna, KOMADA no Oshihito, YAMAHE no Yasumaro, OHARITA no Ite, OKIDA no Wakaomi, NE no Kanemi, and NURIBE no Tomose. There are no records about achievements of HATSUKASHIBE no Shiki in the civil war afterwards.

[Original Japanese]