Kume (来目)

Kume (date of birth and death unknown) lived during the Asuka period in Japan. His forename is unknown. The reading of his name in the old Japanese syllabary characters is the same. In the Jinshin War of 672, he joined the army of Oama no Miko (Prince Oama, later became Emperor Tenmu) and distinguished himself in the Battle of Ashiike.

In "Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan), he is mentioned as taking part in the Battle of Ashiike which took place about July 5 at the west of Nara Basin. In this battle, the force led by OTOMO no Fukei supporting Oama no Miko fought against the force led by IKI no Karakuni supporting Otomo no Miko (Prince Otomo who has been called Emperor Kobun after the Meiji period). According to "Nihonshoki," Kume pulled out his sword and ran his horse straight into the hostile troop. Following him, the Fukei's cavalry rushed into the enemy's troops, then the enemy's soldiers ran away. Karakuni left his army and ran away by himself. From the distance Fukei saw him running away and ordered Kume to shoot him. Since Kume's arrow missed, Karakuni managed to run away, however Karakuni could not rally his run-away soldiers. Due to this victory, Fukei could remove the menaces from the west.

There remains no other record about Kume. Some scholars are skeptical of Kume's existence as the record lacks his name despite the fact that he played a dramatic part in the battle and there remain no records about commendation for him after the war. According that theory, he was invented by the editor of "Nihonshoki" or by the writer of the record of the Otomo clan which is believed the editor of "Nihonshoki" had referred.

[Original Japanese]