Miyake no Iwatoko (三宅石床)
MIYAKE no Iwatoko (July 23rd, 680 — year of birth unknown) was a person of the Asuka Period in Japan. MIYAKE no Ihatoko' is the reading of his name in the old Japanese syllabary characters. His kabane (hereditary title) was Muraji. He sided with Prince Oama (Emperor Tenmu) during the Jinshin War of 672. He was posthumously awarded the title of Taikinge (the 9th rank out of the 26 hierarchical ranking system).
It is presumed that MIYAKE no Iwatoko was the Director of Ise Province when the Jinshin War broke out. At first, Prince Oama had ordered the build up of troops at Mino Province, and he himself departed from the Yoshinonomiya Imperial House of Yamato Province on the 24th and headed east. The Provincial Governor MIYAKE no Muraji Iwatoko and others received the Emperor as he entered Suzuka County of Ise Province on the 25th. Apart from Iwatoko, the Vice Provincial Governor MIWA no Kobito, Yunonagashi (Director of the Imperial territories) TANAKA no Tarimaro, and TAKATA no Ninomi were present. Consequently, they deployed 500 troops and barricaded the Suzuka Mountain Path. Thus far is the explanation given in "The Nihonshoki" (Chronicles of Japan). Although no subsequent activities are recorded in the Nihonshoki regarding MIYAKE no Iwatoko, troops were deployed from Ise Province on separate accounts, leading to the belief that they played a role in the military.
In the corresponding section of "The Nihonshoki," only the title of 'Kokushi no Kami' (Provincial Governor) is allotted to Ishiyusu (Miyake), but it is not noted for which province. The prevailing theory is that Ishiyusu was the Provincial Governor of Ise Province, since the story is set in Ise Province and of its proximity to the provincial capital. However, there is also a theory purporting that he may have been the Provincial Governor of Mino Province. This other theory is due to the passage found in "The Shoku Nihongi" (a chronicle that comes directly after the Nihon Shoki), citing that TAKATA no Ninomi (one of the receiving members of Prince Oama) was an official by the title of Shuto (Chief of Imperial Agricultural Estates) of Mino Province. Due to this, it is believed that the party of Miyake, Takata, and others were from Mino Province. However, according to the Nihon Shoki, it is said that the success of raising the army in Mino Province was supposedly reported by MURAKUNI no Oyori the day after Miyake's reception. On the other hand, there should have been a report by Miyake if he was supposedly the Provincial Governor of Mino and was responsible for bringing the troops, making it unclear as to why the Nihonshoki decided to omit this fact but instead citing Oyori's reporting.
On July 23rd, 680, Shokinge (the 12th rank out of the 26 hierarchical ranking system) MIYAKE no Muraji Iwatoko passed away. From his meritorious deeds during the year of Mizunoe-Saru (one of the Oriental Zodiac signs), he was posthumously awarded the title of Taikinge.