Nichira (日羅)

Nichira (? - December, 583) was a Japanese who served the King of Baekje, which existed in the Korean peninsula in the sixth century. His father was Osakabe no Yugei Arishito, who was kuninomiyatsuko (local ruling families in ancient Japan) of Ashikita (now Ashikita County and Yatsushiro City), Higo Province.

His father Arishito was a warrior from Kyushu region and served OTOMO no Kanamura, who moved to the Korean peninsula in the reign of the Emperor Senka. Nichira was a Japanese government official of Baekje, awarded very high court rank of Dachisochi, the second highest rank, by the King of Baekje. He returned to Japan in 583, upon the request of the Emperor Bidatsu, and advised the court about policies towards the Korean peninsula. It included matters disadvantageous to Baekje, and consequently he was assassinated by a Baekjean.

His tomb is in his hometown, Sakamoto-machi, Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture.

[Original Japanese]