Background
Soga no Inamewas born in 506. He was the son of Soga no Koma. The members of the Soga family are said to have come to prominence through their handling of fiscal matters for the Yamato court.
蘇我 稲目
Soga no Inamewas born in 506. He was the son of Soga no Koma. The members of the Soga family are said to have come to prominence through their handling of fiscal matters for the Yamato court.
He was the first person to hold the position of Ōomi that can be verified with reasonable accuracy, in 536 AD.
Soga no Iname solidified his power by marrying two of his daughters, Soga no Kitashihime and Soga no Oanegimi, to Emperor Kinmei. Between the two of them they gave birth to three future emperors, Emperor Yōmei, Emperor Sushun and Empress Suiko, as well as numerous other princes and princesses.
Soga no Iname is also known for his early support of Buddhism which, according to the Nihon Shoki, was introduced to the Yamato court from Paekche in 552. Opposing Iname and against the acceptance of this new foreign religion were Mononobe no Okoshi and Nakatomi no Kamako. The rivalry between the Sogas and the Mononobe and Nakatomi clans would carry on into future generations, with Iname's son Soga no Umako defeating Okoshi's son Mononobe no Moriya in 587, and his grandson and great-grandson Soga no Emishi and Soga no Iruka being defeated by a descendant of Kamako, Nakatomi no Kamatari, in the Isshi Incident.
When King Syongmyong of the Korean state of Paekche presented Buddhist images and scriptures to Emperor Kimmei in 538 (the date is also given as 552), Soga no Iname took the image into his own home and worshiped it, although Mononobe no Okoshi fiercely denounced the foreign religion.
Later, however, an epidemic broke out and Mononobe no Okoshi, declaring that it was caused by Soga no Iname’s acceptance of Buddhism, set fire to the latter’s house and burned it down.
This represents the first mention of the introduction of Buddhism to Japan.
Iname’s daughters became consorts of Emperor Kimmei and gave birth to Emperor Yomei and other distinguished persons, thus increasing the power and influence of the Soga family.