No firm dates can be assigned to this emperor's life or reign, but he is conventionally considered to have reigned from 453–456.[3]
Legendary narrative
Ankō is considered to have ruled the country during the mid-5th century, but there is a paucity of information about him. There is insufficient material available for further verification and study.
According to Kojiki and Nihonshoki, Ankō was the second son of Emperor Ingyō. His elder brother Prince Kinashi no Karu was the crown prince, but due to an incestuous relationship with his sister, Karu no Ōiratsume, Kinashikaru lost favour with the court. After an aborted attempt to rally troops against Ankō, Kinashi no Karu (and his sister) were exiled and committed suicide.
Ankō's contemporary title would not have been tennō, as most historians believe this title was not introduced until the reigns of Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jitō. Rather, it was presumably Sumeramikoto or Amenoshita Shiroshimesu Ōkimi (治天下大王), meaning "the great king who rules all under heaven." Alternatively, Ankō might have been referred to as (ヤマト大王/大君) or the "Great King of Yamato."
Ankō was assassinated in his third year of reign by Mayowa no Ōkimi (Prince Mayowa), in retaliation for the execution of Mayowa's father.[4]
Memorial Shinto shrine and mausoleum honoring Emperor Ankō.
The actual site of Ankō's grave is not known.[1] This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorialShintoshrine (misasagi) at Nara.
