聖武天皇（聖武太上天皇）(しょうむてんのう（しょうむだいじょうてんのう）)Shōmu Tennō (Shōmu Daijō Tennō)
文武天皇(もんむてんのう)の皇子で、母は藤原不比等(ふじわらのふひと)の娘・宮子(みやこ)。不比等の娘、安宿媛(あすかべひめ)（光明子(こうみょうし)）と成婚し、神亀元年（七二四）即位。仏教を篤く敬い、国分寺・国分尼寺の建立(こんりゅう)、大仏造立を発願(ほつがん)した。天平十二年（七四〇）の藤原広嗣(ふじわらのひろつぐ)の乱後、天皇は平城宮から恭仁(くに)宮、紫香楽(しがらき)宮、難波(なにわ)宮に移り、同十七年に平城宮に戻る。二十六年に及ぶ在位期間は平城京の造営や大寺の建立が行われ、天平文化と呼ばれる唐風文化が花開いた。七〇一～七五六（在位七二四～七四九）
Emperor Shōmu
(701–756, r. 724–749) Japan’s forty-fifth emperor. Both he and his wife Empress Kōmyō were devout Buddhists and built national Buddhist monasteries and convents around the country, as well as the head temple of Tōdaiji, in which the Great Buddha was enshrined. After his death, Kōmyō donated his favorite personal possessions to Tōdaiji. These were placed in the North Section of the Shōsō-in. In 749 Shōmu abdicated, ceding the throne to his daughter, Empress Regnant Kōken (r. 749–758; 764–770), and became known as the Retired Emperor or Daijō Tennō.