was the 45th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Shà Âmu's reign spanned the years 724 through 749, during the Nara period.
Before his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name (imina) is not clearly known, but he was known as Oshi-hiraki Toyosakura-hiko-no-mikoto.
Shà Âmu was the son of Emperor Monmu and Fujiwara no Miyako, a daughter of Fujiwara no Fuhito.
Shà Âmu had five consorts and six Imperial sons and daughters.
Shà Âmu was still a child at the time of his father's death; thus, his grandmother, Empress Gemmei, and aunt, Empress Gensho, occupied the throne before he acceded.
Shà Âmu continued to reside in the Hezei Palace.
Shà Âmu is known as the first emperor whose consort was not born into the imperial household. His consort Kà Âmyà  was a non-royal Fujiwara commoner. A ritsuryà  office was created for the queen-consort, the Kogogushiki; and this bureaucratic innovation continued into the Heian period.
While battle maneuvers of the Fujiwara no Hirotsugu Rebellion were still underway, in Tenpyà  12 10th month (November, 740) Emperor Shà Âmu left the capital at Heijà Â-kyà  (Nara) and traveled eastward via Horikoshi (å Âè¶Âé Âå®®; today Tsuge; 10th month, 29th day: November 22), Nabari (10th month, 30th day: November 23), Ao (å®Âä¿Âé Âå®®; today Aoyama ; 11th month 1st day: November 24) to Kawaguchi in Ichishi District, Ise Province (today part of Tsu, formerly part of Hakusan) where he retreated together with his court to a temporary palace. One of his generals was left in command of the capital. Presumably Shà Âmu feared Fujiwara supporters in Nara and was hoping to quell potential uprisings in other parts of the country with his presence. After four days travelling through heavy rain and thick mud, the party reached Kawaguchi on Tenpyà  12 11th month, 2nd day (25 November, 740) A couple of days later, they learn of Hirotsugu's execution and that the rebellion had been quelled.
Despite the good news, Shà Âmu did not return to Heijà Â-kyà  immediately, but stayed in Kawaguchi until Tenpyà  12 11th month, 11th day (4 December, 740). He continued his journey east, then north via Mino Province and back west along the shores of Lake Biwa to Kuni in Yamashiro Province (today in Kizugawa) which he reached on Tenpyà  12 12th month, 15th day (6 January, 741). Places passed along the way included Akasaka (赤åÂÂé Âå®®; today Suzuka; 11th m. 14th d.: Dec 7ï¼Â, Asake district (æÂÂæÂÂé¡; today Yokkaichi; 11th m. 20th d.: Dec 13ï¼Â, Ishiura (ç³å é Âå®®; today Tado; 11th m. 25th d.: Dec 18ï¼Â, Tagi district (å½Âä¼Âé¡; today Yà Ârà Â; 11th m. 26th d.: Dec 19ï¼Â, Fuwa (ä¸Âç ´é Âå®®; today Tarui; 12th m. 1st d.: Dec 23ï¼Â, Yokokawa (横å·Âé Âå®®; today Santà  or Maihara; 12th m. 6th d.: Dec 28), Inukami (ç¬ä¸Âé Âå®®; today Hikone; 12th m. 7th d.: Dec 29ï¼Â, Gamà  district (è²çÂÂé¡; today near Yà Âkaichi; 12th m. 9th d.: Dec 31ï¼Â, Yasu (éÂÂæ´²é Âå®®; today Yasu or Moriyama; 12th m. 10th d.: Jan 1ï¼Â, Awazu (禾津é Âå®®; today à Âtsu; 12th m. 11th d.ï¼ Jan 2ï¼Â, Tamanoi (çÂÂäºÂé Âå®®; today Yamashina-ku, Kyoto; 12th m. 14th d.ï¼Â. Situated among the hills and near a river north of Nara, Kuni was easily defensible. In addition, the area was linked with the Minister of the Right, Tachibana no Moroe, while Nara was a center of the Fujiwara clan. On Tenpyà  12 12th month, 15 day (6 January, 741) Shà Âmu proclaimed a new capital at Kuni-kyà Â.
Shà Âmu, a devout Buddhist, is best remembered for commissioning, in 743, the sixteen-meter high statue of the Vairocana Buddha (the Daibutsu) in Tà Âdai-ji of Nara. At the time, this was such a massive undertaking that later chroniclers accuse him of having completely exhausted the country's reserves of bronze and precious metals. In 752, the Shà Âmu held the Eye-opening Ceremony of the Great Buddha.
Earlier in 741, he established the system of provincial temples, making this the closest anyone ever came to declaring Japan a Buddhist nation. In addition he commissioned the observance of the ohigan holiday for both spring and autumnal equinox.
Emperor Shà Âmu died at age 54.
The actual site of Shà Âmu's grave is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a memorial Shinto shrine (misasagi) at Nara.
The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Shà Âmu's mausoleum. It is formally named Sahoyama no minami no misasagi. The tomb site can be visited today in Horenji-cho, Tenri City near Nara City. The Imperial tomb of Shà Âmu's consort, Empress Kà Âmyà Â, is located nearby.
The Shà Âsà Â-in (æ£åÂÂé¢) is the treasure house of Tà Âdai-ji Temple in Nara, Japan. It houses about 9.000 artifacts connected to Emperor Shà Âmu (701âÂÂ756) and Empress Kà Âmyà  (701âÂÂ760), as well as arts and crafts of the Tempyà  era of Japanese history. Its general importance derives from the fact, that it may be called an ark of Tang dynasty period cultural relics from Japan as well as from the continent: furniture, games, music instruments, clothing/accessories, weaponry, buddhist objects and pieces of writing. See main entry.
is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-Meiji eras.
In general, this elite group included only three to four men at a time. These were hereditary courtiers whose experience and background would have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Shà Âmu's reign, this apex of the Daijà Â-kan included:
The years of Shà Âmu's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengà Â.