| Ōnakatomi no Kiyomaro 大中臣清麻呂 | |
| House-Type: | Japanese clan |
| Birth Date: | 702 |
| Death Date: | September 6, 788 |
| Father: | Nakatomi no Omimaro |
was a Japanese noble of the Nara period. Born the seventh son of the chūnagon Nakatomi no Omimaro of the Nakatomi clan, he changed his name and founded the Ōnakatomi clan. He reached the court rank of and the position of udaijin.
After passing through a variety of inspector-level positions, Kiyomaro was in 743 promoted to assistant director of the Jingi-kan and granted the rank of . In 747, in the last days of the court of Emperor Shōmu, he was moved to a regional position as governor of Owari Province. In 751, though, the new Empress Kōken promoted Kiyomaro to, and in 754 he was restored to his position in the Jingi-kan and subsequently given the position of in the Daijō-kan.
Under the administration of Fujiwara no Nakamaro, Kiyomaro advanced steadily. He was promoted to in 757, in 759. In 762 he rose to, and at the end of the year Kiyomaro was promoted to sangi, joining the ranks of the kugyō along with Nakamaro's sons Kusumaro and Asakari. In this same year he also served with Kusumaro and in the empresses' palace, transmitting imperial decrees. In 763 he was promoted to and director of Settsu Province. Early in 764, he was promoted to .
Later that year, though, Nakamaro rebelled, and Kiyomaro supported the Empress Kōken's side against him. The ex-Empress was victorious and retook the throne, and Kiyomaro was promoted to . In the next year, 765, he was further awarded honors, second class, for his service. At the banquet after Kōken's re-enthronement ceremony as Empress Shōtoku, Kiyomaro was in attendance as director of the Jingi-kan. The Empress praised him for his integrity and industry in his long service in that organization,[1] and he was promoted to .
Kiyomaro continued his rise in the courts of both Empress Shōtoku and Emperor Kōnin. In 768 he was promoted to chūnagon, and in 769 he changed his family name from Nakatomi no Ason to Ōnakatomi no Ason. In 771, Kiyomaro was appointed as a tutor to, but was dismissed from this role when the Crown Prince was disinherited the next year. In 773, he was re-appointed as tutor to the new Crown Prince Yamabe, the future Emperor Kanmu.
Meanwhile, in 770, Kiyomaro was promoted to and dainagon, and in 771, following the deaths of sadaijin Fujiwara no Nagate and udaijin Kibi no Makibi, he was promoted to and udaijin. In 772, he was promoted again to . In his role as udaijin, Kiyomaro headed the Daijō-kan until 780.
In 781, immediately following the ascension of Emperor Kanmu, Kiyomaro was allowed to retire at the age of 70. He died in 788, at the age of 87.
As an old retainer familiar with the past days of the court, Kiyomaro memorized and was proficient in many court ceremonies. Even as he aged, he was diligent and never shirked his official duties.
Five of his poems are recorded in the Man'yōshū.
Book: Ujitani, Tsutomu . 続日本紀 （下） . Shoku Nihongi, Part 2 . . 1995 . Japanese.