Naka assumes the position of minister of the center, and Kamatari is granted a new family name—Fujiwara—in recognition of his great service to the imperial family.

Fujiwara Kamatari becomes the first in a long line of court aristocrats.

Another, long-lasting change is the use of the name Nippon or Nihon, or sometimes Dai Nippon (Great Japan) in diplomatic documents and chronicles.

Following the reigns of Naka's uncle and mother, Naka assumes the throne as Emperor Tenji in 662, taking the additional title tenno (heavenly sovereign).

This new title is intended to improve the Yamato clan's image and to emphasize the divine origins of the imperial family in the hope of keeping it above political frays, such as those precipitated by the Soga clan.

Within the imperial family, however, power struggles continue as the emperor's brother and son vie for the throne.

The brother, who later reigns as Emperor Temmu, consolidates Tenji's reforms and state power in the imperial court.