Emperor Go-Yozei
Encyclopedia
was the 107th Emperor of Japan
, according to the traditional order of succession.
Go-Yōzei's reign spanned the years from 1586 through 1611, corresponding to the transition between the Azuchi-Momoyama period
and the Edo period
.
This 16th century sovereign was named after the 9th century Emperor Yōzei
and , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Yōzei". The Japanese word "go" has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Yōzei, the second", or as "Yōzei II."
, his personal name (imina) was .
He was the eldest son of , also known as Prince Sanehito and posthumously named Yōkwōin daijō-tennō, who was the eldest son of Emperor Ōgimachi
. His mother was a lady-in-waiting.
Go-Yōzei's Imperial family lived with him in the Dairi
of the Heian Palace
. The family included at least 25 children:
under the leadership of Tokugawa Ieyasu
and Tokugawa Hidetada
.
and the beginning of the Edo Bakufu
. He was the sovereign who confirmed the legitimacy of their accession to power; and this period allowed the Imperial Family to recover a small portion of its diminished powers.
This Emperor gave Toyotomi Hideyoshi
the rank of Taikō, originally a title given to the father of the Emperor's chief advisor (Kampaku), or a retired Kampaku, which was essential to increase his status and effectively stabilize his power.
When Tokugawa Ieyasu
was given the title of Seii Taishōgun
, the future of any anticipated Tokugawa shogunate
was by no means assured, nor was his relationship to the emperor at all settled. He gradually began to interfere in the affairs of the Imperial Court. The right to grant ranks of court nobility and change the era became a concern of the bakufu. However, the Imperial Court's poverty during the Warring States Era
seemed likely to become a thing of the past, as bakufu provided steadily for its financial needs.
Go-Yōzei did abdicate in favor of his third son; but he had wanted to be succeeded by his younger brother, Imperial Prince Hachijō-no-miya Toshihito (八条宮智仁親王) (first of the Hachijō-no-miya line, later called Katsura-no-miya
), who built the Katsura Imperial Villa.
Go-Yōzei loved literature and art. He published the Kobun Kokyo and part of Nihon shoki
with movable type dedicated to the emperor by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
.
After abdication, Go-Yōzei lived for six years in the Sentō Imperial Palace
; and thereafter, it became the usual place to which abdicated emperors would retire. The name of this palace and its gardens was Sentō-goshō; and emperors who had abdicated were sometimes called Sentō-goshō.
The kami
of Emperor Go-Yōzei is enshrined with other emperors at the imperial mausoleum (misasagi) called Fukakusa no kita no misasagi (深草北陵) in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto
.
in pre-Meiji
eras. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted.
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 Go-Yōzei's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
, according to the traditional order of succession.
Go-Yōzei's reign spanned the years from 1586 through 1611, corresponding to the transition between the Azuchi-Momoyama period
Azuchi-Momoyama period
The came at the end of the Warring States Period in Japan, when the political unification that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate took place. It spans the years from approximately 1573 to 1603, during which time Oda Nobunaga and his successor, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, imposed order...
and the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
.
This 16th century sovereign was named after the 9th century Emperor Yōzei
Emperor Yozei
was the 57th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Yōzei's reign spanned the years from 876 through 884.-Traditional narrative:...
and , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Yōzei". The Japanese word "go" has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Yōzei, the second", or as "Yōzei II."
Genealogy
Before Go-Yōzei's ascension to the Chrysanthemum ThroneChrysanthemum Throne
The is the English term used to identify the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term can refer to very specific seating, such as the takamikura throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace....
, his personal name (imina) was .
He was the eldest son of , also known as Prince Sanehito and posthumously named Yōkwōin daijō-tennō, who was the eldest son of Emperor Ōgimachi
Emperor Ogimachi
Emperor Ōgimachi was the 106th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from October 27, 1557 to December 17, 1586, corresponding to the transition between the Warring States Era and the Azuchi-Momoyama period...
. His mother was a lady-in-waiting.
Go-Yōzei's Imperial family lived with him in the Dairi
Dairi
Dairi may refer to:* The building in which the Japanese Imperial family resided , the women of the Imperial family , the Imperial court of Japan, or an indirect way of referring to the Emperor himself....
of the Heian Palace
Heian Palace
The Heian Palace was the original imperial palace of Heian-kyō , the capital of Japan, from 794 to 1227. In Japan, this palace is called Daidairi...
. The family included at least 25 children:
- Court Lady: Konoe Sakiko (近衛前子) - Empress Dowager Chūwa(中和門院)(1575–1630)
- First daughter: Princess Shōkō (聖興女王)(1590–1594)
- Second daughter: Ryūtōin-no-miya (龍登院宮)(1592–1600)
- Third daughter: Imperial Princess Seishi (清子内親王)(1593–1674)
- Fourth daughter: Princess Bunkō (文高女王)(1595–1644)
- Third son: Imperial Prince Kotohito (政仁親王) (later Emperor Go-MizunooEmperor Go-Mizunoowas the 108th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Mizunoo's reign spanned the years from 1611 through 1629.This 17th century sovereign was named after the 9th century Emperor Seiwa and , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he could be called the "Later...
)(1596–1680) - Fifth daughter: Princess Son'ei (尊英女王)(1598–1611)
- Fourth son: Konoe Nobuhiro (近衛信尋)(1599–1649)
- Seventh son: Imperial Prince Yoshihito (好仁親王) (later First Takamatsu-no-miya)(1603–1638)
- Ninth son: Ichijō AkiyoshiIchijo Akiyoshi, son of Emperor Go-Yōzei and adopted son of regent Uchimoto, was a kugyō of the Edo period of Japan. He held regent positions kampaku in 1629 and from 1647 to 1651, and sesshō from 1629 to 1635 and in 1647. His wife was a daughter of Oda Yorinaga, and with her he had a daughter and sons Norisuke...
(一条昭良)(1605–1672) - Sixth daughter: Imperial Princess Teishi? (貞子内親王)(1606–1675)
- Tenth son: Imperial Prince Morochika (庶愛親王) (later Buddhist Priest Sonkaku)(1608–1661)
- Twelfth daughter: Princess Son'ren? (尊蓮女王)(1614–1627)
- Lady-in-waiting: Nakayama Chikako (中山親子)(1576–1608)
- First son: Imperial Prince Katahito (良仁親王) (later Princely Priest Kakushin)(1588–1648)
- Second son: Princely Priest Shōkai (承快法親王)(1591–1609)
- Lady-in-waiting: Hino Teruko (日野輝子)(1581–1607)
- Fifth son: Imperial Prince Toshiatsu (毎敦親王) (later Princely Priest Sonsei)(1602–1651)
- Lady-in-waiting: Jimyōin Motoko (持明院基子)(?-1644)
- Sixth son: Imperial Prince Tsuneyoshi (常嘉親王) (later Princely Priest Gyōnen)(1602–1661)
- Lady-in-waiting: Niwata Tomoko (庭田具子)(?-1626)
- Eighth son: Princely Priest Ryōjun (良純法親王)(1603–1669)
- Lady-in-waiting: Hamuro Nobuko (葉室宣子)(?-1679)
- Eleventh daughter: Princess Sonsei (尊清女王)(1613–1669)
- Handmaid?: Nishinotōin Tokiko (西洞院時子)(?-1661)
- Seventh daughter: Princess Eishū (永崇女王)(1609–1690)
- Eighth daughter: Kō'un'in-no-miya (高雲院宮)(1610–1612)
- Consort: Furuichi Taneko (古市胤子)(1583–1658)
- Ninth daughter: Rei'un'in-no-miya (冷雲院宮)(1611)
- Eleventh son: Princely Priest Dōkō (道晃法親王)(1612–1679)
- Tenth daughter: Kūkain-no-miya (空花院宮)(1613)
- Consort: Daughter of Chūtō Tokohiro (中東時広)(?-1680)
- Twelfth son: Princely Priest Dōshū (道周法親王)(1613–1634)
- Thirteenth son: Princely Priest Ji'in (慈胤法親王)(1617–1699)
Events of Go-Yōzei's life
Katahito-shinnō became emperor when his emperor-grandfather abdicated. The succession (senso) was considered to have been received by the new monarch; and shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Yōzei is said to have acceded (sokui). The events during his lifetime shed some light on his reign. The years of Go-Yōzei's reign ecorrespond with the beginnings of the Tokugawa shogunateTokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
under the leadership of Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
and Tokugawa Hidetada
Tokugawa Hidetada
was the second shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate.-Early life :...
.
- December 31, 1571: The birth of an Imperial prince who will become known by the posthumous name of Go-Yōzei-tennō.
- November 5, 1586: Prince Katahito was given the title Crown PrinceCrown PrinceA crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....
and heir.
- December 17, 1586 (Tenshō 14, on the 7th day of the 11th month): Ogimachi gave over the reins of government to his grandson, who would become Emperor Go-Yōzei. There had been no such Imperial transition since Emperor Go-HanazonoEmperor Go-Hanazonowas the 102nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1428 through] 1464....
abdicated in 1464 (Kanshō 5). The dearth of abdications is attributable to the disturbed state of the country and to the fact that there was neither any dwelling in which an ex-emperor could live nor any excess funds in the treasury to support him.
- 1586 (Tenshō 14, in the 12th month): A marriage is arranged between the youngest sister of Hideyoshi and Tokugawa IeyasuTokugawa Ieyasuwas the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
.
- 1586 (Tenshō 14, in the 12th month) (1586): The kampaku, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, was nominated to be Daijō-daijin.
- 1588 (Tenshō 16, 7th month): Emperor Go-Yōzei and his father visit Toyotomi Hideyoshi's mansion in Kyoto. This was the first time that an emperor appeared in public since 1521.
- 1590 (Tenshō 18, 7th month): Hideyoshi led an army to the Kantō where he lay siege to Odawara CastleOdawara Castleis a landmark in the city of Odawara in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.-History:Odawara was a stronghold of the Doi clan during the Kamakura period, and a fortified residence was built by their collateral branch, the Kobayakawa clan stood on the approximate site of the present castle...
. When the fortress fell, Hōjō UjimasaHojo Ujimasawas the fourth head of the late Hōjō clan, and daimyo of Odawara.Ujimasa commanded in many battles, consolidating his clan's position, and retired in 1590. His son Hōjō Ujinao became head of the clan and lord of Odawara, but later that year they failed to hold Odawara against the forces of Toyotomi...
died and his brother, Hōjō UjinaoHojo UjinaoHōjō Ujinao was a Japanese daimyo of the late Sengoku period, and the final head of the Late Hōjō clan. An important figure in the history of Azuchi-Momoyama politics, he lost his entire domain following the siege in 1590...
submitted to Hideyoshi's power, thus ending a period of serial internal warfare which had continued uninterrupted since the nengō Onin (1467).
- 1592 (KeichōKeichowas a after Bunroku and before Genna. This period spanned from October 1596 to July 1615. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* 1596 : The era name was changed to Keichō to mark the passing of various natural disasters...
1): Keichō expedition to Korea en route to invasion of China.
- September 18, 1598 (Keichō 3, on the 18th day of the 8th month): Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshiwas a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
, the TaikoTaikomeans "drum" in Japanese . Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming...
died in his Fushimi CastleFushimi Castle', also known as Momoyama Castle or Fushimi-Momoyama Castle, is a castle in Kyoto's Fushimi Ward. The current structure is a 1964 replica of the original built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.-History:...
at the age of 63.
- October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month): Battle of SekigaharaBattle of SekigaharaThe , popularly known as the , was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 which cleared the path to the Shogunate for Tokugawa Ieyasu...
. The Tokugawa clanTokugawa clanThe was a powerful daimyo family of Japan. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa and were a branch of the Minamoto clan by the Nitta clan. However, the early history of this clan remains a mystery.-History:...
and its allies decisively vanquish all opposition.
- 1602 (Keichō 8): The KyōtoKyotois a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
Daibutsu is destroyed by fire.
- 1603 (Keichō 8): Tokugawa IeyasuTokugawa Ieyasuwas the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
became ShogunShogunA was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
, which effectively becomes the beginning of what will become the Edo bakufuTokugawa shogunateThe Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
. Toyotomi HideyoriToyotomi Hideyoriwas the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga....
was elevated to Naidaijin in the Imperial court.
- January 23, 1605 (Keichō 10, 15th day of the 12th month): A new volcanic island, Hachijōko-jima, arose from the sea at the side of Hachijō Island (八丈島 Hachijō-jima) in the Izu Islands (伊豆諸島, Izu-shotō) which stretch south and east from the Izu Peninsula.
- 1606 (Keichō 11): Construction began on Edo CastleEdo Castle, also known as , is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan. It is located in Chiyoda in Tokyo, then known as Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa shogunate here. It was the residence of the shogun and location of the shogunate, and also...
.
- 1607 (Keichō 12): Construction began on SurugaSuruga Provincewas an old province in the area that is today the central part of Shizuoka prefecture. It was sometimes called . Suruga bordered on Izu, Kai, Sagami, Shinano, and Tōtōmi provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Suruga Bay.-History:...
Castle; and an ambassador from China arrived with greetings for the emperor of Japan.
- 1609 (Keichō 14): Invasion of RyukyuInvasion of RyukyuThe invasion of Ryukyu by forces of the Japanese feudal domain of Satsuma took place in 1609, and marked the beginning of the Ryūkyū Kingdom's status as a vassal state under Satsuma...
by ShimazuShimazu clanThe were the daimyō of the Satsuma han, which spread over Satsuma, Ōsumi and Hyūga provinces in Japan.The Shimazu were identified as one of the tozama or outsider daimyō clans in contrast with the fudai or insider clans which were hereditary vassals or allies of the Tokugawa clan,The Shimazu were...
daimyoDaimyois a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
of Satsuma.
- 1610 (Keichō 15): Reconstruction of the Daibutsu hall in KyōtoKyotois a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
is begun.
- May 20, 1610 (Keichō 15, the 27th day of the 3rd month): Toyotomi HideyoriToyotomi Hideyoriwas the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga....
came to Kyoto to visit the former-Shogun Tokugawa IeyasuTokugawa Ieyasuwas the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
; and the same day, the emperor announces his intention to resign in favor of his son Masahito.
- May 9, 1611 (Keichō 16): Go-Yōzei abdicates; and his son receives the succession (the senso); and shortly thereafter, the emperor who will become known as Go-MizunooEmperor Go-Mizunoowas the 108th Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Mizunoo's reign spanned the years from 1611 through 1629.This 17th century sovereign was named after the 9th century Emperor Seiwa and , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he could be called the "Later...
formally accedes to the throne (the sokui).
Legacy
Go-Yōzei's reign corresponds to the rule of Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
and the beginning of the Edo Bakufu
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
. He was the sovereign who confirmed the legitimacy of their accession to power; and this period allowed the Imperial Family to recover a small portion of its diminished powers.
This Emperor gave Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
the rank of Taikō, originally a title given to the father of the Emperor's chief advisor (Kampaku), or a retired Kampaku, which was essential to increase his status and effectively stabilize his power.
When Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
was given the title of Seii Taishōgun
Shogun
A was one of the hereditary military dictators of Japan from 1192 to 1867. In this period, the shoguns, or their shikken regents , were the de facto rulers of Japan though they were nominally appointed by the emperor...
, the future of any anticipated Tokugawa shogunate
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the and the , was a feudal regime of Japan established by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family. This period is known as the Edo period and gets its name from the capital city, Edo, which is now called Tokyo, after the name was...
was by no means assured, nor was his relationship to the emperor at all settled. He gradually began to interfere in the affairs of the Imperial Court. The right to grant ranks of court nobility and change the era became a concern of the bakufu. However, the Imperial Court's poverty during the Warring States Era
Sengoku period
The or Warring States period in Japanese history was a time of social upheaval, political intrigue, and nearly constant military conflict that lasted roughly from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century. The name "Sengoku" was adopted by Japanese historians in reference...
seemed likely to become a thing of the past, as bakufu provided steadily for its financial needs.
Go-Yōzei did abdicate in favor of his third son; but he had wanted to be succeeded by his younger brother, Imperial Prince Hachijō-no-miya Toshihito (八条宮智仁親王) (first of the Hachijō-no-miya line, later called Katsura-no-miya
Katsura-no-miya
The ' was the one of the four shinnōke, branches of the Imperial Family of Japan which were eligible to succeed to the Chrysanthemum Throne in the event that the main line should die out. It was founded by Prince Toshihito, a grandson of Emperor Ōgimachi and brother of Emperor Go-Yōzei...
), who built the Katsura Imperial Villa.
Go-Yōzei loved literature and art. He published the Kobun Kokyo and part of Nihon shoki
Nihon Shoki
The , sometimes translated as The Chronicles of Japan, is the second oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the Kojiki, the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeologists as it includes the most complete extant historical...
with movable type dedicated to the emperor by Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
.
After abdication, Go-Yōzei lived for six years in the Sentō Imperial Palace
Sento Imperial Palace
The Sentō Imperial Palace or Sentō-gosho is a large garden in Kyoto, Japan, formerly the grounds of a palace for retired emperors...
; and thereafter, it became the usual place to which abdicated emperors would retire. The name of this palace and its gardens was Sentō-goshō; and emperors who had abdicated were sometimes called Sentō-goshō.
- September 25, 1617: Go-Yōzei died.
The kami
Kami
is the Japanese word for the spirits, natural forces, or essence in the Shinto faith. Although the word is sometimes translated as "god" or "deity", some Shinto scholars argue that such a translation can cause a misunderstanding of the term...
of Emperor Go-Yōzei is enshrined with other emperors at the imperial mausoleum (misasagi) called Fukakusa no kita no misasagi (深草北陵) in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto
Fushimi-ku, Kyoto
is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Famous places in Fushimi include the Fushimi Inari Shrine, with thousands of torii lining the paths up and down a mountain; Fushimi Castle, originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, with its rebuilt towers and gold-lined...
.
Kugyō
is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of JapanEmperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is, according to the 1947 Constitution of Japan, "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is a ceremonial figurehead under a form of constitutional monarchy and is head of the Japanese Imperial Family with functions as head of state. He is also the highest...
in pre-Meiji
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
eras. Even during those years in which the court's actual influence outside the palace walls was minimal, the hierarchic organization persisted.
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 Go-Yōzei's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
- Kampaku, Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshiwas a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
, 1585–1591 - Kampaku, Toyotomi HidetsuguToyotomi Hidetsuguwas a nephew and retainer of Toyotomi Hideyoshi who lived during the Sengoku period of the 16th century of Japan.A practitioner of the shudō tradition, Hidetsugu had a number of Wakashū...
, 1591–1595 - Kampaku, Kujō KanetakaKujo Kanetaka, son of Nijō Haruyoshi and adopted son of regent Tanemichi, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the Azuchi-Momoyama and Edo periods . He held a regent position kampaku from 1578 to 1581 and from 1600 to 1604. Yukiie was his son....
, 1600–1604 - Kampaku, Konoe NobutadaKonoe Nobutadawas a Momoyama period Japanese courtier known as a poet, calligrapher, painter and diarist. Having no legitimate son, he adopted his nephew Nobuhiro as his heir...
, 1605–1606 - Kampaku, Takatsukasa NobufusaTakatsukasa Nobufusawas a court noble of the early Edo period. Born to Nijo Haruyoshi and adopted by Takatsukasa Tadafuyu he revived the lineage of the Takatsukasa family. In 1606 he was appointed Kampaku, a regent position which he left two years later. In 1657 he died at age 93...
, 1606–1608 - Kampaku, Kujō YukiieKujo Yukiie, son of regent Kanetaka, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the Edo period . His given name was initially. He held a regent position kampaku from 1608 to 1612 and from 1619 to 1623. He married Toyotomi Sadako, a daughter of Toyotomi Hidekatsu and adopted daughter of shogun Tokugawa Hidetada...
, 1608–1612 - SadaijinSadaijin, most commonly translated as "Minister of the Left", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the Sadaijin in the context of a central...
- UdaijinUdaijinUdaijin , most commonly translated as the "Minister of the Right", was a government position in Japan in the late Nara and Heian periods. The position was consolidated in the Taihō Code of 702. The Asuka Kiyomihara Code of 689 marks the initial appearance of the Udaijin in the context of a central...
, Konoe NobuhiroKonoe Nobuhiro, Ōzan as a monk, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the Edo period . He was born as the fourth son of Emperor Go-Yōzei. His mother was Empress Dowager Chūka, Konoe Sakiko in birth... - Nadaijin, Toyotomi HideyoriToyotomi Hideyoriwas the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga....
, 1603-16__ - DainagonDainagonwas a counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century.This advisory position remained a part of the Imperial court from the 8th century until the Meiji period in the 19th century....
Eras of Go-Yōzei's reign
The years of Go-Yōzei's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.- Tenshō (1573–1592)
- BunrokuBunrokuwas a after Tenshō and before Keichō. This period spanned the years from December 1592 to October 1596. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1592 : The era name was changed...
(1592–1596) - KeichōKeichowas a after Bunroku and before Genna. This period spanned from October 1596 to July 1615. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* 1596 : The era name was changed to Keichō to mark the passing of various natural disasters...
(1596–1615)