Emperor Higashiyama
Encyclopedia
- HigashiyamaHigashiyama-ku, Kyoto' is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 1929 when it was split off from Shimogyō-ku. During the years 1931 to 1976 it also covered the area of present-day Yamashina-ku, which was an independent town until its merger into the city in 1931...
also refers to a ward of KyotoKyotois 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:...
City.
was the 113th emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
of Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, according to the traditional order of succession.
Higashiyama's reign spanned the years from 1687 through 1709.
Genealogy
Before Higashiyama'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 or Tomohito and his pre-accession title was Go-no-miya (五宮)
Higasiyama was the fifth son of Emperor Reigen
Emperor Reigen
was the 112th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Reigen's reign spanned the years from 1663 through 1687.-Genealogy:...
.
Higashiyama'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...
. This family included at least 10 children.
- Empress: Princess YukikoPrincess YukikoYukiko , was an Empress consort of Japan. She was the daughter of Arisugawa-no-miya Yukihito and the consort of Emperor Higashiyama of Japan.- Sources :...
(幸子女王) (Empress Dowager Shōshū, 承秋門院), daughter of Arisugawa-no-miya Yukihito- First daughter: Imperial Princess Akiko (秋子内親王)
- Lady-in-waiting: Kushige Yoshiko (櫛笥賀子) (Empress Dowager Shin-syuken, 新崇賢門院)
- First son: Ichi-no-miya (一宮)
- Second son: Ni-no-miya (二宮)
- Fourth son: Hisa-no-miya (寿宮)
- Second daughter: Tomi-no-miya (福宮)
- Fifth son: Imperial Prince Yasuhito (慶仁親王) (Emperor NakamikadoEmperor Nakamikadowas the 114th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Nakamikado's reign spanned the years from 1709 through 1735.-Genealogy:...
) - Sixth son: Imperial Prince Kan'in-no-miya Naohito (閑院宮直仁親王) - First Kan'in-no-miya
- Lady-in-waiting: Reizei Tsuneko (冷泉経子) (Buddhist priestess)
- Third son: Prince Kōkan (公寛法親王) (Buddhist priest)
- Handmaid (?): Daughter of Takatsuji (Sugawara) Nagakazu (高辻（菅原）長量)
- Third daughter: Kōmyōjyō'in-no-miya (光明定院宮)
- Fourth daughter: Princess Syōsyuku (聖祝女王)
Events of Higashiyama's life
Prince Tomohito was the son of a secondary consort, Fujiwara no Muneko; but he was adopted by the Chugu Fusa-ko.- 1682 (TennaTennawas a after Enpō and before Jōkyō. This period spanned the years from September 1681 through February 1684. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
3): Tomohito-shinnō is proclaimed Crown Prince; and a ceremonial investiture is held (after being in abeyance for over 300 years).
- March 26, 1685 (JōkyōJokyowas a after Tenna and before Genroku. This period spanned the years from February 1684 through September 1688. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
2, 22nd day of the 2nd month): Former-Emperor Go-SaiEmperor Go-Sai, also known as was the 111th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Sai's reign spanned the years from 1654 through 1663....
died; and a great comet was observed crossing the night sky.
In 1687, he acceded to the throne after the abdication of Emperor Reigen
Emperor Reigen
was the 112th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Reigen's reign spanned the years from 1663 through 1687.-Genealogy:...
. On the 16th day of the 11th month of that year, he revived the Daijōsai (大嘗祭), the first ceremonial offering of rice by a newly enthroned Emperor.
Initially, Emperor Reigen
Emperor Reigen
was the 112th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Reigen's reign spanned the years from 1663 through 1687.-Genealogy:...
continued to rule in Higashiyama's name, which caused much friction with the 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...
. However, Higashiyama's gentle character helped to improve relations with the Bakufu, and imperial property was increased, and repairs were carried out on Imperial mausoleums.
- May 2, 1687 (Jōkyō 4, 21st day of the 3rd month): Emperor Reigen abdicated, which meant that the his son received the succession (senso). Shortly thereafter, Emperor Higashiyama formally acceded to the throne (sokui). After abdication, Reigen's new home will be called the Sentō-gosho (the palace for an ex-Emperor).
- December 20, 1688 (Jōkyō 4, on the 16th day of the 11th month): The esoteric Daijō-sai ceremony, having been in abeyane since the time of Emperor Go-KashiwabaraEmperor Go-KashiwabaraEmperor Go-Kashiwabara was the 104th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. He reigned from November 16, 1500 to May 19, 1526. His personal name was Katsuhito...
-- for nine reigns—was revived because of the shogunate's insistence. This Shinto ritual is performed only once by emperor in the period of the enthronement ceremonies.
- 1688 (GenrokuGenrokuwas a after Jōkyō and before Hōei. This period spanned the years from September 1688 through March 1704. The reigning emperor was .The years of Genroku are generally considered to be the Golden Age of the Edo Period. The previous hundred years of peace and seclusion in Japan had created relative...
gannen): The Tokugawa shogunateTokugawa 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...
revised the code of conduct for funerals (Fuku-kiju-ryō), which incorporated a code of conduct for mourning as well.
- September 16, 1689 (Genroku 2): GermanGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
physicianPhysicianA physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
Engelbert KaempferEngelbert KaempferEngelbert Kaempfer , a German naturalist and physician is known for his tour of Russia, Persia, India, South-East Asia, and Japan between 1683 and 1693. He wrote two books about his travels...
arrives at DejimaDejimawas a small fan-shaped artificial island built in the bay of Nagasaki in 1634. This island, which was formed by digging a canal through a small peninsula, remained as the single place of direct trade and exchange between Japan and the outside world during the Edo period. Dejima was built to...
for the first time. Bakufu policy in this era was designed to marginalize the influence of foreigners in Genroku Japan; and Kaempfer had to present himself as "Dutch" in dealings with the Japanese. Regardless of this minor subterfuge, an unintended and opposite consequence of sakokuSakokuwas the foreign relations policy of Japan under which no foreigner could enter nor could any Japanese leave the country on penalty of death. The policy was enacted by the Tokugawa shogunate under Tokugawa Iemitsu through a number of edicts and policies from 1633–39 and remained in effect until...
was to enhance the value and significance of a very small number of thoughtful observers like Kaempfer, whose writings document what he learned or discovered first-hand. Kaempfer's published accounts and unpublished writings provided a unique and useful perspective for Orientalists and Japanologists in the 19th century; and his work continues to be rigorously examined by modern researchers today.
- 1695 (Genroku 8, 8th month): Minting begun of Genroku coinage. The shogunate placed the Japanese character gen (元) on the obverse of copper coins, the same character used today in China for the yuanChinese yuanThe yuan is the base unit of a number of modern Chinese currencies. The yuan is the primary unit of account of the Renminbi.A yuán is also known colloquially as a kuài . One yuán is divided into 10 jiǎo or colloquially máo...
. There is no connection between those uses, however.
- 1695 (Genroku 8, 11th month): First kennel is established for stray dogs in EdoEdo, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
. In this context, Tokugawa TsunayoshiTokugawa Tsunayoshiwas the fifth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the younger brother of Tokugawa Ietsuna, thus making him the son of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu....
comes to be nicknamed the .
- 1697 (Genroku 10): The fourth official map of Japan was made in this year, but it was considered to be inferior to the previous one—which had been ordered in 1605 (ShōhōShohowas a after Kan'ei and before Keian. This period spanned the years from December 1644 through February 1648. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1644 : The era name was changed to Shōhō to mark the enthronement of the new emperor Go-Kōmyō...
1) and completed in 1639 (Kan'ei 16). This Genroku map was corrected in 1719 (KyōhōKyohowas a after Shōtoku and before Gembun. This period spanned the years from July 1716 through April 1736. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
4) by the mathematician Tatebe Katahiro (1644–1739), using high mountain peaks as points of reference, and was drawn to a scale of 1:21,600.
- 1697 (Genroku 10): Great fire in Edo.
- 1697 (Genroku 11): Another great fire in Edo. A new hall is constructed inside the enclosure of the Edo temple of Kan'ei-jiKan'ei-ji-External links:** * National Diet Library: ; *...
(which is also known as Tōeizan Kan’ei-ji or "Hiei-san of the east" after the principal temple of the TendaiTendaiis a Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, a descendant of the Chinese Tiantai or Lotus Sutra school.Chappell frames the relevance of Tendai for a universal Buddhism:- History :...
Buddhist sect—that is to say, after the temple of Enryaku-jiEnryaku-jithumb|300px|Konpon Chū-dō , Enryaku-ji's main hall is a Tendai monastery located on Mount Hiei in Ōtsu, overlooking Kyoto. It was founded during the early Heian period. The temple complex was established by Saichō , also known as Dengyō Daishi, who introduced the Tendai sect of Mahayana Buddhism...
at Mount HieiMount Hieiis a mountain to the northeast of Kyoto, lying on the border between the Kyoto and Shiga prefectures, Japan.The temple of Enryaku-ji, the first outpost of the Japanese Tiantai sect of Buddhism, was founded atop Mount Hiei by Saichō in 788. Both Nichiren and Honen studied at the temple before...
near to Heian-kyo).
- 1703 (Genroku 16, 28th day of the 11th month): The Great Genroku Earthquake shook Edo and parts of the shogun's castle collapsed. The following day, a vast fire spread throughout the city. Parts of Honshū's coast were battered by tsunami, and 200,000 people were either killed or injured.
- 1701 (GenrokuGenrokuwas a after Jōkyō and before Hōei. This period spanned the years from September 1688 through March 1704. The reigning emperor was .The years of Genroku are generally considered to be the Golden Age of the Edo Period. The previous hundred years of peace and seclusion in Japan had created relative...
13): when the Akō Incident took place, due to the bloodshed by Matsuno Ōroku, Emperor Higashiyama came near to withdrawing the imperial will.
- October 28, 1707 (HōeiHoeiwas a after Genroku and before Shōtoku. This period spanned the years from March 1704 through April 1711. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
4, 14th day of the 10th month): Great Hōei Earthquake1707 Hōei earthquakeThe 1707 Hōei earthquake, which occurred at 14:00 local time on October 28, 1707, was the largest in Japanese history until the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake surpassed it. It caused moderate to severe damage throughout southwestern Honshu, Shikoku and southeastern Kyūshū. The earthquake and the resulting...
. The city of Osaka suffers tremendously because of a very violent earthquake.
- November 15, 1707 (Hōei 4, 22nd day of the 10th month): An eruption of Mt. Fuji; the cinders and ash fell like rain in IzuIzu Provincewas a province of Japan in the area of Shizuoka Prefecture. Izu bordered on Sagami and Suruga Provinces. Its abbreviated form name was .The mainland portion of Izu Province, comprising the Izu Peninsula is today the eastern portion of Shizuoka Prefecture and the Izu Islands are now part of...
, KaiKai Province, also known as , is an old province in Japan in the area of Yamanashi Prefecture. It lies in central Honshū, west of Tokyo, in a landlocked mountainous region that includes Mount Fuji along its border with Shizuoka Prefecture....
, SagamiSagami Provincewas an old province in the area that is today the central and western Kanagawa prefecture. It was sometimes called . Sagami bordered on Izu, Musashi, Suruga provinces; and had access to the Pacific Ocean through Sagami Bay...
, and MusashiMusashi Provincewas a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Prefecture, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama...
.
- 1708 (Hōei 5): The shogunate introduces new copper coins into circulation; and each coin is marked with the Hōei nengō name (Hōei Tsubo).
- 1708 (Hōei 5, 8th day of the 3rd month): There was a great fire in Heian-kyō.
- 1708 (Hōei 5, 8th month): ItalianItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
missionaryMissionaryA missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
Giovanni Sidotti landed in YakushimaYakushima, one of the Ōsumi Islands, is an island of about 500 km² and roughly 15,000 islanders to the south of Kyūshū in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. The Vincennes Strait separates it from Tanegashima. The highest point on the island is Miyanoura-dake at 1,935 metres...
, where he was promptly is arrested.
- 1709 (Hōei 6): Shogun Tsunayoshi appoints commission to repair and restore Imperial mausoleums.
- 1709 (Hōei 6, 10th day of the 1st month): The wife of Shogun Tsunayoshi killed him with a knife, and then she stabbed herself in the heart. Tsunayoshi's homosexual interests were aroused by the son of the daimyo of Kai; and his plans to adopt this Tokugawa youth as his successor were known by a few inside 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...
. The shogun's wife, who was also a daughter of the emperor, foresaw that this choice of a successor would be very poorly received by many; and she feared that it might result in a disastrous civil war. The shogun's wife did everything she could to dissuade Tsunayoshi from continuing with such potentially divisive and dangerous plans; and when it became clear that her persuasive arguments were in vain, she resolutely sacrificed herself for the good of the country—she killed her husband and then killed herself.
- 1709 (Hōei 6, 4th month): Minamoto no IenobuTokugawa Ienobuwas the sixth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty of Japan. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Tsunashige, thus making him the nephew of Tokugawa Ietsuna and Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the grandson of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the great-grandson of Tokugawa Hidetada, and the great-great grandson of Tokugawa...
, Tsunayoshi's nephew, becomes the 6th shogun of 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...
. and Emperor NakamikadoEmperor Nakamikadowas the 114th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Nakamikado's reign spanned the years from 1709 through 1735.-Genealogy:...
accedes to the throne.
- July 27, 1709 (HōeiHoeiwas a after Genroku and before Shōtoku. This period spanned the years from March 1704 through April 1711. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
6, 21st day of the 6th month): Emperor Higashiyama abdicated and the throne passed to his son.
- January 16, 1710 (Hōei 6, 17th day of the 12th month): Higashiyama died.
Higashiyama is among those enshrined in the Imperial mausoleum, Tsukinowa no misasagi, at Sennyū-ji
Sennyu-ji
, formerly written as , is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama-ku in Kyoto, Japan. For centuries, Sennyū-ji was a mortuary temple for aristocrats and the imperial house. Located here are the official tombs of Emperor Shijō and many of the emperors who came after him....
in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
' is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. It was created in 1929 when it was split off from Shimogyō-ku. During the years 1931 to 1976 it also covered the area of present-day Yamashina-ku, which was an independent town until its merger into the city in 1931...
. Also enshrined in this location are this emperor's immediate Imperial predecessors since Emperor Go-Mizunoo
Emperor Go-Mizunoo
was 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...
-- Meishō
Empress Meisho
was the 109th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Meishō's reign spanned the years from 1629 to 1643.In the history of Japan, Meishō was the seventh of eight women to become empress regnant. The six female monarchs who reigned before Meishō-tennō were Suiko, ...
, Go-Kōmyō
Emperor Go-Komyo
was the 110th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Kōmyō's reign spanned the years from 1643 through 1654.This 17th century sovereign was named after the 14th century Nanboku-chō Emperor Kōmyō and go- , translates literally as "later;" and thus, he could be called...
, Go-Sai
Emperor Go-Sai
, also known as was the 111th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Sai's reign spanned the years from 1654 through 1663....
and Reigen
Emperor Reigen
was the 112th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Reigen's reign spanned the years from 1663 through 1687.-Genealogy:...
. Higashiyama's immediate Imperial successors, including Nakamikado
Emperor Nakamikado
was the 114th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Nakamikado's reign spanned the years from 1709 through 1735.-Genealogy:...
, Sakuramachi
Emperor Sakuramachi
was the 115th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Sakuramachi's reign spanned the years from 1735 through 1747.-Genealogy:...
, Momozono
Emperor Momozono
was the 116th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Momazono's reign spanned the years from 1747 until his death in 1762.-Genealogy:...
, Go-Sakuramachi
Empress Go-Sakuramachi
was the 117th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Sakuramachi's reign spanned the years from 1762 through 1771....
and Go-Momozono
Emperor Go-Momozono
was the 118th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Go-Momozono's reign spanned the years from 1771 through his death in 1779....
, are enshrined here as well.
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 Higashiyama's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
- 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...
- Nadaijin
- 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 Higashiyama's reign
The years of Higashiyama's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.- JōkyōJokyowas a after Tenna and before Genroku. This period spanned the years from February 1684 through September 1688. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
(1684–1688) - GenrokuGenrokuwas a after Jōkyō and before Hōei. This period spanned the years from September 1688 through March 1704. The reigning emperor was .The years of Genroku are generally considered to be the Golden Age of the Edo Period. The previous hundred years of peace and seclusion in Japan had created relative...
(1688–1704) - HōeiHoeiwas a after Genroku and before Shōtoku. This period spanned the years from March 1704 through April 1711. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
(1704–1711)
See also
- Emperor of JapanEmperor of JapanThe 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...
- List of Emperors of Japan
- Imperial cultImperial cultAn imperial cult is a form of state religion in which an emperor, or a dynasty of emperors , are worshipped as messiahs, demigods or deities. "Cult" here is used to mean "worship", not in the modern pejorative sense...