Emperor Komei
Encyclopedia
was the 121st emperor of Japan
, according to the traditional order of succession.
Kōmei's reign spanned the years from 1846 through 1867.
, his personal name (imina) was ;, his title was .
Emperor Kōmei was the fourth son of Emperor Ninkō
and Empress Sukulito Sakayamas.
Kōmei's Imperial family lived with him in the Dairi
of the Heian Palace
. The family included six children, four daughters and two sons; but the future Emperor Meiji was the only one to survive childhood.
Kōmei principal consort was Asako Kujō (九条夙子). After Kōmei's death in 1867, Asako was given the title Empress Eishō
(英照皇后) by Emperor Meiji
.
, Tokugawa Iesada
, Tokugawa Iemochi
, and Tokugawa Yoshinobu
were leaders at the pinnacle of the Tokugawa shogunate
.
With the arrival of US Commodore Matthew Perry and his famous "Black Ships" on 8 July 1853, Japan began its transformation into a modern industrial power. The Tokugawa Shogunate, which had controlled military and civil affairs in Japan's feudal provinces for some three centuries, proved unable to meet the new challenge of open trade with the West.
At the time, Emperor Kōmei still retained only symbolic power at his court in Kyoto. As the Shogunate, divided by internal disputes, gradually surrendered sovereignty to the foreign powers, under threat of military force, Emperor Kōmei began to assert himself and regain many of the powers his ancestors had conceded to the Tokugawa clan at the close of the Sengoku (warring states) period.[1]
The Emperor's younger sister, Imperial princess Kazu-no-Miya Chikako
(和宮親子内親王) was married to the Tokugawa
shogun
Tokugawa Iemochi
as part of the Movement to Unite Court and Bakufu
. Both the Emperor and his sister were against the marriage, even though he realized the gains to be had from such familial connections with the true ruler of Japan. Emperor Kōmei did not care much for anything foreign, and he opposed opening Japan to Western powers, even as the shogun continued to accept foreign demands.
The pilgrimage of the 14th shogun Tokugawa Iemochi to Kyoto in 1863 was a defining moment not only in 19th century relations between the military bakufu and the Imperial Court, but also in what history would come to call the Meiji Restoration.
The reception by Emperor Kōmei of the shogun in the Kyoto palace can be seen as a moment at which the political realm was thoroughly redefined, becoming a transitional imperial realm. This impression was enforced by the ensuing pilgrimage by Emperor Kōmei to the Kamo shrine, with the shogun in tow. This public demonstration showed that a new order had now emerged in the realm.[2]
Emperor Kōmei was infuriated with nearly every development during his reign as emperor. In his lifetime he never saw any foreigners and he knew little about them. During his reign he started to gain more power as the Tokugawa Shogunate
declined, though this was limited to consultation and other forms of deference according to protocol.
Emperor Kōmei generally agreed with anti-Western sentiment
s, and, breaking with centuries of imperial tradition, began to take an active role in matters of state: as opportunities arose, he fulminated against the treaties and attempted to interfere in the shogunal succession. His efforts culminated in 1863 with his "Order to expel barbarians
". Although the Shogunate had no intention of enforcing the order, it nevertheless inspired attacks against the Shogunate itself and against foreigners in Japan: the most famous incident was that of the English trader Charles Lennox Richardson
, for whose death the Tokugawa government had to pay an indemnity of one hundred thousand British pounds. Other attacks included the shelling of Shimonoseki and Kagoshima, and the destruction of Japanese warships, coastal guns and assorted military infrastructure throughout the country. These incidents showed that Japan could not match the military might of the Westerners, and that confrontation could not be the solution. [3]
In January 1867 the emperor was diagnosed with smallpox. This caused surprise because it was said that Kōmei had never been ill before. On 30 January 1867 he suffered a fatally violent bout of vomiting and diarrhea. He had purple spots on his face caused by smallpox
. It is widely thought that he was assassinated, probably by radicals from Choshu, as he drew closer to the Shogun in mutually seeking to define a way forward for Japan under increasingly challenging circumstances. There are no indications that anyone that he came into contact with before contracting the disease had been infected, so it is thought that a handkerchief or the like contaminated with the virus was transferred to him through some conduit in the court (see footnote on p. 282 of Marius Jansen's "Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Ishin", for example).
After Kōmei's death in 1867, his kami was enshrined in the Imperial mausoleum, , which is at Sennyū-ji
in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
. Also enshrined in this mausoleum complex are Kōmei's immediate predecessors since Emperor Go-Mizunoo
-- Meishō
, Go-Kōmyō
, Go-Sai
, Reigen
, Higashiyama
, Nakamikado
, Sakuramachi
, Momozono
, Go-Sakuramachi
, Go-Momozono
, Kōkaku
and Ninkō
. Empress Dowager
Eishō
is also entombed at this Imperial mausoleum complex.
Emperor Kōmei was the last emperor to be given a posthumous name chosen after his death. Beginning with Emperor Meiji, posthumous names were chosen in advance, being the same as their reign names.
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 Kōmei'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.
Kōmei's reign spanned the years from 1846 through 1867.
Genealogy
Before Kōmei's accession 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 ;, his title was .
Emperor Kōmei was the fourth son of Emperor Ninkō
Emperor Ninko
was the 120th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Ninkō's reign spanned the years from 1817 through 1846.-Genealogy:Before Ninkō's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ....
and Empress Sukulito Sakayamas.
Kōmei'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 six children, four daughters and two sons; but the future Emperor Meiji was the only one to survive childhood.
Kōmei principal consort was Asako Kujō (九条夙子). After Kōmei's death in 1867, Asako was given the title Empress Eishō
Empress Eisho
was the empress consort of Emperor Kōmei of Japan. She is also known under the technically incorrect name .- Early life :As the daughter of Kujō Hisatada, who was a former kampaku, Kujō Asako could anticipate a life unfolding entirely within the ambit of the Imperial court; but she could not have...
(英照皇后) by Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji
The or was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death...
.
Events of Kōmei's life
Osahito-shinnō became emperor following the death of his emperor-father. The succession (the senso) was considered to have been received by the new monarch; and shortly thereafter, Emperor Kōmei is said to have acceded (the sokui). The events during his lifetime shed some light on his reign. The years of Kōmei's reign correspond with a period in which Tokugawa IeyoshiTokugawa Ieyoshi
Tokugawa Ieyoshi was the 12th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan.He was the second son of the 11th shogun, Tokugawa Ienari, and appointed Mizuno Tadakuni to conduct the Tenpo reform....
, Tokugawa Iesada
Tokugawa Iesada
Tokugawa Iesada Tokugawa Iesada Tokugawa Iesada (徳川 家定 (May 6, 1824 – August 14, 1858) was the 13th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan who held office for only 5 years, from 1853 to 1858. He was physically weak and therefore unfit to be shogun in this period of great challenges...
, Tokugawa Iemochi
Tokugawa Iemochi
was the 14th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of Japan's first major contact with the United States, which occurred under Commodore Perry in 1853 and 1854, and of the subsequent "re-opening" of...
, and Tokugawa Yoshinobu
Tokugawa Yoshinobu
was the 15th and last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan. He was part of a movement which aimed to reform the aging shogunate, but was ultimately unsuccessful...
were leaders at the pinnacle of the 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...
.
With the arrival of US Commodore Matthew Perry and his famous "Black Ships" on 8 July 1853, Japan began its transformation into a modern industrial power. The Tokugawa Shogunate, which had controlled military and civil affairs in Japan's feudal provinces for some three centuries, proved unable to meet the new challenge of open trade with the West.
At the time, Emperor Kōmei still retained only symbolic power at his court in Kyoto. As the Shogunate, divided by internal disputes, gradually surrendered sovereignty to the foreign powers, under threat of military force, Emperor Kōmei began to assert himself and regain many of the powers his ancestors had conceded to the Tokugawa clan at the close of the Sengoku (warring states) period.[1]
The Emperor's younger sister, Imperial princess Kazu-no-Miya Chikako
Kazu-no-Miya Chikako
was the wife of 14th shogun Tokugawa Iemochi. She was renamed Lady Seikan'in no miya after she took the tonsure as a widow.She was the eighth and youngest daughter of Emperor Ninkō and his concubine, Hashimoto Tsuneko - renamed Kangyouin after she took the tonsure. She was the younger half-sister...
(和宮親子内親王) was married to the Tokugawa
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...
shogun
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...
Tokugawa Iemochi
Tokugawa Iemochi
was the 14th shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of Japan's first major contact with the United States, which occurred under Commodore Perry in 1853 and 1854, and of the subsequent "re-opening" of...
as part of the Movement to Unite Court and Bakufu
Kōbu Gattai
Kōbu gattai was a policy in Bakumatsu Japan aiming at obtaining a political coordination between the Bakufu and the Imperial Court....
. Both the Emperor and his sister were against the marriage, even though he realized the gains to be had from such familial connections with the true ruler of Japan. Emperor Kōmei did not care much for anything foreign, and he opposed opening Japan to Western powers, even as the shogun continued to accept foreign demands.
- AnseiAnseiwas a after Kaei and before Man'en. This period spanned the years from November 1854 through March 1860. The reigning emperor was .- Change of era :...
4, on the 28th day of the 12th month (22 January 1858): Daigaku-no kami Hayashi AkiraHayashi Akirawas a Edo period scholar-diplomat serving the Tokugawa Shogunate in a variety of roles similar to those performed by serial Hayashi clan neo-Confucianists since the time of Tokugawa Ieyasu...
headed the bakufu delegation which sought advice from Emperor Kōmei in deciding how to deal with newly assertive foreign powers. This would have been the first time the Emperor's counsel was actively sought since the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate. The most easily identified consequence of this transitional overture would be the increased numbers of messengers streaming back and forth between Edo and Kyoto during the next decade. Concerning these difficult Imperial audiences in Kyoto, there is no small irony in the fact that the shogun and his bakufu were represented by a 19th century neo-Confucian scholar/bureaucrat who would have been somewhat surprised to find himself at a crucial nexus of managing political change—moving arguably "by the book" through uncharted waters with well-settled theories and history as the only reliable guide. - October 1858 (Ansei 4): Hayashi Akira is dispatched from Edo to Kyoto to explain the terms of the , also known as the Harris Treaty. Hayashi's twofold task was to both explain the terms to a sceptical Emperor and gain the sovereign's assent to it. Kōmei did ultimately acquiesce in February 1859 when he came to understand that there was no alternative.
The pilgrimage of the 14th shogun Tokugawa Iemochi to Kyoto in 1863 was a defining moment not only in 19th century relations between the military bakufu and the Imperial Court, but also in what history would come to call the Meiji Restoration.
The reception by Emperor Kōmei of the shogun in the Kyoto palace can be seen as a moment at which the political realm was thoroughly redefined, becoming a transitional imperial realm. This impression was enforced by the ensuing pilgrimage by Emperor Kōmei to the Kamo shrine, with the shogun in tow. This public demonstration showed that a new order had now emerged in the realm.[2]
Order to Expel Barbarians
By the time of Emperor Kōmei's death in 1867, the government was faced with bankruptcy and near collapse. In addition, Japan was surrounded by colonial powers, with substantial investments in Japanese trade, who stood poised to gain considerable influence. Precipitated by the signing of the unequal trade treaties with the Western powers, such as the Treaty of Kanagawa and the Harris Treaty, which were signed without Imperial sanction and in spite of the Emperor's refusal to approve it, he twice expressed his will to resign from his position in protest.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...
declined, though this was limited to consultation and other forms of deference according to protocol.
Emperor Kōmei generally agreed with anti-Western sentiment
Anti-Western sentiment
Anti-Western sentiment refers to broad opposition or hostility to the people, policies, or governments in the western world. In many cases the United States, Israël and the United Kingdom are the subject of discussion or hostility...
s, and, breaking with centuries of imperial tradition, began to take an active role in matters of state: as opportunities arose, he fulminated against the treaties and attempted to interfere in the shogunal succession. His efforts culminated in 1863 with his "Order to expel barbarians
Order to expel barbarians
The was an edict issued by the Japanese Emperor Kōmei in 1863 against the Westernization of Japan following the opening of the country by Commodore Perry in 1854.-The order:...
". Although the Shogunate had no intention of enforcing the order, it nevertheless inspired attacks against the Shogunate itself and against foreigners in Japan: the most famous incident was that of the English trader Charles Lennox Richardson
Charles Lennox Richardson
Charles Lennox Richardson was an English merchant based in Shanghai who was killed in Japan during the Namamugi Incident. His name is properly spelled as “Charles Lenox Richardson” according to the census and family documents.-Merchant:Richardson was born in London in 1834. He relocated to...
, for whose death the Tokugawa government had to pay an indemnity of one hundred thousand British pounds. Other attacks included the shelling of Shimonoseki and Kagoshima, and the destruction of Japanese warships, coastal guns and assorted military infrastructure throughout the country. These incidents showed that Japan could not match the military might of the Westerners, and that confrontation could not be the solution. [3]
In January 1867 the emperor was diagnosed with smallpox. This caused surprise because it was said that Kōmei had never been ill before. On 30 January 1867 he suffered a fatally violent bout of vomiting and diarrhea. He had purple spots on his face caused by smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
. It is widely thought that he was assassinated, probably by radicals from Choshu, as he drew closer to the Shogun in mutually seeking to define a way forward for Japan under increasingly challenging circumstances. There are no indications that anyone that he came into contact with before contracting the disease had been infected, so it is thought that a handkerchief or the like contaminated with the virus was transferred to him through some conduit in the court (see footnote on p. 282 of Marius Jansen's "Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Ishin", for example).
After Kōmei's death in 1867, his kami was enshrined in the Imperial mausoleum, , which is 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 mausoleum complex are Kōmei's immediate 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....
, 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
Emperor Higashiyama
was the 113th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Higashiyama's reign spanned the years from 1687 through 1709.-Genealogy:...
, 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....
, 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....
, Kōkaku
Emperor Kokaku
was the 119th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Kōkaku's reign spanned the years from 1780 through 1817.-Genealogy:...
and Ninkō
Emperor Ninko
was the 120th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. Ninkō's reign spanned the years from 1817 through 1846.-Genealogy:Before Ninkō's ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne, his personal name was ....
. Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager
Empress Dowager was the title given to the mother of a Chinese, Korean, Japanese or Vietnamese emperor.The title was also given occasionally to another woman of the same generation, while a woman from the previous generation was sometimes given the title of Grand empress dowager. Numerous empress...
Eishō
Empress Eisho
was the empress consort of Emperor Kōmei of Japan. She is also known under the technically incorrect name .- Early life :As the daughter of Kujō Hisatada, who was a former kampaku, Kujō Asako could anticipate a life unfolding entirely within the ambit of the Imperial court; but she could not have...
is also entombed at this Imperial mausoleum complex.
Emperor Kōmei was the last emperor to be given a posthumous name chosen after his death. Beginning with Emperor Meiji, posthumous names were chosen in advance, being the same as their reign names.
Kugyō
is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the Emperor of Japan in pre-MeijiMeiji 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 Kōmei's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
- Kampaku, Takatsukasa MasamichiTakatsukasa Masamichi, son of regent Masahiro, was a Kugyō or Japanese court noble of the late Edo and the late Tokugawa shogunate periods. He held a regent position kampaku from 1823-1856. In 1856 at the Ansei Purge he was prosecuted and later became a priest. Sukehiro was his son who he had with a daughter of the...
, 1823–1856 - Kampaku, Kujō HisatadaKujo Hisatada, son of Nijō Harutaka, was a kuge or Japanese court noble of the Edo period . He was adopted by his brother Suketsugu as his son. He held a regent position kampaku from 1856 to 1862, and retired in 1863, becoming a priest...
, 1856–1862 - Kampaku, Konoe TadahiroKonoe TadahiroPrince , son of Motosaki, was a kugyō or Japanese court noble of the late Edo period . He held a regent position kampaku from 1862 to 1863. His consort was an adopted daughter of Shimazu Narioki, tenth head of Satsuma Domain. With her he had sons Tadafusa and Atsumaro who was later adopted by...
, 1862–1863 - Kampaku, Takatsukasa SukehiroTakatsukasa Sukehiro, son of regent Masamichi, was a kugyo or Japanese court noble of the late Tokugawa shogunate and early Meiji periods. He held a regent position kampaku in 1863. After his biological son Sukemasa died young, he adopted a son of Kujō Hisatada, Hiromichi. In August 1872 he retired, and in November...
, 1863 - Kampaku, Nijō NariyukiNijo Nariyuki, son of Nijō Narinobu, was a Japanese kugyō of the late Edo period and the early Meiji era. He held regent positions kampaku from 1863 to 1866 and sesshō in 1867. He adopted a son of Kujō Hisatada who became known as Nijō Motohiro. He also had son Nijō Masamaro.-References:...
, 1863–1866 - 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 Kōmei's reign
Emperor Kōmei was the last Japanese Emperor who had more than one era name (nengō) during a single ruling term. Beginning with his successor Meiji, a single era name (identical to the Emperor's official title) was selected and did not change until his death. There were seven nengō during Kōmei's reign.- KōkaKokawas a after Tenpō and before Kaei. This period spanned the years from December 1844 through February 1848. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
(1844–1848) - KaeiKaeiwas a after Kōka and before Ansei. This period spanned the years from February 1848 through November 1854. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
(1848–1854) - AnseiAnseiwas a after Kaei and before Man'en. This period spanned the years from November 1854 through March 1860. The reigning emperor was .- Change of era :...
(1854–1860) - Man'enManenwas a after Ansei and before Bunkyū. This period spanned the years from March 1860 through February 1861. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
(1860–1861) - BunkyūBunkyuwas a after Man'en and before Genji. This period spanned the years from February 1861 through February 1864. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
(1861–1864) - GenjiGenjiwas a after Bunkyū and before Keiō. This period spanned only slightly more than a single year from February 1864 through April 1865. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:...
(1864–1865) - KeiōKeiowas a after Genji and before Meiji. The period spanned the years from April 1865 to September 1868. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
(1865–1868)
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...