Emperor Takakura
Encyclopedia
Emperor Takakura (September 20, 1161 – January 30, 1181) was the 80th emperor
of Japan
, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180.
, his personal name (his imina) was Norihito-shinnō (憲仁親王). He was also known as Nobuhito-shinnō.
Takakura was the fourth son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa
, and thus uncle to his predecessor, Emperor Rokujō
. His mother was Empress Dowager Taira no Shigeko, the younger sister of Taira no Tokiko, the wife of Taira no Kiyomori
. His empress consort was Taira no Tokuko
(later Empress Dowager Kenrei), the daughter of Taira no Kiyomori, and thus his first cousin (as his mother and Tokuko's mothers were sisters).
Takakura had his own views on the role of Emperor. He is said to have written:
The ex-Emperor Go-Shirakawa, who was the Emperor's father, exercised the powers attendant the well-settled patterns of cloistered rule
. Taira no Kiyomori
, who was the father of the Empress, did whatever he pleased as de facto
Regent.
Soon after the birth of Takakura's son, Tokihito-shinnō, the Emperor was pressured to abdicate in favor of that newborn son. The one-year-old infant would become Emperor Antoku
.
in pre-Meiji
eras.
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 Takakura'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...
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. His reign spanned the years from 1168 through 1180.
Genealogy
Before his 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 (his imina) was Norihito-shinnō (憲仁親王). He was also known as Nobuhito-shinnō.
Takakura was the fourth son of Emperor Go-Shirakawa
Emperor Go-Shirakawa
Emperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...
, and thus uncle to his predecessor, Emperor Rokujō
Emperor Rokujo
Emperor Rokujō was the 79th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1165 through 1168.-Genealogy:...
. His mother was Empress Dowager Taira no Shigeko, the younger sister of Taira no Tokiko, the wife of Taira no Kiyomori
Taira no Kiyomori
was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.After the death of his father Taira no Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he...
. His empress consort was Taira no Tokuko
Taira no Tokuko
For the asteroid, see 5242 Kenreimonin, later known as , was the last Heike Imperial survivor from the modest vessel carrying the emperor in the great naval battle of Dan-no-ura....
(later Empress Dowager Kenrei), the daughter of Taira no Kiyomori, and thus his first cousin (as his mother and Tokuko's mothers were sisters).
- Empress consort: Taira no Tokuko (平徳子) - later Kenrei-mon In
- Imperial Prince Tokihito (言仁親王) - later Emperor AntokuEmperor AntokuEmperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans...
- Imperial Prince Tokihito (言仁親王) - later Emperor Antoku
- Shichijō-in (七条院), Bōmon Shokushi [or Fujiwara no Shokushi] (坊門殖子, 藤原殖子)
- Second son: Imperial Prince Morisada (守貞親王) - later Go-Takakura In (後高倉院)
- Third son of Prince Morisada: Imperial Prince Toyohito (茂仁親王) - later Emperor Go-HorikawaEmperor Go-Horikawawas the 86th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. This reign spanned the years from 1221 through 1232....
- Third son of Prince Morisada: Imperial Prince Toyohito (茂仁親王) - later Emperor Go-Horikawa
- Fourth son: Imperial Prince Takahira (尊成親王) - later Emperor Go-TobaEmperor Go-Tobawas the 82nd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1183 through 1198....
- Second son: Imperial Prince Morisada (守貞親王) - later Go-Takakura In (後高倉院)
- Lady of Rokujō (六条局), Konoe Michiko/Tsūshi (近衛通子)
- Court Lady Azechi? (按察典侍), Horikawa Toyoko? (堀河豊子)
- Third daughter: Imperial Princess Kiyoko (潔子内親王) - SaigūSaiku, also known as "Itsukinomiya" , was a village located approximately 10 kilometers north-west of Ise Shrine, arguably the most significant Shinto shrine in Japan...
of IseIse Shrineis a Shinto shrine dedicated to goddess Amaterasu-ōmikami, located in the city of Ise in Mie prefecture, Japan. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is in fact a shrine complex composed of a large number of Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and ....
- Third daughter: Imperial Princess Kiyoko (潔子内親王) - Saigū
- Court Lady Shōshō (少将内侍), Taira no Noriko (平範子)
- Third son: Imperial Prince Koreaki (惟明親王) (1172–1121), later Imperial Prince and Monk Shōen (聖円入道親王)
- Lady of Sochi (帥局), daughter of Fujiwara no Kimishige (藤原公重) - former nanny of Takakura
- First daughter: Imperial Princess Isako (功子内親王) - Saigū of Ise
- Lady of Kogō (小督局), daughter of Fujiwara no Shigenori (藤原成範)
- Second daughter: Imperial Princess Hanshi/Noriko (範子内親王), Empress Dowager Bō (坊門院)
Events of Takakura's life
Although Takakura is formally enthroned, the reality of his circumstances was that government affairs were controlled by the Emperor's father and his father-in-law.- 1168 (Nin'anNin'an, also known as Ninnan, was a after Eiman and before Kaō. This period spanned the years from August 1166 through April 1169. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
3, 19th day of the 2nd month): In the 3rd year of Rokujō-tennō 's reign (六条天皇3年), the emperor was deposed by his grandfather, and the succession (‘‘senso’’) was received by his cousin, the third son of the retired-Emperor Go-Shirakawa. - 1168 (Nin'an 3, 19th day of the 2nd month): Emperor Takakura is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’), and he is proclaimed emperor.
Takakura had his own views on the role of Emperor. He is said to have written:
- "The Emperor is a ship. His subjects are water. The water enables a ship to float well, but sometimes the vessel is capsized by it. His subjects can sustain an Emperor well, but sometimes they overthrow him."
The ex-Emperor Go-Shirakawa, who was the Emperor's father, exercised the powers attendant the well-settled patterns of cloistered rule
Cloistered rule
The Insei system , or cloistered rule, was a specific form of government in Japan during the Heian period. In this bifurcated system, an Emperor abdicated, but he retained power and influence. The emperors who withdrew to live in monasteries continued to act in ways which were intended to...
. Taira no Kiyomori
Taira no Kiyomori
was a general of the late Heian period of Japan. He established the first samurai-dominated administrative government in the history of Japan.After the death of his father Taira no Tadamori in 1153, Kiyomori assumed control of the Taira clan and ambitiously entered the political realm in which he...
, who was the father of the Empress, did whatever he pleased as de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
Regent.
- 1172 (JōanJoan (era)was a after Kaō and before Angen. This period spanned the years from April 1171 through July 1175. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1171 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events...
2, 10th day of the 2nd month): Taira Kiyomori’s daughter, Tokuko, becomes Emperor Takakura’s consort.
- May 27, 1177 (JishōJishowas a after Angen and before Yōwa. This period spanned the years from August 1177 through July 1181. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* 1177 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...
1, 28th day of the 4th month): A great fire in the capital was spread by high winds; and the palace was reduced to cinders.
- 1178 (Jishō 2, 12th day of the 11th month): Takakura's consort, Taira-no Tokuko, gave birth to a son. Kiyuomori, the father of the Empress, rejoiced; and all the officers of the court congratulated the parents. In the next month, this infant was declared heir to Emperor Takakura.
- 1180 (Jisho 4, 21st day of the 2nd month): Emperor Takakura abdicates.
- 1180 (Jisho 4, 22nd day of the 4th month): Emperor Antoku’s cornonation ceremony.
- 1180 (Jisho 4, 2nd day of the 6th month): Former-emperor Go-ShirakawaEmperor Go-ShirakawaEmperor Go-Shirakawa was the 77th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession...
-in, former-emperor Takakura-in and Emperor Antoku leave 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:...
for Fukuhara. - 1180 (Jisho 4, 26th day of the 11th month): The capital is moved back to Kyoto from Fukuhara.
- 1180 (Jisho 4): A devastating whirlwind causes havoc in Heian-kyoHeian-kyoHeian-kyō , was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180....
, the capital. - 1181 (Jisho 5, 14th day of the 1st month): Emperor Takakura dies.
Soon after the birth of Takakura's son, Tokihito-shinnō, the Emperor was pressured to abdicate in favor of that newborn son. The one-year-old infant would become Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku
Emperor Antoku was the 81st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession. His reign spanned the years from 1180 through 1185. During this time, the imperial family was involved in a bitter struggle between warring clans...
.
Kugyō
Kugyō (公卿) 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.
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 Takakura's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
- Sesshō, Matsu Motofusa, 1144–1230.
- Kampaku, Konoe MotomichiKonoe Motomichiwas a Kugyō from the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period. His father was Motozane, the founder of Konoe family, and his mother was a daughter of Tadataka. Among his sons is Iezane....
, 1160–1233. - Daijō-daijin, Fujiwara Tadamasa.
- Daijō-daijin, Fujiwara Moronaga, 1137–1192.
- 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...
, Ōimikado Tsunemune, 1119–1189. - 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...
, Kujō Kanezane, 1149–1207. - Nadaijin, Konoe MotomichiKonoe Motomichiwas a Kugyō from the late Heian period to the early Kamakura period. His father was Motozane, the founder of Konoe family, and his mother was a daughter of Tadataka. Among his sons is Iezane....
. - Nadaijin, Minamoto Masamichi, died 1175.
- Nadaijin, Taira Shigemori, 1138–1179.
- 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 Takakura's reign
The years of Takakura's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.- Nin'anNin'an, also known as Ninnan, was a after Eiman and before Kaō. This period spanned the years from August 1166 through April 1169. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:...
(1166–1169) - KaōKao (era)was a after Nin'an and before Jōan. This period spanned the years from April 1169 through April 1171. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* January 30, 1169 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events...
(1169–1171) - JōanJoan (era)was a after Kaō and before Angen. This period spanned the years from April 1171 through July 1175. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1171 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events...
(1171–1175) - AngenAngenwas a after Jōan and before Jishō. This period spanned the years from July 1175 through August 1177. The reigning emperor was .-Change of era:* 1175 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events...
(1175–1177) - JishōJishowas a after Angen and before Yōwa. This period spanned the years from August 1177 through July 1181. The reigning emperors were and .-Change of era:* 1177 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events...
(1177–1181)