Empress Go-Sakuramachi
Encyclopedia
was the 117th emperor
of Japan
, according to the traditional order of succession.
Go-Sakuramachi's reign spanned the years from 1762 through 1771.
This 18th century sovereign was named after her father Emperor Sakuramachi
and go- (後), translates literally as "later;" and thus, she could be called the "Later Sakuramachi". The Japanese word "go" has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this empress might be identified as "Sakuramachi, the second" or as "Sakuramachi II".
In the history of Japan
, Go-Sakuramachi was the last of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The seven female monarchs who reigned before Go-Sakuramachi were (a) Suiko
, (b) Kōgyoku
/Saimei, (c) Jitō
, (d)Gemmei
, (e) Genshō
, (f) Kōken
/Shōtoku, and (g) Meishō
.
, her personal name (imina) was ; and her initial pre-accession title was and later .
She was the second daughter of Emperor Sakuramachi
. Her mother was Nijō Ieko (二条 舎子). Her older sister died young, and her younger brother was Emperor Momozono
. The empress and her emperor brother were the last lineal descendants of Emperor Nakamikado
.
Empress Go-Sakuramachi's Imperial family lived with her in the Dairi
of the Heian Palace
.
abdicated in favor of his sister. Momozono's son, Prince Hidehito (later to be known as Emperor Go-Momozono
) was only 5 years old at this time. Hidehito's empress aunt was expected to occupy the throne until her nephew would be able to take on the burden of responsibility.
Go-Momozono's reign did not last long, ending in 1779 when Go-Momozono died without leaving a son. When her nephew was dying, the then-retired (Daijo Tenno) Go-Sakuramachi consulted with the senior courtiers and imperial guards, planning to accept Prince Fushimi-no-miya as an adopted son, but they eventually decided on Prince Morohito (師仁), sixth son of Prince Kan'in-no-miya Sukehito (閑院宮典仁), who was supported by the emperor's chief advisor (Kampaku). Prince Morohito, hastily adopted by Go-Momozono at deathbed, became Emperor Kōkaku
.
After the throne had switched to that branch of the imperial line, Go-Sakuramachi, in her role as Retired Emperor, came to be referred to as the Guardian of the Young Lord (Emperor Kōkaku). In this role, in 1789, during a scandal involving an honorary title, she admonished the Emperor.
, who was followed on the throne by her daughter, Empress Genshō
, remains the sole exception to this conventional argument.
The empress is credited with creating a book called . The work consists of poems, Imperial letters and Imperial chronicles.
Go-Sakuramachi's kami
is enshrined in the Imperial mausoleum (misasagi), Tsukinowa no misasagi, at Sennyū-ji
in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto
. Also enshrined in this location are this empress's immediate Imperial predecessors since Emperor Go-Mizunoo
-- Meishō
, Go-Kōmyō
, Go-Sai
, Reigen
, Higashiyama
, Nakamikado
, Sakuramachi
and Momozono
, along with her four immediate successors -- Go-Momozono
, Kōkaku
, Ninkō
, and Kōmei
.
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-Sakuramachi's reign, this apex of the Daijō-kan included:
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.
Go-Sakuramachi's reign spanned the years from 1762 through 1771.
This 18th century sovereign was named after her father Emperor 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:...
and go- (後), translates literally as "later;" and thus, she could be called the "Later Sakuramachi". The Japanese word "go" has also been translated to mean the "second one;" and in some older sources, this empress might be identified as "Sakuramachi, the second" or as "Sakuramachi II".
In the history of Japan
History of Japan
The history of Japan encompasses the history of the islands of Japan and the Japanese people, spanning the ancient history of the region to the modern history of Japan as a nation state. Following the last ice age, around 12,000 BC, the rich ecosystem of the Japanese Archipelago fostered human...
, Go-Sakuramachi was the last of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The seven female monarchs who reigned before Go-Sakuramachi were (a) Suiko
Empress Suiko
was the 33rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Suiko's reign spanned the years from 593 until her death in 628....
, (b) Kōgyoku
Empress Kogyoku
, also known as , was the 35th and 37th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Kōgyoku's reign spanned the years from 642-645. Her reign as Saimei encompassed 655-661...
/Saimei, (c) Jitō
Empress Jito
was the 41st emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Jitō's reign spanned the years from 686 through 697.In the history of Japan, Jitō was the third of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The two female monarchs before Jitō were Suiko and Kōgyoku/Saimei...
, (d)Gemmei
Empress Gemmei
, also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Gemmei's reign spanned the years 707 through 715....
, (e) Genshō
Empress Gensho
was the 44th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Genshō's reign spanned the years 715 through 724.In the history of Japan, Genshō was the fifth of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The four female monarchs before Genshō were: Suiko, Kōgyoku/Saimei,...
, (f) Kōken
Empress Koken
, also known as , was the 46th and the 48th emperor of Japan respectively, according to the traditional order of succession. Empress Kōken first reigned from 749 to 758, then she reascended the throne as Empress Shōtoku from 765 until her death in 770....
/Shōtoku, and (g) 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, ...
.
Genealogy
Before Go-Sakuramachi'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....
, her personal name (imina) was ; and her initial pre-accession title was and later .
She was the second daughter of Emperor 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:...
. Her mother was Nijō Ieko (二条 舎子). Her older sister died young, and her younger brother was Emperor 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:...
. The empress and her emperor brother were the last lineal descendants of Emperor 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:...
.
Empress Go-Sakuramachi's Imperial family lived with her 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...
.
Events of Go-Sakuramachi's life
Princess Toshiko acceded to the throne when Emperor MomozonoEmperor 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:...
abdicated in favor of his sister. Momozono's son, Prince Hidehito (later to be known as Emperor 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....
) was only 5 years old at this time. Hidehito's empress aunt was expected to occupy the throne until her nephew would be able to take on the burden of responsibility.
- September 23, 1740: Princess Toshiko was born into the Imperial family.
- September 15, 1762 (Hōreki 12): The Emperor MomozonoEmperor Momozonowas 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:...
abdicated in favor of his sister; and her years as empress regnant began.
- 1763 (Hōreki 13): A merchant association handling Korean ginseng is founded in the Kanda district of 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...
.
- 1765 (Meiwa 2): Five-momme coin issued.
- 1766 (Meiwa 3): The Meiwa incident involved planning and other activities which were intened to displace the Shogunate with restored Imperial powers; but the attempt was thwarted.
- 1768 (Meiwa 5): Five-momme usage halted.
- 1770 (Meiwa 7): A typhoon flattened the newly built Imperial Palace in Kyoto.
- 1770 (Meiwa 7): A great comet (Lexell's CometLexell's CometD/1770 L1, popularly known as Lexell's Comet after its orbit computer Anders Johan Lexell, was a comet discovered by astronomer Charles Messier in June 1770. It is notable for having passed closer to the Earth than any other comet in recorded history, approaching to a distance of only...
) with a very long tail lit up the night skies throughout the summer and autumn.
- 1770 (Meiwa 7): Although no one could have known it at the time, this was the first of 15 consecutive years of drought in Japan.
- January 9, 1771: In the ninth year of her reign, the empress abdicated in favor of her nephew; and her reign came to an end.
Go-Momozono's reign did not last long, ending in 1779 when Go-Momozono died without leaving a son. When her nephew was dying, the then-retired (Daijo Tenno) Go-Sakuramachi consulted with the senior courtiers and imperial guards, planning to accept Prince Fushimi-no-miya as an adopted son, but they eventually decided on Prince Morohito (師仁), sixth son of Prince Kan'in-no-miya Sukehito (閑院宮典仁), who was supported by the emperor's chief advisor (Kampaku). Prince Morohito, hastily adopted by Go-Momozono at deathbed, became Emperor 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:...
.
After the throne had switched to that branch of the imperial line, Go-Sakuramachi, in her role as Retired Emperor, came to be referred to as the Guardian of the Young Lord (Emperor Kōkaku). In this role, in 1789, during a scandal involving an honorary title, she admonished the Emperor.
Legacy
Although there were seven other reigning empresses, their successors were most often selected from amongst the males of the paternal Imperial bloodline, which is why some conservative scholars argue that the women's reigns were temporary and that male-only succession tradition must be maintained in the 21st century. Empress GemmeiEmpress Gemmei
, also known as Empress Genmyō, was the 43rd emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Gemmei's reign spanned the years 707 through 715....
, who was followed on the throne by her daughter, Empress Genshō
Empress Gensho
was the 44th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession.Genshō's reign spanned the years 715 through 724.In the history of Japan, Genshō was the fifth of eight women to take on the role of empress regnant. The four female monarchs before Genshō were: Suiko, Kōgyoku/Saimei,...
, remains the sole exception to this conventional argument.
The empress is credited with creating a book called . The work consists of poems, Imperial letters and Imperial chronicles.
- December 24, 1813: The former empress died at the age of 73.
Go-Sakuramachi's 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...
is enshrined in the Imperial mausoleum (misasagi), 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 empress'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....
, 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:...
and 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:...
, along with her four immediate successors -- 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:...
, 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 Kōmei
Emperor Komei
was the 121st emperor of Japan, 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 Throne, his personal name was ;, his title was ....
.
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-Sakuramachi'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 Go-Sakuramachi's reign
The years of Go-Sakuramachi's reign are more specifically identified by more than one era name or nengō.- HōrekiHorekiwas a after Kan'en and before Meiwa. The period spanned the years from October 1751 through June 1764. The reigning emperor and emperess were and .-Change of era:...
(1751–1764) - MeiwaMeiwawas a after Hōreki and before An'ei. This period spanned the years from June 1764 through November 1772. The reigning empress and emperor were and .-Change of era:...
(1764–1772)
See also
- Japanese empressesJapanese empressesIn Japan, empress may refer to either or .- Empresses regnant :There were eight female imperial reigns in Japan's early history between 593 and 770, and two more in the early modern period...
- 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...
- Modern system of ranked Shinto ShrinesModern system of ranked Shinto ShrinesThe The The (sometimes called simply , was an organizational aspect of the establishment of Japanese State Shinto. This system classified Shinto shrines as either official government shrines or "other" shrines...