was the 60th

emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')
醍醐天皇 (60)
/ref> according to the traditional

order of succession An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.place of burial.

Genealogy

Daigo was the eldest son of his predecessor,

Emperor Uda was the 59th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 宇多天皇 (59)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Uda's reign spanned the years from 887 through 897. Traditional narrative Name and legacy Befo ...

. His mother was Fujiwara no Taneko (or Inshi), daughter of the minister of the center, Fujiwara no Takafuji.Varley, p. 179. He succeeded the throne at the young age after his father, the Emperor Uda, abdicated in 897. His mother died before his ascension, so he was raised by another Uda consort, Fujiwara no Onshi, daughter of the former '' kampaku''

Fujiwara no Mototsune , also known as , was a Japanese statesman, courtier and aristocrat of the early Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Mototsune" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). He was the first '' kampaku'', a regent of an adult ...

. Daigo's grandfather,

Emperor Kōkō was the 58th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 光孝天皇 (58)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Kōkō reigned from 884 to 887. Traditional narrative Before the emperor's ascension to the Chr ...

, had demoted his sons from the rank of imperial royals to that of subjects in order to reduce the state expenses, as well as their political influence; in addition, they were given the family name

Minamoto was one of the surnames bestowed by the Emperors of Japan upon members of the imperial family who were excluded from the line of succession and demoted into the ranks of the nobility from 1192 to 1333. The practice was most prevalent during the ...

. As such, Daigo was not born as a royalty and was named Minamoto no Korezane (源維城) until 887, when Daigo's father, Minamoto no Sadami (formerly Prince Sadami), was once again promoted to the Imperial Prince and the heir to the throne. Afterwards, his personal name (''

imina in modern times consist of a family name (surname) followed by a given name, in that order. Nevertheless, when a Japanese name is written in the Roman alphabet, ever since the Meiji era, the official policy has been to cater to Western expecta ...

'') was changed to or ''Ono-tei'' before his ascension of the

Chrysanthemum Throne The is the throne of the Emperor of Japan. The term also can refer to very specific seating, such as the throne in the Shishin-den at Kyoto Imperial Palace. Various other thrones or seats that are used by the Emperor during official functions, ...

. Daigo had 21 empresses, imperial consorts, and concubines; he had 36 imperial sons and daughters.Brown, p. 293.

Events of Daigo's life

The era name was changed in 898 to mark the beginning of Emperor Daigo's reign. The highlight of Daigo's 34-year reign was that he ruled by himself without the regency of the

Fujiwara Fujiwara (, written: 藤原 lit. "''Wisteria'' field") is a Japanese surname. (In English conversation it is likely to be rendered as .) Notable people with the surname include: ; Families * The Fujiwara clan and its members ** Fujiwara no Kamatari ...

clan, though he himself was part Fujiwara. * August 4, 897 ('' Kanpyō 9, 3rd day of the 7th month ''): In the 10th year of Uda''-tennō''s reign (宇多天皇十年), Emperor Uda abdicated; and his eldest son received the succession ("senso"). * August 14, 897 (''Kanpyō 9, 13th day of the 7th month''): Emperor Daigo formally acceded to the throne (''sokui''). * December 7, 899 ('' Shōtai 2, 1st day of the 11th month''): The sun entered into the winter solstice, and all the great officials of the empire presented themselves in Daigo's court. * February 2, 900 (''Shōtai 3, 3rd day of the 1st month''): Daigo went to visit his father in the place Uda had chosen to live after the abdication. * 900 (''Shōtai 3, 10th month''): The former Emperor Uda traveled to in what is now

Wakayama prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Wakayama Prefecture has a population of 944,320 () and has a geographic area of . Wakayama Prefecture borders Osaka Prefecture to the north, and Mie Prefecture and Nara Prefecture ...

to the south of

Osaka is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...

. He visited the temples on the slopes of the mountain.Titsingh
p. 131.
/ref> * January 23, 901 (''

Engi , also known as Entertainment Graphic Innovation, or Studio ENGI, is a Japanese animation studio founded by Kadokawa, Sammy Corporation, and Ultra Super Pictures, and is a subsidiary of Kadokawa Corporation. History On April 4, 2018, Kadokawa e ...

1, 1st day of the 1st month''): There was an eclipse of the sun. * 901 (''Engi 1, 1st month''): The Sugawara Michizane "incident" developed, but more details cannot be known because Daigo ordered that diaries and records from this period be burned. * 906 (''Engi 5, 4th month''): Ki-no Tsurayuki presented the emperor with the compilation of the ''

Kokin Wakashū The , commonly abbreviated as , is an early anthology of the ''waka'' form of Japanese poetry, dating from the Heian period. An imperial anthology, it was conceived by Emperor Uda () and published by order of his son Emperor Daigo () in about ...

'', a collection of

waka Waka may refer to: Culture and language * Waka (canoe), a Polynesian word for canoe; especially, canoes of the Māori of New Zealand ** Waka ama, a Polynesian outrigger canoe ** Waka hourua, a Polynesian ocean-going canoe ** Waka taua, a Māori w ...

poetry.Titsingh
p. 132.
/ref> * 909 (''Engi 9, 4th month ''): The ''sadaijin'' Fujiwara no Tokihira died at the age of 39. He was honored with the posthumous title of regent. * 929 ('' Enchō 7, 8th month''): Floods devastated the country and many perished.Titsingh
p. 134.
/ref> * July 21, 930 (''Enchō 8, 26th day of the 6th month''): A huge black storm cloud traveled from the slopes of Mt. Atago to

Heian-kyō Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180. Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, mov ...

accompanied by frightful thunder. Lightning struck the Imperial Palace. Both Senior Counselor Fuijwara-no Kiyotsura (also known as Miyoshi no Kiyoyuki) and Middle Controller of the Right Taira-no Mareyo and many other subaltern officers were killed and their bodies were consumed in the subsequent fires. The deaths were construed as an act of revenge by the unsettled spirit of the late Sugawara Michizane. * October 16, 930 (''Enchō 8, 22nd day of the 9th month''): In the 34th year of Daigo''-tennō''s reign (醍醐天皇34年), the emperor fell ill and, fearing that he might not survive, Daigo abdicated. At this point, the succession (''senso'') was said to have been received by his son. Shortly thereafter, Emperor Suzaku is said to have acceded to the throne (''sokui''). * October 23, 930 (''Enchō 8, 29th day of the 9th month''): Emperor Daigo entered the Buddhist priesthood in the very early morning hours. As a monk, he took the Buddhist name Hō-kongō and, shortly thereafter, he died at the age of 46. This monk was buried in the precincts of

Daigo-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Fushimi-ku, Kyoto, Japan. Its main devotion (''honzon'') is Yakushi. ''Daigo'', literally "ghee", is used figuratively to mean "crème de la crème" and is a metaphor of the most profound part of Buddhist though ...

, which is why the former-emperor's posthumous name became Daigo''-tennō''. Daigo also ordered construction of several halls in the

, such as the

Yakushi Bhaiṣajyaguru ( sa, भैषज्यगुरु, zh, t= , ja, 薬師仏, ko, 약사불, bo, སངས་རྒྱས་སྨན་བླ), or ''Bhaishajyaguru'', formally Bhaiṣajya-guru-vaiḍūrya-prabhā-rāja ("Medicine Master ...

hall. The actual site of Daigo's

grave A grave is a location where a dead body (typically that of a human, although sometimes that of an animal) is buried or interred after a funeral. Graves are usually located in special areas set aside for the purpose of burial, such as grave ...

is known. This emperor is traditionally venerated at a

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of a ...

Shinto Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...

shrine A shrine ( la, scrinium "case or chest for books or papers"; Old French: ''escrin'' "box or case") is a sacred or holy sacred space, space dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor worship, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, Daemon (mythology), daem ...

(''misasagi'') at Kyoto. The Imperial Household Agency designates this location as Daigo's

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...

. It is formally named ''Nochi no Yamashina no misasagi'' in

Fushimi-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven Wards of Kyoto, wards in the Municipalities of Japan, city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. Famous places in Fushimi include the Fushimi Inari Jinja (shrine), Shrine, with thousands of torii lining the paths up and down ...

Kugyō

is a collective term for the very few most powerful men attached to the court of the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...

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 have brought them to the pinnacle of a life's career. During Daigo's reign, this apex of the ''

Daijō-kan The , also known as the Great Council of State, was (i) (''Daijō-kan'') the highest organ of Japan's premodern Imperial government under the Ritsuryō legal system during and after the Nara period or (ii) (''Dajō-kan'') the highest organ of Jap ...

'' included: * '' Sesshō'',

Fujiwara no Tokihira was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Tokihira" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). Career Tokihira was a minister under Emperor Daigo. * 891 ('' Kanpy� ...

(藤原時平), 909. * ''

Sadaijin The ''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Kenkyusha Limited, 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 ini ...

'', Fujiwara no Tokihira 871–909.Brown, p. 291. * ''Sadaijin'',

Fujiwara no Tadahira was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Tadahira" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). He is also known as ''Teishin-Kō'' (貞信公) or ''Ko-ichijō Dono'' ( ...

(藤原忠平), 880–949. * ''

Udaijin 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 administr ...

'',

Sugawara no Michizane was a scholar, poet, and politician of the Heian Period of Japan. He is regarded as an excellent poet, particularly in Kanshi poetry, and is today revered in Shinto as the god of learning, . In the poem anthology '' Hyakunin Isshu'', he is know ...

(菅原道真), 845–901. * ''Udaijin'', Minamoto no Hikaru (源光), 845–913. * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Tadahira. * ''Udaijin'', Fujiwara no Sadakata (藤原定方), 873–932. * ''

Naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese imperial court, Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre-Meiji period, Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remain ...

'', Fujiwara no Takafuji (藤原高藤), 838–900. * ''

Dainagon was 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.Nussbaum, "Dainag ...

Eras of Daigo's reign

The years of Daigo's reign are more specifically identified by more than one

era name A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin ''regnum'' meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year o ...

or ''

nengō The , also known as , is the first of the two elements that identify years in the Japanese era calendar scheme. The second element is a number which indicates the year number within the era (with the first year being ""), followed by the literal ...

''.Titsingh
p. 129.
/ref> * '' Kanpyō'' (889–898) * '' Shōtai'' (898–901) * ''

'' (901–923) * '' Enchō'' (923–931)

Consorts and children

Empress An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereignty, sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), ...

(Chūgū): Fujiwara no Onshi (藤原穏子), Kampaku

’s daughter *Second son: Imperial Prince Yasuakira (保明親王; 903–923), Emperor Daigo's crown prince, called ''Bunkengentaishi'' (文献彦太子) *Fourteenth daughter: Imperial Princess ''Koushi'' (康子内親王; 919–957), married to

Fujiwara no Morosuke , also known as Kujō-dono or Bōjō-udaijin, was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the middle Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Nakahira" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). Considered a learne ...

*Fourteenth son: Imperial Prince Hirokira (also known as Yutaakira 寛明親王) later

Emperor Suzaku was the 61st emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 朱雀天皇 (61)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Suzaku's reign spanned the years from 930 through 946. Biography Before his ascension of the Chrys ...

*Sixteenth son: Imperial Prince Nariakira (成明親王) later

Emperor Murakami was the 62nd emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 村上天皇 (62)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Murakami's reign spanned the years from 946 to his death in 967. Biography Before he ascended to ...

Consort ( ''Hi''): Imperial Princess ''Ishi'' (為子内親王) (d.899),

’s daughter *First Daughter: Imperial Princess ''Kanshi'' (勧子内親王; 899–910) Consort ( ''Nyōgo''): Minamoto no ''Washi'' (源和子; d.947),

’s daughter *Fourth daughter: Imperial Princess ''Keishi'' (慶子内親王; 903–923), married Imperial Prince Atsukata (Emperor Uda's son) *Fifth Son: Imperial Prince Tsuneakira (常明親王; 906–944) *Sixth son: Imperial Prince Noriakira (式明親王; 907–966) *Seventh son: Imperial Prince Ariakira (有明親王; 910–961) *Thirteenth daughter: Imperial Princess ''Shōshi'' (韶子内親王; 918–980), 13th Saiin in Kamo Shrine 921–930; later, married Minamoto no Kiyokage *Seventeenth daughter: Imperial Princess ''Seishi''/Tadako (斉子内親王; 921–936), 27th Saiō in

Ise Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Officially known simply as , Ise Jingū is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, and . The Inner ...

936, but she didn't go to Ise because of her death. Consort ( ''Nyōgo''): Fujiwara no ''Nōshi'' (藤原能子; d.964),

Fujiwara no Sadakata , also known as the , was a Japanese poet and courtier. The poet Fujiwara no Kanesuke was his cousin and son-in-law and his son Asatada was also a poet. He was appointed as Udajin of the Third Ward and we see him in storied from the Tales of Ya ...

’s daughter; later married to

Fujiwara no Saneyori , also known as ''Onomiya-dono'', was a Japanese statesman, courtier and politician during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Saneyori" in ; Brinkley, Frank ''et al.'' (1915). Career He was a minister during the ...

Consort ( ''Nyōgo''): Court Lady Fujiwara no Wakako (藤原和香子, d.935),

Fujiwara no Sadakuni's daughter Court Attendant ( ''Koui''): Minamoto no ''Fūshi''/Kaneko (源封子), Ukyōdaibu Minamoto no Motomi's daughter *Second Daughter: Imperial Princess Nobuko/Senshi (宣子内親王; 902–920), 12th Saiin in Kamo Shrine 915–920 *First Son: Imperial Prince Yoshiakira (克明親王; 903–927), father of the musician

Minamoto no Hiromasa was a nobleman and gagaku musician in the Heian period. He was the eldest son of Prince Katsuakira and the grandson of Emperor Daigo. His mother was the daughter of Fujiwara no Tokihira. Career Because the highest rank he achieved was Provis ...

*Twelfth Daughter: Imperial Princess ''Seishi'' (靖子内親王; 915–950), removed from the Imperial Family by receiving the family name from Emperor (''Shisei Kōka'', 賜姓降下) in 921; later, Imperial Princess in 930. married to Fujiwara no Morouji Court Attendant ( ''Koui''): Fujiwara no ''Senshi'' (藤原鮮子; d.915), Iyonosuke (伊予介) Fujiwara no Tsuranaga's daughter *Third Daughter: Imperial Princess Takako/''Kyōshi'' (恭子内親王, 902–915), 11th Saiin in Kamo Shrine 903–915 *Third son: Imperial Prince Yoakira (代明親王; 904–937) *Sixth Daughter: Imperial Princess Yoshiko/''Enshi'' (婉子内親王; 904–969), 14th Saiin in Kamo Shrine 932–967 *Ninth Daughter: Imperial Princess Toshiko (敏子内親王; b.906) Court Attendant ( ''Koui''): Minamoto no Noboru's daughter *Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Shigeakira (重明親王; 906–954), author of the Ribuōki (吏部王記) Court Attendant ( ''Koui''): Minamoto no Chikako (源周子; d.935), Sadaiben Minamoto no Tonau's daughter *Fifth Daughter: Imperial Princess ''Kinshi'' (勤子内親王; 904–938), married to

*Seventh Daughter: Imperial Princess Miyako (都子内親王; 905–981) *Tenth Daughter: Imperial Princess Masako/Gashi (雅子内親王; 909–954), 26th Saiō in

932–936; later, married to

*Eighth Son: Imperial Prince Tokiakira (時明親王; 912–927) *Twelfth Son: Minamoto no Takaakira (源高明; 914–982), also called Nishinomiya (西宮)

*Daughter: Minamoto no ''Kenshi'' (源兼子; 915–949), removed from the Imperial Family by receiving the family name from Emperor (''Shisei Kōka'', 賜姓降下) in 921 *Eighteenth son: : Imperial Prince Moriakira (盛明親王; 928–986), given the family name 'Minamoto' from Emperor (''Shisei Kōka'', 賜姓降下); later, Imperial Prince in 967. Court Attendant ( ''Koui''): Princess ''Manshi'' (満子女王; d.920), Prince Sukemi's daughter *Eighth daughter: Imperial Princess ''Shūshi'' (修子内親王; d.933), married to Imperial

Prince Motoyoshi Prince Motoyoshi (元良親王, ''Motoyoshi shinnō'', 890-July 26, 943) was a poet and nobleman of the Heian period. One of his poems is included in the ''Ogura Hyakunin Isshu'' as number 20 in the anthology. Twenty of his poems were included in ...

*Eleventh daughter: Imperial Princess ''Fushi'' (普子内親王; 910–947), married to Minamoto no Kiyohira, later to Fujiwara no Toshitsura Court Attendant ( ''Koui''): Fujiwara no Yoshihime (藤原淑姫; d.948), Sangi Fujiwara no Sugane's daughter *Eleventh Son: Imperial Prince Kaneakira (兼明親王; 914–987), also called ''saki no chūshoō'' (前中書王). Chūshoō means Nakatsukasa-kyō (中務卿). *Son: Minamoto no Yoriakira (源自明; 911–958) *Ninth Son: Imperial Prince Nagaakira (長明親王; 913–953) *Sixteenth Daughter: Imperial Princess Hideko/Eishi (英子内親王; 921–946), 29th Saiō in

946, but she didn't go to Ise because of her death. Court Attendant ( ''Koui''): Fujiwara no Kuwako (藤原桑子),

Chūnagon was a counselor of the second rank in the Imperial court of Japan. The role dates from the 7th century. The role was eliminated from the Imperial hierarchy in 701, but it was re-established in 705. This advisory position remained a part of the I ...

Fujiwara no Kanesuke , also known as the , was a middle Heian-period '' waka'' poet and Japanese nobleman. He is designated as a member of the Thirty-six Poetry Immortals. His great-granddaughter was Murasaki Shikibu, author of the well-known monogatari the ''Tale ...

’s daughter *Thirteenth Son: Imperial Prince Akiakira (章明親王; 924–990) Court Attendant ( ''Koui''): Chūjō-Koui (中将更衣), Fujiwara no Korehira's daughter *Minamoto no Tameakira (源為明; 927–961) Court Attendant ( ''Koui''): Minamoto no Toshimi's daughter *Minamoto no Nobuakira (源允明; 919–942) Court Attendant ( ''Koui''): Minamoto Kiyoko (源清子) Court Attendant ( ''Koui''): Fujiwara Doshi (藤原同子) Court Attendant ( ''Koui''): Minamoto Haruko (源暖子) Unknown *Minamoto no ''Genshi'' (源厳子; b.916)

Ancestry

Notes

References

* Brown, Delmer M. and Ichirō Ishida, eds. (1979)
''Gukanshō: The Future and the Past.''
Berkeley: University of California Press.
OCLC 251325323
* Ponsonby-Fane, Richard Arthur Brabazon. (1959)
''The Imperial House of Japan.''
Kyoto: Ponsonby Memorial Society
OCLC 194887
* Titsingh, Isaac. (1834). ''

Nihon Odai Ichiran Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

''; ou
''Annales des empereurs du Japon.''
Paris: Royal Asiatic Society, Oriental Translation Fund of Great Britain and Ireland
OCLC 5850691
* Varley, H. Paul. (1980)
''Jinnō Shōtōki: A Chronicle of Gods and Sovereigns.''
New York: Columbia University Press.
OCLC 59145842

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Daigo Japanese emperors 885 births 930 deaths 10th-century rulers in Asia 9th-century rulers in Asia 9th-century Japanese monarchs 10th-century Japanese monarchs Japanese retired emperors Heian period Buddhist clergy People from Kyoto