was the 64th

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 The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial Family, and also the keeping of the Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century AD, up until the Second World War, it ...

(''Kunaichō'')
円融天皇 (64)
/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.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, ...

, 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 Morihira''-shinnō''. Morihira''-shinnō'' was the fifth son of

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 ...

by the empress consort ''Anshi'', the daughter of

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 ...

, therefore the brother of

Emperor Reizei was the 63rd emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 冷泉天皇 (63)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Reizei's reign spanned the years from 967 through 969, ending with his abdication and retirement. ...

. In 967, Morihira''-shinnō'' was appointed as the crown prince, bypassing his elder brother by the same mother, since his brother had no support from the

Fujiwara clan was a powerful family of imperial regents in Japan, descending from the Nakatomi clan and, as legend held, through them their ancestral god Ame-no-Koyane. The Fujiwara prospered since the ancient times and dominated the imperial court until th ...

. En'yū had five Empresses or Imperial consorts and one Imperial son.Brown, p. 300.

Events of En'yū's life

* 27 September 969 (''

Anna Anna may refer to: People Surname and given name * Anna (name) Mononym * Anna the Prophetess, in the Gospel of Luke * Anna (wife of Artabasdos) (fl. 715–773) * Anna (daughter of Boris I) (9th–10th century) * Anna (Anisia) (fl. 1218 to 12 ...

2, 13th day of the 8th month''): In the 3rd year of Emperor Reizei's reign (冷泉天皇三年), he abdicated; and the succession (''senso'') was received by a younger brother. * 5 November 969 (''Anna 2, 23rd day of the 9th month''): Emperor En'yu is said to have acceded to the throne (‘‘sokui’’). * 8 June 976 (''

Ten'en was a after ''Tenroku'' and before '' Jōgen.'' This period spanned the years from December 973 through July 976. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * February 6, 973 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events ...

2, 11th day of the 5th month''): The Imperial Palace burned down; and the Sacred Mirror was blackened to such an extent that it reflected no light. * 31 December 980 ('' Tengen 3, 22nd day of the 11th month''): The Imperial Palace burned down; and the Sacred Mirror was half destroyed. * 5 December 982 (''Tengen 5, 17th day of the 11th month''): The Imperial Palace burned down; and the Sacred Mirror was reduced to a lump of melted metal which was collected and presented to the emperor. In his reign there was a severe struggle between the Fujiwara clan over who would be appointed '' kampaku''. Emperor En'yū followed his mother's advice and favored

Fujiwara no Kanemichi , also known as Horikawa-dono and Tōtōmi-kō, 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 Kanemichi served ...

, his maternal uncle. He had only one son, later the emperor

Emperor Ichijō was the 66th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 一条天皇 (66)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Ichijō's reign spanned the years from 986 to 1011. Biography Before he ascended to the Chrysanthem ...

by Senshi, a daughter of his uncle

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

,Titisingh
p. 146.
/ref> who was another brother of his mother. He made the daughter of Kanemichi the empress consort, though she bore no children. Senshi and her father Kaneie were angry at this elevation of their rival and were absent from the court for a long time, staying at the mansion of Kaneie with the child. Imperial processions to the Hachiman and Hirano Shrines were first made during the reign of Emperor En'yū. * 24 September 984 (''

Eikan was a after '' Tengen'' and before '' Kanna.'' This period spanned the years from April 983 through April 985. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * February 16, 983 ]: The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of ...

2, 27th of the 8th month''): The emperor abdicated at age 26. * 16 September 985 ('' Kanna (era), Kanna 1, 29th of the 8th month''): The former-Emperor En'yū took the tonsure, becoming a Buddhist priest and taking the name of Kongō Hō. * 1 March 991 (''

Shōryaku was a after '' Eiso'' and before ''Chōtoku.'' This period spanned the years from November 990 through February 995. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 990 : The new era name was created to mark an event or a number of events. The pre ...

2, 12th of the 2nd month''): En'yū, now known as Kongō Hō, died at age 32. The actual site of En'yū'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 shrine A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more ''kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion. Overview Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings. The '' honden''Also called (本殿, meani ...

(''misasagi'') at Kyoto. The

designates this location as En'yū'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 Mukarami no misasagi''.

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 En'yū'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: * '' Kampaku'', Ōno-no-miya

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 ...

(藤原実頼), 900–970.Brown, p. 299. * ''Kampaku'',

Fujiwara no Yoritada Fujiwara no Yoritada (藤原頼忠; 924 – 31 July 989), the second son of Saneyori, was a kugyo (high-ranked Japanese noble) who served as regent for Emperor En'yū and Emperor Kazan. His mother was a daughter of Fujiwara no Tokihira. His eld ...

(藤原頼忠), 924–989. * ''

Daijō-daijin The was the head of the ''Daijō-kan'' (Great Council of State) during and after the Nara period and briefly under the Meiji Constitution. Equivalent to the Chinese (Grand Preceptor). History Emperor Tenji's favorite son, Prince Ōtomo, wa ...

'',

. * ''Daijō-daijin'',

Fujiwara no Koretada Fujiwara no Koretada/Koremasa (藤原伊尹; 924 – December 9, 972), also known as Ichijō Sesshō, was a Japanese statesman, courtier, politician and waka-poet during the Heian period.Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Fujiwara no Tokihir ...

(藤原伊尹) * ''Daijō-daijin'',

(藤原兼通) * ''Daijō-daijin'',

. * '' Sesshō'',

, 924–972. * ''

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 ...

'',

. * ''Udaijin'',

(藤原兼家), 929–990. * ''Udaijin'',

, 925–977. * ''

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 ...

'',

* ''

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 ...

'', Minamoto no Kaneakira (源兼明) * ''Dainagon'', Fujiwara no Morouji (藤原師氏) (Gon-no-Dainagon, 権大納言) * ''Dainagon'', Fujiwara no Koretada (藤原伊尹) * ''Dainagon'', Fujiwara no Yoritada (藤原頼忠) * ''Dainagon'', Tachibana no Yoshifuru (橘好古) * ''Dainagon'',

Minamoto no Masanobu (920–993), third son of Imperial Prince Atsumi (son of Emperor Uda), a ''Kugyō'' (Japanese noble) of the Heian period.山本信吉『摂関政治史論考』（吉川弘文館、2003年）ISBN 978-4-642-02394-8 His mother was a daughter of ...

(源雅信) * ''Dainagon'', Fujiwara no Kaneie (藤原兼家) * ''Dainagon'', Minamoto no Nobumitsu (源延光) (Gon-no-Dainagon, 権大納言) * ''Dainagon'', Fujiwara no Tamemitsu (藤原為光) * ''Dainagon'', Fujiwara no Asateru (藤原朝光) (Gon-no-Dainagon, 権大納言) * ''Dainagon'', Minamoto no Shigenobu (源重信) * ''Dainagon'', Fujiwara no Naritoki (藤原済時) (Gon-no-Dainagon, 権大納言)

Eras of En'yū's reign

The years of En'yū'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 ...

(''gengō or nengō'').Titsingh
p. 144.
/ref> * ''

'' (968–970) * ''

Tenroku was a after ''Anna'' and before '' Ten'en.'' This period spanned the years from March 970 through March 973. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * February 970 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. T ...

'' (970–973) * ''

'' (973–976) * '' Jōgen'' (976–978) * '' Tengen'' (978–983) * ''

'' (983–985)

Consorts and children

Japanese empresses, Empress (Chūgū):

Fujiwara no Koshi was an Empress consort of Japan. She was the consort of Emperor En'yū of Japan. She was the daughter of regent Fujiwara no Kanemichi. She was placed in the Imperial harem to benefit her father in his rivalry with his brother Fujiwara no Kanei ...

(藤原媓子),

’s daughter Japanese empresses, Empress (Chūgū):

Fujiwara no Junshi was an Empress consort of Japan. She was the consort of Emperor En'yū of Japan. She was the daughter of regent Fujiwara no Yoritada. She was placed in the harem of the Emperor to benefit her father in his rivalry with his cousin Fujiwara no K ...

/Nobuko (藤原遵子),

’s daughter Consort ( Nyōgo): Imperial Princess ''Sonshi'' (尊子内親王; 966–985),

’s daughter Consort ( Nyōgo): Fujiwara no ''Senshi'' (藤原詮子; 962–1002),

’s daughter; later, ''Nyoin'' (女院) 'Higashi-sanjō In' (東三条院) * First Son: Imperial Prince Yasuhito (懐仁親王) later

Court Attendant ( Koui): Chujo-Miyasudokoro (中将御息所), Fujiwara no Kanetada's daughter Court Attendant ( Koui): Shōshō kōui (少将更衣)

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
{{DEFAULTSORT:Enyu Japanese emperors 959 births 991 deaths People of Heian-period Japan 10th-century Japanese monarchs Heian period Buddhist clergy Japanese Buddhist monarchs Japanese retired emperors People from Kyoto