was the 108th

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the 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 position is derived from "the ...

, 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. and was the first emperor to reign entirely during the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characte ...

. This 17th-century sovereign was named after the 9th-century

Emperor Seiwa was the 56th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 清和天皇 (56)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Seiwa's reign spanned the years from 858 through 876.He was also the predecessor of Takeda ryu. T ...

, sometimes posthumously referred to as because this is the location of his tomb, and translates as "later", and thus, he could be called the "Later Emperor Mizunoo". The Japanese word ''go'' has also been translated to mean the "second one", and in some older sources, this emperor may be identified as "Mizunoo II".

Genealogy

Before Go-Mizunoo's accession to 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 ...

, his personal name (his ''

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 or Masahito.He was the third son of Emperor Go-Yōzei and his consort,

Konoe Sakiko Konoe Sakiko (近衛前子; 1575 – August 11, 1630) was a member of the Japanese imperial court from the Azuchi-Momoyama period to the Edo period. She was a consort to Emperor Go-Yozei, and the mother of Emperor Go-Mizunoo. Her birth father was ...

.Price Kotohito had 11 full siblings (7 sisters and 4 brothers). He resided together with concubines in the Dairi of the

Heian Palace The was the original imperial palace of (present-day Kyoto), the capital of Japan, from 794 to 1227. The palace, which served as the imperial residence and the administrative centre for most of the Heian period (from 794 to 1185), was located ...

. He had 33 children with his empress consort and 6 concubines. Consort and issue(s): *Empress ( ''Chūgū''):

Tokugawa Masako , also known as Kazu-ko, was the Empress consort of Japan as wife of Emperor Go-Mizunoo. She was a prominent and influential figure the Imperial-shogunate ties and relations, because of her collaboration with her parents Oeyo and Tokugawa Hidetad ...

(徳川和子, 23 November 1607 – 2 August 1678), later known as Tōfuku-mon'in (東福門院), daughter of Tokugawa Hidetata and Lady Oeyo **Second Daughter: Imperial Princess Okiko (興子内親王, 9 January 1624 – 4 December 1696), later

Empress Meishō was the 109th monarch of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')明正天皇 (108)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 115. Her reign lasted from 1629 ...

**Third Daughter: Princess Onna-ni (女二宮, 14 October 1625 – 2 July 1651), Legal Wife of

Konoe Hisatsugu , son of regent Nobuhiro, was a '' kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the Edo period (1603–1868). He held a regent position kampaku from 1651 to 1653. His mother was not recorded. His sister was the consort of Tokugawa Mitsukuni, the daimyō ...

**Second Son: Prince Sukehito (高仁親王, 31 December 1626 – 11 July 1628) **Third Son: ''Prince Waka'' (若宮, b.1628) **Fourth Daughter: Imperial Princess Akiko (女三宮昭子内親王, 13 October 1629 — 18 June 1675) **Sixth Daughter: Imperial Princess Yoshiko (女五宮賀子内親王, 21 July 1632 – 2 August 1696) married

Nijō Mitsuhira , son of Nijō Yasumichi, was a Japanese '' kugyō'' (court noble) of the early Edo period. He held regent positions kampaku from 1653 to 1663 and sesshō from 1663 to 1664. Nijō Tsunahira was his adopted son. With Imperial Fifth Princess Yoshi ...

**Seventh Daughter: ''Princess Kiku'' (菊宮, 1633–1634) *Lady-in-waiting ( ''Naishi-no-Suke''): Yotsutsuji Yotsuko (四辻与津子, d. 9 January 1639), later known as Meikyō'in (明鏡院), was the daughter of Yotsutsuji Kinto (四辻公遠) **First Son: ''Prince Kamo'' (賀茂宮, 21 November 1618 – 4 November 1622) **First Daughter: Princess Bunchi (文智女王, 30 July 1619 – 4 February 1697 ), Wife of

Takatsukasa Norihira , son of Nobuhisa, was a '' kugyo'' or Japanese court noble of the early Edo period (1603–1868). He did not hold regent positions kampaku and sessho. The regent Takatsukasa Fusasuke was his son. His other son Kujō Kaneharu was adopted by t ...

*Lady-in-waiting ('' Naishi-no-Suke''): Sono (Fujiwara) Mitsuko (園光子) 1602– 6 March 1656, later known as Mibu'in (壬生院), Sadaijin, was the daughter of Sono Mototada (園基任) **Fourth Son: Imperial Prince Tsuguhito (紹仁親王, 20 April 1633 – 30 October 1654), later

Emperor Go-Kōmyō was the 110th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後光明天皇 (110)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession. Go-Kōmyō's reign spanned the years from 1643 through 1654. This 17th-century sovereign was n ...

**Sixth Son: Imperial Prince Priest Syuchō (守澄法親王, 3 September 1634 – 12 June 1680), abbot of

Kan'ei-ji (also spelled Kan'eiji or Kaneiji) is a Tendai Buddhism, Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1625 during the Kan'ei era by Tenkai, in an attempt to emulate the powerful religious center Enryaku-ji, in Kyoto. The main object of worship is ...

Ueno is a district in Tokyo's Taitō Ward, best known as the home of Ueno Park. Ueno is also home to some of Tokyo's finest cultural sites, including the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, and the National Museum of Na ...

**Tenth Daughter: Princess Gensho (元昌女王, 1637–1662) **Eleventh Daughter: Princess Sōchō (宗澄女王, 12 March 1639 – 27 March 1678) **Thirteenth Daughter: ''Princess Katsura'' (桂宮, 1641–1644) *Lady-in-waiting ('' Naishi-no-Suke''): Kushige (Fujiwara) Takako (1604– 23 June 1685; 櫛笥隆子) later Hōshunmon-in (逢春門院), daughter of Kushige Takachika( 櫛笥隆致) **Fifth Daughter: Princes Risho (理昌女王, 1631–1656) **Fifth Son'': Unnamed Prince'' (b.1633) **Eight Daughter: Imperial Princess Ake-no-miya Teruko (光子内親王, 25 July 1634 – 18 November 1727) **Eight Son: Imperial Prince Nagahito (秀宮良仁親王, 1 January 1638 – 22 March 1685), later

Emperor Go-Sai , also known as , was the 111th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 後西天皇 (111)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', pp. 116. Go-Sai ...

**Ninth Son: Imperial Prince Priest Shosin (性真法親王; 1639 – 1696) **Twelfth Daughter: Princess Masa (摩佐; 1640–1641) **Fourteenth Daughter: Princess Richu (理忠女王; 1641 – 1689) **Eleventh Son: Imperial Prince Hachijō-no-miya Yasuhito (八条宮穏仁親王, 15 June 1643 – 9 November 1665) **Thirteenth Son: Imperial Prince Priest Dōkan (道寛法親王; 1647–1676) *Lady-in-waiting ('' Naishi-no-Suke''): Sono (Fujiwara) Kuniko (1624 – 3 August 1677; 園国子) later Shin-Kogimon-in (新広義門院), daughter of Sono Motonari (園基音) **Tenth Son: Prince Priest Gyojo (堯恕法親王; 29 November 1640 – 28 May 1695) **Fifteenth Daughter: Imperial Princess Tsuneko (常子内親王; 8 April 1642 – 17 September 1702) **Fourteenth Son: Imperial Prince Priest Shinmu (眞敬法親王; 1649–1706) **Sixteenth Son: Imperial Prince Priest Sonshoho (尊証法親王; 31 March 1651 – 1 December 1694) **Nineteenth Son: Imperial Prince Satohito (高貴宮識仁親王, 9 July 1654 – 24 September 1732), later Imperial Prince Kōchi **Seventeenth Daughter: Princess Eikyo (永享女王; 1657–1686). *Lady-in-waiting ( ''Naishi-no-Suke''): Yotsutsuji Tsuguko (四辻継子; d.13 August 1657), daughter of Yotsutsuji Suetsugu (四辻季継) **Twelfth Son: Imperial Prince Priest Sonko (尊光法親王; 1645 – 1680) **Eighteenth Son: Imperial Prince Priest Seiin (盛胤法親王; 1651 – 1680) **Sixteenth Daughter: Princess Bunsatsu (文察女王; 1654 – 1683) *Court Lady ('' Miyahito''): Minase Ujiko (水無瀬氏子; 1607– 16 June 1672), daughter of Minase Ujinori (水無瀬氏成) **Ninth Daughter: ''Princess Shin'' (新宮; 1635–1637) **Seventh Son: Imperial Prince Priest Shojo (性承法親王; 1637 – 1678)

Events

Prince Masahito became emperor following the abdication of his emperor-father. The succession (the ''senso'') was considered to have been received by the new monarch; and shortly thereafter, Emperor Go-Mizunoo is said to have acceded (the ''sokui''). A distinct act of ''senso'' is unrecognized prior to

Emperor Tenji , also known as Emperor Tenchi, was the 38th emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'')天智天皇 (38)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.Ponsonby-Fane, Richard. (1959). ''The Imperial House of Japan'', p. 52 ...

; and all sovereigns except

Jitō were medieval territory stewards in Japan, especially in the Kamakura and Muromachi shogunates. Appointed by the ''shōgun'', ''jitō'' managed manors including national holdings governed by the provincial governor ( kokushi). There were also ...

, Yōzei, Go-Toba, and Fushimi have ''senso'' and ''sokui'' in the same year until the reign of

Emperor Go-Murakami (1328 – March 29, 1368) was the 97th emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and a member of the Southern Court during the Nanboku-chō period of rival courts. He reigned from September 18, 1339, until March 29, 13 ...

. The events during Go-Mizunoo's lifetime shed some light on his reign. The years correspond with a period in which

Tokugawa Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was bo ...

and

Tokugawa Iemitsu Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川家光, August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, who a ...

were leaders at the pinnacle of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...

. On 29 June 1596, who would be known posthumously as Go-Minzunoo, was born.

Toyotomi Hideyori was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's second son. The birth of Hideyori cr ...

came to Miyako to visit the former-Shōgun

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fello ...

on 20 May 1610 (''

Keichō was a after ''Bunroku'' and before ''Genna''. This period spanned from October 1596 to July 1615. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * 1596 : The era name was changed to ''Keichō'' to mark the passing of various natural disasters ...

15, 27th day of the 3rd month''); the same day, Go-Yōzei announced his intention to renounce the throne. Following the abdication during the on 9 May 1611 (''Keichō 16''), 16-year-old Go-Mizunoo became Emperor. The

Siege of Osaka The was a series of battles undertaken by the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan, and ending in that clan's destruction. Divided into two stages (winter campaign and summer campaign), and lasting from 1614 to 1615, the siege ...

, during which Shōgun

vanquished

and set fire to

Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Layout The main tower ...

, occurred in 1614 (''Keichō 19''). He returned to Edo for the winter. A strong earthquake struck on 26 November 1614 (''Keichō 19, 25th day of the 10th month''). A great bell for Daibutsu Temple in Kyoto was cast, also in that year. The Osaka Summer Battle began in 1615 (''Keichō 20'').

and his son, Shōgun Hidetada, marched again to Osaka Castle(''

Genna was a coming after '' Keichō'' and before ''Kan'ei.'' This period spanned the years from July 1615 to February 1624. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 1615 : The era name was changed to mark the enthronement of Go-Mizunuoo and bec ...

1''), which was captured and burned. Hideyori was thought to have died by suicide but his body was never found. It was rumored he had fled to Satsuma, where a refuge had been prepared for him in advance. Ieyasu died at Suruga the following year (''Genna 2, 17th day of the 4th month'') and Former- Emperor Go-Yōzei died in 1617 (''Genna 3, 26th day of the 8th month''). Go-Yōzei was buried at the .

, daughter of Shōgun Hidetada, entered the palace as a

consort __NOTOC__ Consort may refer to: Music * "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses'' * Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles * Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...

of the emperor and the two married (''Genna 6''). A number of severe fires broke out in Kyoto during April 1620 (''Genna 6''). In 1623, the Emperor made

, son of Hidetada, a Shōgun (''Genna 9'') and later visited

Nijō Castle is a flatland castle in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings ( Kuruwa) of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is ...

(''

Kan'ei was a after ''Genna'' and before ''Shōhō.'' This period spanned the years from February 1624 through December 1644. The reigning emperors and empress were , and .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834) ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 411./ref> Chang ...

3, 6th day of the 9th month''). The occurred in 1627 (''Kan'ei 6'') when the Emperor was accused of having bestowed honorific purple garments to more than ten priests despite the shōgun's edict which banned them for two years, a practice probably set in place to break the bond between the Emperor and religious circles. The shogunate intervened and made the bestowing of the garments invalid. The priests which had been honored by the emperor were sent into exile by the

bakufu , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakura ...

. Go-Mizunoo abdicated on 22 December 1629 (''Kan'ei 6, 8th day of the 11th month''), renouncing the throne to his daughter, Okiko, on the same day that the priests of the "Purple Robe Incident" went into exile. Okiko became the Empress Meishō. For the rest of his long life, Go-Mizuno''-in'' concentrated on various aesthetic projects and interests, of which perhaps the best-known are the magnificent

Japanese garden are traditional gardens whose designs are accompanied by Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideas, avoid artificial ornamentation, and highlight the natural landscape. Plants and worn, aged materials are generally used by Japanese garden desi ...

s of the

Shugakuin Imperial Villa The , or Shugaku-in Detached Palace, is a set of gardens and outbuildings (mostly teahouses) in the hills of the eastern suburbs of Kyoto, Japan (separate from the Kyoto Imperial Palace). It is one of Japan's most important large-scale cultural ...

. Former Emperor Go-Mizunoo died on 11 September 1680 (''

Enpō (contemporarily written as 延寳) is the after '' Kanbun'' and before ''Tenna was a after ''Enpō'' and before '' Jōkyō.'' This period spanned the years from September 1681 through February 1684. The reigning emperor was . Change of er ...

8, 19th day of the 8th month''). Go-Mizunoo's memory is honored at

Sennyū-ji , formerly written as , is a Buddhist temple in Higashiyama-ku in Kyoto, Japan. For centuries, Sennyū-ji has been a mausoleum for noble families and members of the Imperial House of Japan. Located within the temple grounds are the official tom ...

Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto is one of the eleven wards in the city of Kyoto, in Kyoto Prefecture, Japan. History 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 ...

where a designated Imperial mausoleum (''misasagi'') is located. It is named ''

Tsuki no wa no misasagi is the name of a mausoleum in Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto used by successive generations of the Japanese Imperial Family. The tomb is situated in Sennyū-ji, a Buddhist temple founded in the early Heian period, which was the hereditary temple or of th ...

''. Also enshrined are this emperor's immediate Imperial successors – Meishō, Go-Kōmyō, Go-Sai, Reigen, Higashiyama, Nakamikado, Sakuramachi, Momozono, Go-Sakuramachi and Go-Momozono.

Kugyō

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

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-Mizunoo'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 J ...

'' included: '' Kampaku'',

Kujō Yukiie , son of regent Kanetaka, was a ''kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the Edo period (1603–1868). His given name was initially. He held a regent position kampaku from 1608 to 1612 and from 1619 to 1623. He married Toyotomi Sadako (1592–1658), ...

(1608–1612), ''Kampaku'',

Takatsukasa Nobuhisa , son of Nobufusa and Sassa Teruko, the daughter of Sassa Narimasa, was a '' kugyo'' or Japanese court noble of the early Edo period (1603–1868). He held a regent position kampaku from 1612 to 1615. Norihira was his son. Family Parents *Fa ...

(1612–1615), ''Kampaku'', Nijō Akizane (1615–1619), ''Kampaku'',

(1619–1623), ''Kampaku'',

Konoe Nobuhiro , Ōzan (応山) as a monk, was a '' kugyō'' or Japanese court noble of the Edo period (1603–1868). He was born the fourth son of Emperor Go-Yōzei. His mother was Empress Dowager Chūka, or Konoe Sakiko by birth. Nobuhiro was adopted by Konoe ...

, (1623–1629), ''Kampaku'', Ichijō Akiyoshi (1629), '' Sadaijin'', ''

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 administ ...

'', Konoe Nobuhiro (1619), ''

Naidaijin The , literally meaning "Inner Minister", was an ancient office in the Japanese Imperial Court. Its role, rank and authority varied throughout the pre- Meiji period of Japanese history, but in general remained as a significant post under the Tai ...

'', and ''

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

The years of Go-Mizunoo'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 of ...

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 ...

'': ''

'' (1596–1615), ''

'' (1615–1624), and ''

'' (1624–1644).

Ancestry

Notes

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Go-Mizunoo Japanese emperors 1596 births 1680 deaths People of Azuchi–Momoyama-period Japan

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, and was the first emperor to reign entirely during the Edo period. This 17th-century sovereign was n ...

16th-century Japanese people 17th-century Japanese monarchs Japanese Buddhist monarchs Edo period Buddhist clergy Japanese retired emperors